Notes

When the Ideal Home Tells the Story of Our Societies

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by LDV Studio Urbain

Some dream of an apartment bathed in light, a stone’s throw from cafes and bookstores. Others of a house surrounded by greenery, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, with a garden to grow tomatoes and flowers. These ostensibly opposing desires have been running through our societies for centuries and reflect great collective ideas: technical progress, individualism, social equality or a return to nature. Living is not just about housing: it is about choosing a living environment that reflects our values and desires.

Since ancient times, the city has fascinated as much as it repels. For the Greeks and Romans, the city was much more than a place to live: it was the heart of political, cultural and religious life. Aristotle saw in the polis the natural framework of “living together”, where man could fulfill his social nature. At the same time, Plato and Cicero were already criticizing it as a space where diseases and social tensions accumulate. This ambivalence has provided inspiration for many utopias through the ages and still runs through our urban imaginations today. Continue reading →

Bruce Bégout: A World Without Ruins

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by LDV Studio Urbain

The urban fabric, and architecture in particular, has always been a testament to past societies, and to the way in which the civilizations that came before us lived and were organized. However, after the construction of prestigious ancient works and the ingenious buildings of modernity, it may well be that today’s architecture is an exception. What if our current era of consumerism and industrial capitalism is doomed to no longer produce ruins? This is a question asked by Bruce Bégout in his book Obsolescence des ruines, published in 2022 by Éditions Inculte. Continue reading →

The Folly of the New Towns: From Infatuation to Torpor

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by LDV Studio Urbain

In recent years, ambitious visions of “new cities” have proliferated across the globe – futuristic urban experiments promising innovation, sustainability and human flourishing. From the high deserts of the American Southwest to the arid plateaus of the Arabian Peninsula, these projects are marketed as bold blueprints of tomorrow’s world: climate-responsive, technologically sophisticated and socially equitable.

But despite their rhetorical appeal and visionary aesthetics, such projects often raise more questions than answers. What lies beneath the allure of these so-called “smart cities”? Who funds them, and to what end? Do they represent genuine models for future urbanism, or are they merely monuments to excess, destined to fade into obsolescence like so many failed utopias before them? Continue reading →

Vincent Callebaut: “The Ideal City Doesn’t Exist”

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The futuristic designs of Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut, whose green buildings strive to reconcile nature and the urban world, are among the most radical and striking visions of a biophilic urban future. The following interview was first published in French in December 2020 on the Fondation Bouygues Immobilier blog Demain la Ville. Continue reading →