COMMUNITY, DESIGN, & COUNTRY

The issue of community in architecture has been raised in various blogs. This has nothing to do with ‘community’ as a functional requirement, as in, say, a community hall or another public building; rather it is referring to that subtle quality of relationship that enables a coherence that embodies integrity in cities, towns, villages, and suburbs. There is the critique that Modernism is singular, concerned only with its own bespoke expression - see: https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2023/05/architecture-is-not-singular.html and https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-rose-seidler-house-private-visions.html; and the comment has been made on the collection of houses in The New Queensland House- see: https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-new-queensland-house.html - where the majority of projects prefer to stand alone in their presentations, (only two reveal the street), and have no relationship to any particular context, or to each other, apart from coming together in this coffee table-like publication under the chosen theme of ‘outdoor living' which arises from various different, bespoke expressions and interpretations.

As well as this preferred singularity, we have that constantly repeated declaration of recognition of First Nations people that has also been critiqued see: https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2025/09/lagoon-house.html and https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-new-queensland-house.html - the point being that the ‘recognition’ is merely a set of hollow words,# with no particular action being taken to modify any outcome because of this political blurb; social spin that simply ticks the box to satisfy expectations. The words have become something like the bland, thoughtless 'Thank you' or 'Excuse me' statement that changes nothing that anyone intended to do as they accept or pass by without any thought being given to these sounds. True recognition embodies much more than a polite, cliché gesture. Country holds depth and meaning – see: https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2024/06/country-outside-inside-place.html and https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2026/08/indigenising-with-country.html.

Bruce Pascoe, in Dark Emu, Magabala Books 2018, (p.192/3 and p.180), notes that there is inherent meaning in First Nations acts and ideas, recording the fact that there is a moral and spiritual obligation and significance in materials used in tool production, and quoting Stanner who recognised that all myths were archetypal, and 'enfold into some kind of oneness the notions of body spirit, ghost shadow, name, spirit site and totem.'

There is a wholeness in First Nations understanding that could set the example for a more cohesive and meaningful togetherness in architecture, in our cities, towns, villages and suburbs, as is noted in the First Nations obligations with land management:

Bruce Pascoe, Dark Emu, Magabala Books, 2018, p.199:

 The system (of land management) in operation could be considered a jigsaw of mutualism. People had rights and responsibilities for particular pieces of the jigsaw, but they were constrained to operate that piece so that it added to rather than detracted from the pieces of their neighbours and the epic integrity of the land.

The piece of the tree or stream or land that a group retained responsibility for bled into country so distant that they may never visit.

If architects took First Nations matters seriously, and acted likewise, we might have cities, towns, villages and suburbs that truly embody and enrich life, rather than being left with the total shambles that we have today.

Country of the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples.

We have just returned from a day in Brisbane: in spite of the promotional hype declaring it one of Australia's most liveable and happiest cities, the city is a total mess, not only with traffic chaos, but also with egocentric statements of built form seeking to outdo each other without giving any thought, care, or attention to anything but their own itemised, expressive identities revealed as these ‘grand design statements,’ each presenting this egocentric interest in an array of languages, all of which strive for an award winning appraisal with their attempts at displaying anything different and starkly unique. Imagine if architects took responsibility for things so distant that they might never visit. Today, architects struggle to take responsibility for a neighbour let alone some mysteriously envisaged, remote place which is more likely to entail gleeful amazement at the latest Gehry building under construction than any accountability.

Gehry Guggenheim, Abu Dhadi - so distant that they may never visit.

See: https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-gehry-talk-domes-cones-and-inspired.html.

Country of the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples.

So one sees declarations of recognition as hollow, political lies; a pretence. We have much to learn. Unfortunately, Australia cannot even agree to give First Nations people a Voice with an over 60 percent NO! vote. Why would anyone, let alone architects, worry about anything to do with any obligations, especially those of our Aboriginal people? If we seek to respect the First Nations experience, then we need to be a lot more rigorous, caring and responsive. Then perhaps we might be able to build for community and manage matters to sustain this approach to life and others rather than struggle for exotic dominance in our structures and social structures.

p.199-200

People fishing a family section of the great Brewarrina fish trap knew that they could take fish from the trap, but that they had to ensure it was done in such a way that it did not impede enjoyment or use of the amenity by fellow countrymen and countrywomen.

Brewarrina fish trap.

Brisbane suburb.

Imagine what our public places might be like if we considered every piece so that it added to rather than detracted from the pieces of their neighbours and the epic integrity of the land – the city, town, village, and suburb . . . in such a way that it did not impede enjoyment or use of the amenity by fellow countrymen and countrywomen.

This is the recognition that we need to acknowledge and act upon.

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As a minimum, appropriate wording for responding to a Welcome to Country would include: “I acknowledge the *___________________people, the Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander** Owners of the land where we gather today and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging. I recognise their connection to Country and their role in caring for and maintaining Country over thousands of years. May their strength and wisdom be with us today.”

*If known add the Traditional Owners’ clan/language group name

**Use ‘Aboriginal’ or ‘Torres Strait Islander’ as appropriate

https://indigenousportal.education.qld.gov.au/resource/Documents/acknowledgment-of-country-overview.pdf

THE NEGLECT OF AMBITION - WOW!

We appear to be totally entranced by technology. It seems that different ideas just keep getting zealously promoted and happily accepted, approved, and applauded without any questions being asked, without any impacts being assessed, and without any future impacts being considered. There is some sense of agreeable excitement that sees everything new as a great idea - WOW!, just what we wanted - in spite of the implications that never appear to be considered, or taken seriously if they are. The intensity of the ardour, the fervour, the passion, the zest, the gusto for the new, enthuses us as it blinds us to what is being excluded, denied, changed, perverted. 

As an example, consider the news item that introduced the hover light, a drone that can remain stationary and light a space – WOW! The presentation promoted the gadget as being used to light a campsite. The boast was that you don’t need to fiddle with lanterns and fire to light up your campsite, as if this might be an advantage. The carefully chosen term fiddle suggests a frustrating annoyance, hinting that this invention might do away with such unwanted nuisances: "Oh, mind the cord."

The blurb continues: Carry the power station with you and the drone will follow along in the air – WOW! The drone features adjustable LED lights and can stay airborne for up to 24 hours – WOW! The Heone-X can light up a large area from its maximum height of 32 feet – WOW! The power station includes controls for one-touch take-off and can top off your other gadgets with its 480-Wh capacity – WOW!

WOW!

Gosh, everyone should have one! It sounds astonishing; even fun: but isn’t camping all about the peace and quiet of nature, sitting around and enjoying the flickering ambience of a fire, or the gloomy shadows of a lantern underneath the night skies? Does one really want this hovering LED illumination in a campsite? The information does not mention any sound levels. Apart from the constant noise of the drone, one would look up, not to see the Southern Cross twinkling in the darkness of infinity, but to squint at the glare of the LED cross of the drone light. The whole place would be buzzing, dominated by the drone’s constant presence, its amazing performance. The wonderment of the starry night would be transformed into a noisy attention-seeking brilliance. One might not have to fiddle with fire for light, but one has to worry about charging batteries and transporting a power station and a drone as a part of the camping gear - and the cord.

We need to be more inquisitive with our new technologies, more questioning of their impacts and issues before we fall head over heels for their hype. Imagine a campsite where everyone had this drone light #: LED drone hovers in place to flood your base camp in light -https://newatlas.com/outdoor-gear/lighting-drone-heone-x/#gallery:1

WOW!

We easily get overexcited with the passionate blurb that comes with the new, with the delights of the extravagantly promised attractions that flood all doubts with blind belief, burying any thought that might suggest that these things may not be as desirable as they are said to be. Take as another example, the hover camera that could perhaps be operated in conjunction with the light – WOW!: HoverAir Versa Is the World’s First Flying Pocket Camera - https://petapixel.com/2026/07/30/hoverair-versa-is-the-worlds-first-flying-pocket-camera/

What can one say but WOW! yet again?

. . . users can snap wings onto the HoverAir Versa, turning it into a dedicated aerial camera that automatically follows the user around. . . . Finally, no shot is ever out of reach . . . “No learning curve. No pilot skills. No controller,” the company continues. “Just launch and go.” – WOW!

It is as though this is all highly desirable, that one could just pick up this gizmo and be an instant, ‘Look no hands!’ expert. Why does technology seek to exclude any human input? - consider the self-drive car.

A WOW! selfie.

What are we doing? Do we no longer concern ourselves with any impacts? Are we bewitched by the new tech? Smart glasses: WOW!* Think of the world with its mass tourism where everyone has such a camera. Do we ever concern ourselves with real outcomes? We have pressed on enthusiastically with our nuclear world, boasting about its wonderful properties/qualities/efficiencies without addressing the waste problem - see; https://www.autonocion.com/us/yucca-mountain-tunnel-boring-machine-south-portal/. Is this the new norm? Do we care?

It is the hype, its fervour, that appears to be the distracting element here. We seem to engage just too easily with the swift talking of the ‘snake oil’ salesman, convincing ourselves that we need these things as we push aside all doubt; dismiss all concerns. A part of this sales pitch appears to be the creation of a ‘brand,’ a circumstance that has the connotation of ‘branding,’ as in cattle - branding the consumer to lock in a commitment to repeat the purchases – with these ‘brands’ being promoted with an exaggerated, assuring, self-confident ballyhoo in order to generate profit – nothing else. We get the same sales pitch in real estate, e.g. at Tugun on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia:

“Tugun is just now finding its brand with these buyers, who would have mentioned Mermaid Beach, Burleigh, even Coolangatta.” (These places are other Gold Coast suburbs.)

https://www.realestate.com.au/news/pop-off-inside-tuguns-record-115m-sale/?campaignType=external&campaignChannel=display&campaignSource=google&campaignName=content&campaignPlacement=demand_gen&campaignContent=news&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23712681526&gbraid=0AAAAACmCU6NSs0Trvb9XMQC5NPFttGrh1&gclid=CjwKCAjwsrbTBhAvEiwA0Bpp4RvVrQ_SVoSLRz5CcPP1zkvyKFLT5KbYlvr31-6Rz4QnVxjtypbsORoCwQoQAvD_BwE

Record $11.5 million Tugun property.

The pattern is made clear in the television programme, Shark Tank, where guests come and perform like trained monkeys before the team of investors to present their product. The question eventually asked is usually how much the product costs ‘to land,’ and how much it is sold for. It is rare for anything to be made by the guests seeking investments. If the product is made by them, the inevitable suggestion is to go elsewhere to get it made more cheaply for greater profit. There is no thought given to the relationship between the making, the object/product, and the user – the craft that William Morris and Eric Gill spoke of so ardently: ordinary work with hands. Only the figures are critical – e.g. the report that tells “land for $5; sell for $75” is met with a chorus of WOW!s as the eyes roll in a dollar sign motion without a blink and the offers pour in. There is only one object – profit; to ‘build the brand’ and reap the ever-increasing gains. The general intent is to turn the company into a multi-million dollar enterprise. No thought is given to anything other than to the impact on profit. All other matters, subtle or otherwise, on place, performance, people, and experience, are irrelevant.

The example of the drone light can be seen in this way – as an intriguing, branded gadget that might attract and sell in ever-increasing numbers; and the hover camera too – WOW! The sales are critical; the aim is always for a constant, unlimited increase in growth. In other contexts this is called ‘cancer.’ There is no thought given to any actual impacts on the lived experience unless it has to do with the PR hype. One is encouraged to think about these issues only in terms of the blurb that defines the ways of seeing.

. . . as with cars, quantity is everything. One company can turn out a car every minute – WOW!: https://www.evworld.com/article.php?id=760&slug=; another boasts record sales of 8,000 a month in just one small country – WOW!: https://www.drive.com.au/news/tesla-model-y-claims-23-year-holden-sales-title/; and so it goes on and on. Millions of vehicles are produced every year, year after year, and we boast about this achievement. It seems that the only issues for the consumer to consider here besides record-making quantity, are the brand, the performance, the gadgetry available in each model, the colour range and accessories, and the cost. There appears to be no thought being given to any future, overall impact. How many cars does the world need? What is the impact of putting millions of new cars on the roads of the world every year, be these petrol, electric, or hybrid, or anything else. What is the limit? What should we do? Getting more and more efficient in the manufacturing of cars by using robots - "Look, no hands!" - is clever, indeed impressive, but what happens to these vehicles? What is the impact on habitation; on life and well-being itself?

We could make millions of drone lights to illuminate the world, but . . . The Australia First Nations people knew the sky; its stories – Sky Country; why are we so excited about blocking out this wonder; ignoring it? Why is there a desire to see the magical mystery of fire turned into a nuisance, and dismissed as an annoying fiddling? Setting a fire is exciting; the collecting of the twigs and branches of various sizes; the stacking of the pile so that the flames progressively ignite the larger pieces; the enjoyment of the final flare of the flames and the glow of the embers as folk gather around the flickering warmth. What does a drone light do other than hover, glow, and distract? One of the great excitements of the campsite is the experience of the fire; and the different light of the lantern that changes the ambience of place and circumstance, turning it into something memorably mysterious and special: a site for ghost stories. Should we care?

"When Arthur turned the key in the front door at midnight,

the air inside tasted cold and metallic, like a coin kept too long under a tongue . . . "

It's like camping under a street light.

We need to be much more circumspect about matters and not be diverted by the new tech wonders that appear every day along with the zest and gusto of their promotions. Are the best questions: 'Why do we need this?' and 'What are the future implications?' We accept these gizmos with the enthusiasm of children in a candy store, being just as excited as they are over the buzz of sugar with our buzz of the hovering drone, engaging with these gadgets like children at Christmas with new toys that might stay interesting for a few minutes, until the next one is opened. We need to be more circumspect than this.

WOW!

It is the buzz of the drone that will remain to haunt the ardent camper seeking refuge in nature. The excitement for this new tech could be as short-lived as the sugar buzz. We know how loud music can disrupt such quiet places of retreat. Why should we not be concerned about consequences like those of drones? Why are we not concerned about futures where we have unquestioned exponential growth? We need to look at all impacts, implications, and repercussions as part of a whole rather than entertaining the new just because it is there and excitingly different, in spite of the promotional hype, for there is always an end that needs attention, as we are discovering with our nuclear waste, and as we shall discover with our vehicles too. What happens when . . .? is the question that needs consideration, analysis, and determined action.

Our blind enthusiasm for AI seems to be dragging us into a world with no end, a matter that has to be a serious concern, for this is the pure neglect of blind ambition that has no idea where it is going, but remains totally committed to ‘going forward’ – to ‘progress' as if excellence, satisfaction, and contentment can be achieved only with this approach to life.

We must not neglect the subtle, abstract richness in experience, and its variety of wonder and enchantment when we are confronted with the impressive items developed by technology, which could all be equated with adult toys that only distract and entertain us for a while, as we prepare for the next hit which is very likely already in production, getting ready for release while we remain as 'I's looking for 'Thou's ^ as we seek to know ourselves in the same way as the poet of old :

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Psalm 8:3-4 in the King James Version (KJV)

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Perhaps this might be the best outcome, with everyone lighting the area with buzzing drones, all happy with the glare and the noise, rather than having just one user. The situation could turn out to be like the one person with loud music in a campsite where folk are seeking quiet.

^

Martin Buber, I and Thou, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1971. First published in German, 1923; English, 1937.

*

NOTE

There are many more items that could be referenced in our list: batteries; satellites; rockets; fireworks; ballpoint pens; and even Lego could all be included.

We produce nearly everything to run on batteries, being proud of the environmental sensitivities and portability, but have no solution to what happens at the end of the life of these power packs as we devise more and more gadgets to use more and more batteries of all shapes and sizes.

We place thousands of satellites in our skies with no idea what they might do to our world, or what might happen to them when we no longer need them, just letting them burn up, believing that they just disappear with zero impact, in the same way as we used to dump everything into the streams, rivers, and oceans.

We fire off an ever increasing number of bigger and bigger rockets into space without a thought about anything but their projection; and if one goes astray we are happy for it to head for the moon without any qualms; no worries. We give no attention to the burnt fuel remains as we admire the flare.

We use fireworks for our celebrations that ignore the dense smoke, the trash, and the pollution left behind as we cheer and scream out for more and delight in the sparkles, the bangs, and the flares.

AI Overview

Crews cleaned the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., by initially using long-handled nets and manual trash removal, followed by major draining operations overseen by the Department of the Interior to clear out heavy July 4th fireworks debris, ash, and residue.

We produce millions of disposable, plastic ballpoint pens, but cannot make a refill for a pen that will accept one at a price cheaper than the disposable unit. We happily accept the 'advantage' of cheap writing tools without any thought given to the future trash.

Lego has two issues: it uses small pieces of plastic that are assembled to create wonders. We give no thought to this plastic world, remaining amazed at the images produced, treating them with the respect of the original, be it a van Gogh, a Leonardo da Vinci, or a Michelangelo, without a glitch of concern about the significant, mocking difference, merely expressing astonishment that seeks more and more: see -

https://www.yankodesign.com/2026/08/04/michelangelos-iconic-david-bust-gets-recreated-in-lego-turning-plastic-into-sculpted-marble/