92 real planning projects, such as Patrick Geddes’s 1935 plan for Tel Aviv, an exemplar of the garden city movement. Others were imagined or imaginary. These included Sforzinda, a neverrealized Renaissance utopian city imagined by Italian architect Filarete in the 15th century. Gehmann was intrigued by vrbn’s model of a Brazilian favela, or shantytown, displayed as part of the 2016 Biennale. Matthias Buehler, vrbn’s founder and chief technology officer, had studied the architecture of favelas, knowledge he used to begin constructing the 3D model in 2012. This initial project, done in collaboration with Cyrill Oberhaensli (now the software developer lead at vrbn), began as a hobbyist project, a way to test and showcase the technical capabilities of ArcGIS CityEngine. As with all vrbn work, the visualizations reflect an attention to realism, achieving a lived-in look rather than the typical gleaming architectural renders made by most firms. In 2015, an ISWG member learned of the project and asked Buehler if parts could be repurposed for the group’s 2016 Biennale exhibition project. The idea was for the favela model to serve as a counterpoint to the other examples on display, which followed more conventional model of ideal worlds. It facilitated a deeper discussion of the urban and spatial qualities of ideal worlds, a core focus of ISWG. The dialog helped Buehler realize that although favelas embody spatial chaos, they also reveal something profound about modern cities. “A favela certainly doesn’t provide anything close to ideal living conditions, of course, but there are certain interesting spatial qualities of its urban fabric that modern cities lack or have lost over time,” Buehler said. “Having seen a favela myself, I know that people who live there have a strong influence on the design, function, and construction of their spaces. You can interact in these spaces socially and develop connections with your neighbors and the community. In the Global North, building codes and regulations often make that virtually impossible.” Applying these concepts to a modern utopian ideal became a driving force of the Utopian Disruption project. “Since the dawn of time, deep connections in communities have been an essential aspect of supporting meaningful social life, a sense of place, and a kind of spiritual home.” —Matthias Buehler, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, vrbn The design process began with some concept sketches. (Screenshot courtesy of VRBN)
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