Beyond Efficiency. Speculative design for living in the ecocene

How could a more just and sustainable living environment be like? This anthology seeks to shed new light on how the design of built living environments shapes the possibilities for everyday life to be sustainable. The centerpiece of the anthology is a selection of speculative design experiments, including e.g. Weather Wash, Biophilia, and Interstitial Interventions. Moving from an analysis of ‘what is’ to an exploration of ‘what if’, the design experiments seek to articulate the limitations of ecomodernist urban sustainability while also opening up for alternatives. The design experiments are complemented by a number of essays, expanding on frustrations and reflections, and providing insight into how a design-driven research process might be carried out, including methodological troubles. If you have an interest in planning and design for urban sustainability, futures studies and speculation, and/or design-driven research, then this book is definitely for you.