Praise Architecture discussion

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it interesting, engaging and eye-opening. I liked how the author described in each case study the history, mythology and socio-ecological systems of each indigenous culture and how this has created and influenced their technologies. I’d not come across the phrase ‘cultural keystone species’ before. It’s a phrase that describes the influence of a particular species, whether animal or plant, on a culture through its integral use in diets, medicines, traditions, language, history and spiritual practices.

The case study that particularly stood out to me was the Jingkieng Dieng Jri Living Root Bridges of the Khasi tribe in Northern India. The roots of the rubber fig tree are trained to cross over rivers and are strong enough to withstand monsoonal rains and flooding. For the Khasi people, the rubber fig tree also has spiritual significance as the tree that forms a mythical bridge between heaven and earth. I also found the floating islands of the Uros in Peru and of the Ma’dan in Iraq, interesting examples of technologies that could be implemented elsewhere in the world as a possible solution to rising sea levels and the impacts of climate change.

In the conclusion, Julia Watson hit home that ‘by attempting to preserve nature, the top-down approach to conservation has often eroded it.’ It is easy and simplistic to assume that conservation is good for the environment, but it often ignores or disregards the symbiotic relationships that have been cultivated by indigenous people. Conservation has also created the occurrence of conservation refugees – where indigenous people have been forcibly removed from their lands by conservation legislation.

One of the biggest lessons I am taking from this book is a rethinking of how technology is viewed. High-tech does not intrinsically mean superior, and new technologies are not going to be the sole solution to the environmental problems we face. Lo-TEK and indigenous technologies offer sustainable methods of building, engineering and infrastructure as well as a more sustainable attitude towards ecology, viewing us as part of nature rather than separate from it.

I’d love to hear what others thought of this book and what they took from it!Lo–Tek: Design by Radical Indigenism

The rubber fig tree bridges fascinated me too. I also really enjoyed learning about the rice terraces as an ancient irrigation system. I remember visiting the rice terraces in Bali. It was such a beautiful landscape and their methods are really impressive.

Modern irrigation systems have their benefits but it's true that the rice terraces are more sustainable and more effective, and they are thousands of years olds. This discussion has deepened my interest in sustainable methods beyond technology.

Abi wrote: "The rubber fig tree bridges fascinated me too. I also really enjoyed learning about the rice terraces as an ancient irrigation system. I remember visiting the rice terraces in Bali. It was such a b..."

That's amazing! I'd love to visit them one day. It's one thing reading about it in a book but a totally different experience seeing the rice terraces and how the methods work in real life.