List of figures
Preface by Fabio Finotti
Acknowledgements
1. Architectural Exaptation
1.1. Reimagining Architecture: Exploring Exaptation and Ecological Perspectives in Design
1.2. Exploring the Untapped Connections: Evolutionary Biology and Architecture Beyond Biomimicry
1.3. Exaptation: Uncovering Evolutionary Pathways in Human Behaviour
1.4. Rethinking Form and Function: Exploring Exaptation in Evolution and Architecture
1.5. Challenging Determinism: Expect the Unexpected
1.6. The perfect storm
2. Exaptation: the interplay between forms and functions
2.1. 1978, London, Royal Society…
2.2. Adaptation: a slippery concept
2.3. The notion of exaptation, or functional co-optation
2.4. Exaptation as the transformation of possible
2.5. Exaptation as survival of the most flexible
2.6. Exaptation as structural side effect
2.7. Going to the stake for exaptation: the spandrels of San Marc
2.8. Exaptation in human evolution
3. Morphospace: The Possible Is Greater Than The Real
3.1. The protein library
3.2. All the animals in the world
3.3. Clusters and empty regions
3.4. Four hypotheses for the mystery of the unexplored areas of morphospace
3.5. The possible adjacent
3.6. Exaptive explorations
4. Back to the Future
4.1. Time matters
4.2. An Architectural Niche: constraints as designers
4.3. Exploring the Influence of Obsolete Evolutionary Theories on Architecture: A Perspective on Urban Development and Recapitulation
4.4. Critiquing the Concepts of Recapitulation, Ontogenesis, and Phylogenesis: Flaws and Negative Impacts
4.5. The use of the term Recapitulation in Architecture and Historical Connections
4.6. Recapitulation City
5. Redefining Architecture: Towards a Taxonomy of Exaptation
5.1. Embracing Non-Deterministic Design and Functional Repurposing
5.2. Spandrel: The Missing Link between Biology and Architecture
5.3. Chicken-Egg
5.4. Architecture as a Fusion of Adaptation and Exaptation
6. Dynamic Adaptation: Shifting Functions in Architecture across Time and Contexts
6.1. The Fluidity of Architecture: Exploring Functional Adaptation and Exaptation in Built Environments
6.2. The Adaptive Transformation of Architecture: Exploring Change of Use in Response to Emerging Needs and Crises
6.3. Layers of Exaptation in Architectural History
7. Göbekli Tepe: Challenging Narratives and Rethinking Architecture History
7.1. Shaping Human History through Narratives
7.2. Exploring the Creative Nature of Ancient Constructions
7.3. Purpose and Complexity through Interdisciplinary Perspectives
7.4. Exploring Alternative Pathways
7.5. The Functional Relationship Between Beauty and Evolutionary Functionality in Architecture
8. Learning from History: The Case of Venice
8.1. Exaptation and Resilience in Architecture: Overcoming Inertial Persistence
8.1.1. Rethinking the Perception of the Medieval City in Architecture
8.2. A thousand Venices
8.2.1. Venice: an exaptation continuum
8.2.2. A fertile terrain for exaptation
8.2.3. Exaptation in Venice
8.3. From Venice to Florence: Mannerism and the decolonisation of order in architecture
8.4. The Functional Relationship Between Beauty and Evolutionary Functionality in Architecture
9. Romantic Architecture as a manifestation of exaptation: the case of Alessandro Gherardesca
9.1. Architectural Exaptation for a New State
9.2. Enlightenment: an extended architectural taxonomy
9.3. Historicism as an Ideological Re-functionalization
9.4. The project for the Piazza del Duomo
9.5. The Leaning Tower: a serendipitous imperfection
9.6. The Completion of the Piazza del Duomo Transformation
9.7. The imitation of nature in Gherardesca’s writings
9.8. Stylistic redundancy in Gherardesca’s practice
9.9. Enlightenment Cultural Circle as neuronal network
10. Unveiling Anomalies: Austrian Radicals as a Case Study in Architectural Exaptation
10.1. Austrian Radicals and Architectural Exaptation in Discourse
10.2. Everything is Architecture
10.3. Exploring Archetypes: The Convergence of Functions in Spandrels and Arche'
10.4. The Opposition to Rationalist Reductionism
10.5. Aldo Rossi and Raimund Abraham's Fascination with Subterranean Archetypes
10.6. Hans Hollein: Transdisciplinarity and Techno-Landscapes
10.7. Austrian and Italian Radicals
10.8. Design Functional Cooptation: Photomontage and Non-Deterministic Approaches
10.9. Haus-Rucker Co's Anticipation of Architectural Exaptation
10.10. Biological Architecture: Günther Domenig's Anticipatory Path
11. Temporary Appropriation and the exaptation of the urban space
11.1. Exploring Urban Dynamics: Temporary Appropriation and Architectural Exaptation
11.2. Unveiling the Urban Phenomenon: Temporary Appropriation and Creative Architectural Exaptation
11.3. Exploring the Role of Creativity and Architectural Exaptation in Human Development
11.4. Embracing Associative Thinking and informal Design for Creative Resilience
12. Architectural exaptation and Informality
12.1. Urban Informality
12.2. Informal Settlements
12.3. Informality as an opportunity
12.4. Informal architecture
12.5. Informal architecture and Exaptation
12.6. Insights for the development of a new architectural taxonomy
12.7. A conclusive note
13. The Necessity of Diversity in Architecture: Case Studies
13.1. A Critique of Linear Progression and the Importance of Alternative Perspectives through significant case studies
13.2. Embracing Diversity: Exploring its Role as a Catalyst for Exaptation in Architecture through Practice-Based Methods and Case Studies
13.3. Beyond Design Intent: The Crawford Hill Antenna's Architectural Serendipity and Cosmic Revelation
13.4. The Depot: Exploring Unconventional Spaces and Unforeseen Connections
13.5. The Polo della Memoria SR1938 project: Embracing the female perspective
13.6. Universo Espanso 9: Architectural Exaptation and the Fusion of Art and Space
13.7. Reimagined Residuum: A Spandrel-inspired Installation Celebrating No Waste Design
13.8. Exploring Architectural Exaptation: Sustainable Design and Innovative Technology in the Cyberwall Installations
13.9. Spandrel and Genoma at La Biennale di Venezia 2021: A Multidisciplinary Exploration of Sustainable Architecture
13.10. Symbiotic Visions: The Living Canvas of 'The Black Box'
13.11. Exploring Architectural Exaptation and Functional Cooptation at Italian Embassy's Republic Day Celebrations
14. The Art is a Spandrel: Drawings as a Manifestation of Exaptation
14.1. The Birth of Drawing
14.2. Hand Stencils and Handprints
14.3. Drawing Diversity
14.4. Exaptive Drawings
14.5. Against Order and Authoritarianism
14.6. Heterarchy and Political Aspirations
14.7. Towards Surgical Architecture
14.8. Freespace
14.9. A propaedeutic work
14.10. Contribution to Alternative Paradigms
14.11. Rediscovering Giovanni Michelucci’s Variable City
14.12. Michelucci and history
14.13. Drawings inspired by Biological Matter
15. Artificial Intelligence as an Exaptive Design Dimension
15.1. Artificial Intelligence: Origins, Development, Significance, and Impact
15.2. Understanding the Mechanics of Artificial Intelligence
15.3. The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Creativity and the Arts
15.4. AI Design
15.5. The Paroxysmal Option for Collective Creativity
15.6. Exploring the uncharted design
15.7. Two Acrobat
15.8. Padiglione della Scienza: Embracing Architecture Exaptation for Italy's Technological Showcase
15.9. Exaptation Synergy: Unleashing Poetic Creativity through AI-Driven Image Generation and 3D Fabrication
15.10. Sustainability Transformed through Multilayered Exaptation: Peccioli's Landfill Renewed through AI and Morphing
15.11. Reflections and conclusion
16. Italian Pavilion 2021 at La Biennale Venezia 2021: Embracing Complexity and Darkness
16.1. Architectural exaptation observed through the manifestation of darkness and disorder
16.2. Johannes Kepler: “Nature uses as little as possible of anything”
16.3. Dark Architecture: "We can't solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."
16.4. Against the confines of the white box
16.5. We are creatures of the night who fear the darkness
16.6. Challenging the notion of order and rejecting authoritarianism
16.7. Conclusion: Redefining Architecture Education and Challenging Authoritarianism
17. Conclusion: Unlocking Architectural Evolution, Embracing Exaptation and Adaptive Spandrels
17.1. From Ruins to Resources: Embracing Exaptation in Architecture and Urban Planning
17.2. Exaptation: Unveiling Nature's Design Secrets and Architectural Potential
17.3. From Ruin to Spandrel: Embracing the Potential of Architectural Evolution
17.4. Rethinking Urban Evolution: From Determinism to Adaptive Spandrel Cities
Epilogue by Edgardo Bolio Arceo
Index
