Tenth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

Perhaps the world as we know it, as we represent it, is nothing like reality. Contemporary image making in architecture has evolved in the light of an evolutionary theory of natural selection that has been obscuring our perception of reality in the attempt to keep us alive. Darwin’s widely accepted theory of evolutionary biology has led us to believe that the way we experience the world is becoming more objective; that the human species’ ability to perceive and represent reality has improved with each generation. Cognitive psychologist, Donald Hoffman, presents an alternative in, The Case Against Reality; Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes, theorizing that our senses guide useful actions, they do not perceive truthful or ‘real’ conditions. While contemporary evolutionary biologist, Richard Dawkins asserts that Darwin’s algorithm of Natural Selection applies not only to organic beings, but also to social/cultural ‘memes’, or artifacts that transmit these cultural beliefs; such as fashions, songs, ceramics or architecture. Their success depends not on an affinity with what is real or true, but with what is most easily replicated. Our reliance on linear perspective, cartesian coordinates and our current pseudo-orthographic modes of representation are symptomatic of these delusions. The limitations of our own experience are shaping our environments and we have an obligation to explore the alternatives. This paper will offer an alternative framework for spatial perception and representation guided by Hoffman’s theory of alternative reality that aims to better reflect the panoply of human needs within the constructed environment.