Reflection on WK 3 reading: The Aspatial City by J.V. Zelfde

This reading discusses the fact that we now live in a world that is dominated by the ‘unseen.’ The hidden communication networks of wi-fi, mobile phones and other wireless devices have altered the way we utilise time and space on a daily basis. Social media has added an extra dimension to our world and in this 4-D virtual reality distance is reduced and time feels like it’s sped up.  A city used to be defined by its physical form but now it can also be a city based in virtual time. I believe this has (and will continue to) cause a loss of space identity and loss of connection to true context. Although the physical world has limited spaces and boundaries, the virtual world with all its boundless space cannot exist without the physical… like a parasite it must feed off the living.  This 4^th dimension will only continue to exist if we let it and therefore we have a choice on whether we utilise it. Is this system really the way we should be heading for the future. With all the communication avenues open to us, I feel we make less effort to keep in contact with each other than ever before. Everything is less personal and disconnected from reality. With all this ‘extra space’ and communication possibilities everyone is busier than ever, so how is this extra dimension really helping us? In this sense, this technologically advanced world feel like its missing something…like it’s incomplete.  How can we make this virtual technology more personable? I believe this will only happen if an entity is definable, the space touchable and the context recognisable. If looked at this way, the virtual world will always be lacking.  Therefore, how can I incorporate the technological world into my future architectural designs without it overshadowing the physical spaces and the personal interactions they create?