Doing More with Less

"...profit comes from what is there, usefulness from what is not there." - Lao Tzu

“Art is the elimination of the unnecessary.” - Pablo Picasso

“If we observed first, designed second, we wouldn’t need most of the things we build.” - Ben Hamilton-Baillie

"when you remove just the right things in just the right way, something good happens." - Mathew May 

Learning objectives

• Evaluate an example of simple sustainability.
• Acquire tools to over come complexity. 

Agenda

1. Slides - Subtraction and Elegance
2. Activity - Barriers to Subtraction
3. Watch Highway Removal video
4. Complete Discussion and Assignment

Subtraction

Slides Links to an external site.

Highway Removal

http://www.streetfilms.org/mba-highway-removal/ Links to an external site. if the video doesn't load you can try https://vimeo.com/21509646 Links to an external site..

Barriers to Subtraction

Read the definition for the psychological barrier loss aversion, myopia, sunk cost, or uncertainty. Write down at least one example how this may effect a phase of infrastructure (e.g. planning, design, operation, maintenance, demolition, reuse).

Share with your group. As a group identify one example to share with the class.

Handout Links to an external site.

Assignment/Quiz

Read the Dresden Case Study Download Dresden Case Study

References

Mathew May's Manifesto on Creative Elegance Links to an external site.. 

The art of adding by taking away.  Links to an external site.

Street Designer: Remove Traffic Signals Links to an external site.