Finite Earth, Open-Ended Architecture? Framing a Qualitative, Ecological Perspective on Housing

In the realm of contemporary housing development, the dichotomy between quantitative and qualitative approaches underscores a fundamental tension. This article explores the significance of this dichotomy and its complex implications on the ecological relationship between humans, the built, and the natural environment. The paper asks; how can the architectural practice of housing development encompass a qualitative ecological perspective? This will be elaborated by examining the shortcomings of ‘numerical environmentalism’ to reevaluate the role of technology in mediating human-environment relationships, questioning not only the methodologies we utilize to assess environmental impacts, but also the way we design, build, and maintain our built environments in general. To initiate the conceptualization of a qualitative alternative, a practice situated in an ethic of care is proposed, to form a critical lens through which the normative practices of housing development can be examined. As existing practices often prioritize numerical assessments and scalable solutions over context-specific, qualitative considerations, the research will advocate for what can be considered an ‘open-ended’ architectural paradigm, embracing uncertainty, time, the capacity to induce and absorb change, diversity, material proximity, and so forth. This is elaborated in a logical framework of concepts, principles, and incompatibilities, and further visualized as a spectrum covering the dichotomy foregrounded. At its core, the key message of this research is a call for architects to rethink their approach to housing development to embrace care relations and open-ended architectural principles with ambitions to cultivate a more harmonious relationship between humans and their surrounding environments.