Wildetecture , Erxell - wild architectural Africa creative design ideas?

"When you're one step ahead of the crowd you're a genius. When you're two steps ahead, you're a crackpot." --Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Lincoln Square

The above quote for me resonates when taking the concept of Wildetecture into account. The concept is an experiment towards a wild fauvistic Africa design style. The concept of  Erxell  is an attempt to bridge the massive chasm between Africa's  socio economic divides using advertising as a glass bead of trade.

Wildetecture is an attempt at creating a  wild dynamic Africa architectural design point of departure that encompasses the following ideals.

1) earth branded architecture
2) architectural musical interludes.
3) logotexturalised buildings.
4) perceived kinetic architecture
5) disintegration of perspective
6) architectural shadow projection
7) human driven architectural mechanisms
8) trompe leiol in architecture
9) human space sculpture - hs2
10) past image investigation - pi2

Erxell - 
Is championing a yet to be fully grasped sustainable unit of measure - which can gain a value depending on various factors. the main thrust of the concept is getting the advertising moguls at the same negotiating table as informal settlement dwellers. One way , to my mind for Africa  to be taken seriously, is if the architectural and design concepts add value on the world stage. erxell creates a glass bead of trade where none now exists. it creates the communicative link between technology , art , architecture and human settlements. it links into the bigger picture a people living outside of the current  formal sector frame work and grid. - just go into Khayelitsha informal settlement Cape Town and see folk living in a informal settlement next to a majorly regulated city. we need to create systems and design concepts that reach in and showcase the tale of these 2 dynamically opposite cities. one rich, one poor - at the moment the design ideas dont have a depth to do this - because clients need money and Khayelitsha informal settlement coupled with every informal settlement in South Africa - just does not have money. the erxell concept offers a bartering glass bead.  

Wildetecture style furniture range couples the complete wild aspects of Africa design with the veneer of an art inspired by Africa concept. Dont wait to be validated, we dont live long enough to waste time trying to express yourself at cold fowl feet. Go to where the feet are warmer, softer and kinder more welcoming. Develop a "Jou voet in n visblik" creative mentality. Just go forward and do creative artistic expressive work. Leave behind a portfolio. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. 

mantis chair - picasso wild -

wildetecture furniture design offset by an artist who wasnt afraid to express himself - as the mantis chair stealthily sits in its natural habitat - camouflaged, awaiting an occupant. the photo of the moth against bark was the african inspiration for this poster.

wildetecture plight before flight.

Wildetecture in its raw form is what punk rock was to music. A complete knee jerk reaction to established local design trends. Its my opinion that  south african designers are far to guilty of  bowing and fawning down to the golden calf of overseas design trends, much more than our local ideas. In the past our cape town held  design showcases seem to be  the rest of the world telling and instructing us what we should design and how they have designed it already - Really a big brother schooling the little brother to see the direction he must go. Far,  far to few south african designers going - this is what we design here and this is how we design it in SA.

Wildetecture  encompasses  age old Africa style design ideas. Wildetecture studio is experimenting with and giving a fewzage old concepts a  contemporary edge. Raw Africa energy really  - Africa fauvistic architecture - wild Africa design style -  

Wildetecture - embraces

1) Earth branded architecture ,

2) Trompe loeil in architecture ,

3) Deception of vista.

4) Disintegration of perspective.

5) Perceived kinetic architecture.

6) Human driven architectural concepts.

7) Architectural musical interludes

8) Architectural shadow projections.

To mention just a few of the wildetecture design ideals.

Africa architecture is ubuntu, community driven and its big ideals and ideas coupled with bold unapologetic design. Africa design is its own signature from the Hausa designs, to the Sphinx and the Dogon - Its Ethiopian monasteries  hewn out of a single rock. Or the bold colour dynamics of the Ndebele. It is my mind that Africa architecture has never really properly been embraced by the western world (look at the tree of architecture in Banister Fletcher - Egypt and then Nadda) - The western art world that has  for centuries crashed and ripped ideas from and into the real dynamics of this individualistic continent. Really  trying, if you will indulge me - To tame Africa and render it passive. - Africa cannot be tamed - To my mind its a wild place with very dynamic wild creative ideas.

The wildetecture studio have sent out p-mav's into the ocean with cryptic clues and treasure maps on the internet. With bottles of jack awaiting the would be finder of the treasure. I really enjoy dabbling in writing the short story with a twist and a poem or 2. I use the word dabble because it signifies a passion for or a childlike approach to an established craft. Critics wait to pounce on any morsel of end design artistic product. To rip it to pieces and render the artist mauled to death. Broken mostly by the opinions of mostly those who take apart not put together.

Its possibly best to stay quietly in the back ground of the design artistic community - As once you step over the spotlight threshold into the design idea limelight of condemnation. Its highly possible that the thundering critical herds could enjoy scalding ones face completely off - Especially if one dares to imagine anything artistically radically left of center and completely different to the established current acceptable norm.Then suddenly all manner of means of Simons who have no portfolio of artistic work themselves. Come crashing out the woodwork to stick their stubby smelly fingers in your eyes to unequivocally tell you to sit down, be quite and never ever try be creative again. Because smelly Simon's have been controlling the line of artistic design creativity for years. Well Wildetecture is a direct reaction to these self proclaimed critics of the artistic universe. I dont really creatively or artistically march to the tune of a dubstep smelly simon - period. 

Wildetecture and Erxell websites live - finally

As a creative person dabbling in design ideas one must develop a never say die attitude and a rhino thick hide. Even if the ideas you wrap around are totally OTT. So as a designer from Muizenberg, Cape Town. I sometimes feel like the bugler in that peter sellers movie. pfffft - bang. - pff - BANG!  - Because as we all know every ones a great creative design critic and everyone is an uber Frank L Wright design genius.

Because all the conceptual design ventures i dabble in are more an experiment and not really where i make my daily bread. It does take a very long, long while for a conceptual idea to start getting thrashed into place. The Erxell concept  I've been nursing and fiddling around with  for 4 years is now finally, eventually, i have managed to get the website done properly. The Erxell concept is about bridging gaps between the socio economic destitute informal settlement dweller and the advertising bloated machine fat cats. Please check it out - let me know what you think.  http://www.erxell.com/  it finally and very proudly went live yesterday.

The wildetecture concept has a home as well  http://www.wildetecture.com/  this is a dynamic group of designers who specialise in creating Africa continent inspired wild design ideas. It showcases some really wild, gaudy never before seen Africa inspired designs from furniture to architecture. As wildetects we aim to do less creative talky talky and more creative walky walky. The work is for passion and just plane creativity sake - Most of the wildetect executive are recently graduated students and the direction of the designs is fresh Africa and very different. Yes definetly not to everyones taste - But fresh none the less. Wildetecture is the punk rock spark of conceptual design ideas. - Its design to passionately love or vehemently hate. Because the advertising giants are not easily contactable - We hope to use the site to showcase and spark our design ideas for industry - Which are unsolicited - Hopefully this way we can attract attention to our wildetecture design ideals thus.

Newsflash. wildetectures design Coca-Cola head office unsolicited. Using wildetecture earth branded architectural techniques and Africa fauvistic ideas , architectural trompe-l'oeil, disintegration of perspective as well as deception of vista - All the Africa fauvistic ideals - African wildetecture style. The wildetects would want to invite the head of coke to look at what a possible future coke HQ  could look like - wildetecture africa style. The design is a radical departure from the normal architectural  ideal. - go check out the site.

The products on the erxell site are 3 phase on the site - hopefully its not still beyond MAYA in nature and is starting to come into perspective. the products are.

1 A painted sign on the informal settlement roof space ,
2 A greened agricultural crop circle type signage on informal settlement roof space - worth more as its actually addressing global greening ideals without it just being a sexy buzz word.
3 A simple erxellated photo of bob mugabe's zim mansion - buy an erxell of ol bobs mansion (a square on the page) and have a link to your site and get a titledeeds of said erxell. a piece of pure africanism for you to own as an Erxell.

So now these 2 portfolios have been pushed a little further - Its always great to see the development of radical design ideas from conception to implementation to possible sustainability. An experiment all designers dabble in , an experiment all designers are trying to perfect - If not for themselves for their clients.

http://www.erxell.com/
http://www.wildetecture.com/

yip trip - a design inspired story for children

yip trip is a little boy who lives in a wave house in the sea side village, grebnezium. a town he is slowly changing for the better through clever design. the source of these design inspirations wash up on the sea shore from distant lands, after huge cape winter storms. whilst yip is trying to find a way home for the marooned characters, they impart design knowledge from the part of the world they are from. design inspiration that step by step will improve the architectural and urban landscape of yip's sea side village.
a design inspired creative journey, created for children to inspire the design minds of tomorrow.

http://yiptrip.blogspot.com/

Earth branded architecture - EBA a wildetecture design concept.

A building using the QJD logo as an earth branded architectural reference point of design departure - This concept shows strong wildetecture design ideals .

The end product is an outcome which cannot be carefully manicured by mans rigid accountant like design approach. The point of design departure makes the end product more dendromorphological. (dendromorphology)  - This concept is pivotal when designing using the wildetecture architectural design ideals. Where mans grid like box design thinking is put aside for natures natural flow. 

Considering the sculptural aspects of the architectural design process over mans algorythmic design process. Man has long designed his way to the point of accountant controlled architecture. Less is more, dont go over budget design controls.

The wild organic uncontrolled design nature of this approach is exciting. The wild lipstick and lace that the style of wildetecture finds exciting and explores an architectural style expression for.

Earth Branded Architecture - EBA - wildetecture style

Mankinds endeavours to communicate with his many gods using earth graphic sketch is well evidenced around the world. He might not have always dialled the right number. However he did manage to speak through time to the earths future travelers. As mans technology allows us now to view our world from above, it opens up an array of architectural design possibilities.

Henry Matisse advised his younger colleagues to fly, for there was no better key to the optical code of the world. Now through Google earth average man in the street can fly. Apart from the Nazca lines, crop circles are another source of incredible pattern graphic inspiration. There other worldly allure is undeniable and keying into their 3D aesthetic appeal is really dynamic.

I have pulled my QJD design studio logo into an architectural building to illustrate the possibilities of a (logotecture) conceptual architectural design concept. E.B.A design architecture concept. Earth Branded Architecture. 

We can create 3D crop circle buildings or even entire cities that key into their coat of arms. Using hundreds of buildings to create a complex pattern on the earths surface. This type of design would take much discipline and collaboration, however the cities that key into this concept would be able to use this opportunity to unite its citizens with 1 bigger picture idea. We can also speak through time to future generations and let them know we had the foresight, vision and discipline to create beauty using perspectives for future generations to enjoy.

Unlock what previous long gone minds where trying to showcase. Add perspectives into your designs that will change the nature of your architectural elevations. The massing of your architectural design from a human scale perspective will change if the thread of your design process is unique. 

Inspiration for the wildetecture design ideas and style.

Other than spending my time with the family, I passionately enjoy collecting old books. The books i collect are mostly found in second hand bookshops. I can spend hours driving from Muizenberg to Kalkbay to Observatory to Cape Town, Somersetwest, Stellenbosch, Hermanus  to look for old books. Mainly on architecture however strange subjects suddenly interest me and will jump out the shelf all dusty and well scrutinized to export me to a world beyond my own.

In my collection i have an autographed copy of R. Buckminster Fuller's - 9 chains to the moon. which i really enjoy. (not any more - i gave it to a not so grateful client in a moment of kind madness - I'm not sorry i gave it - I'm sad that the person had no idea of its value.) I have also been very fortunate to inherit my grandfathers architectural books, Mello G Damstra, dating back to 1896. Mello was the son of an architect, who in turn also became an architect. He started as a journeyman draughtsman in 1890 and travelled the world gaining valuable experience, eventually to settle in Cape Town. A few of his unusually designed homes are found in Stellenbosch, Muizenberg and Upper Orange street in Cape Town.

My grandmother Sally Niland was an English teacher and also had an extensive collection of poetry and English literature books. incidentally unbeknown to me she also loved looking for and buying old books. My mom tells me they would drop her off at the old bookshops on a Saturday morning in the thirties and her treat was to peruse the old bookshops for the afternoon. Like me in my field she collected books on all the great poets and English writers. There is something about finding an old well read book - the main points underlined by someone else and the pages a little worse for wear. The empire bookshop in Muizenberg is a great stop and i have been introduced to many new architects and designers in this little bookshop by the proprietor.

I am very excited about a book i stumbled on called, design for the real world by Victor Papanek. His creative design ideals match my own in many respects and as I'm delving further into the book I'm amazed at his insights. The book was first published in the early seventies and from a design perspective, even for our day, has very advanced ideas.

I have also started collecting old music scripts which you find at these shops from time to time. I enjoy looking at the many hieroglyphics and hoping one day to understand the language which looks fascinating. Over the last few years i have also started collecting a huge array of drawing equipment. rulers and T-squares mainly, again each ruler has the battle scars of many a draughted design. And as my office space gets smaller and i get pushed further out the door I'm really enjoying cluttering my space with these interesting, inexpensive things. Value is submerging oneself in a passion. I find myself migrating back to my study space liar more and more. An afternoon sitting in this space reading my collected books, sketching my scribbles. Is time for me enjoyable to the soul. I just need good coffee and I'm going to get a more comfortable office chair to work on creature comforts. To sit and read and enjoy the process of the eyes aligning the mind through text pattern configuration. 

cube to hexagon - case study 1- wildetect concept

I am really fascinated with shapes that switch visually between the 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional perspective whilst drawn in 2 dimension. Like a flat drawn cube changes to a hexagon when looked at in an orthographic view in 2 dimension. I try to apply this visual nuanced concept to the disintegration of perspective buildings i am roughly design sketching. Maybe the pyramids are a giant x which uses this concept of 3d form to 2d graphic on a scale earth canvas? A giant indelible X marks the spot from above. A 3 dimensional shape creating a X 2 dimensional image. This wildetecture Africa fauvistic creative design concept is now for me worth exploring.

Busy with some rough case studies. The idea that artist dabbled in scientific conceptualization inspired the cubists. Why shouldn't it fire a Muizenberg design creative 100 years hence?