Collective dwelling, thus, is not a mere coming together, but a being in the world somewhere as somebody. It is the somewhere, the place, which makes life visible. It fixes or keeps life, in the sense of a record or image which remains, explains and invites. Therefore we are conditioned by the place; we gain our identity when we choose among the images it offers, and may for instance say: "I am a Roman." pg. 51
In the film Barfly, directed by Barbet Schroeder in 1987, the main character Henry is identified by place. He is the 'barfly'. He is content with this reputation and way of life. He earns money when he needs it, living spontaneously, while maintaining a loose routine. Henry was offered the "fine life" when he got a short story published but declined the offer because he preferred the life he had, the life he knew with certainty.
I found this quote suitable "the alienated modern urban dweller tended to 'undergo' his town and find 'self expression more in keeping with his nomadic life [driven from place to place by the cycle of development/decay/redevelopment] in his motorcar'." Pawley, pg 96.
The individuals search for identity goes to the next scale; the dwelling or home. People want to personalize their home/property which best suits and describes them. The home is a status symbol. Pawley writes:
As for durables, the home should be designed to display 'cars, caravans or motorboats', a manifest impossibility in high density and high-rise projects where in any case opportunities for personalization of any kind are drastically reduced. pg. 97
I found this quote suitable "the alienated modern urban dweller tended to 'undergo' his town and find 'self expression more in keeping with his nomadic life [driven from place to place by the cycle of development/decay/redevelopment] in his motorcar'." Pawley, pg 96.
The individuals search for identity goes to the next scale; the dwelling or home. People want to personalize their home/property which best suits and describes them. The home is a status symbol. Pawley writes:
As for durables, the home should be designed to display 'cars, caravans or motorboats', a manifest impossibility in high density and high-rise projects where in any case opportunities for personalization of any kind are drastically reduced. pg. 97
This view is from a slightly older source, however, I believe the second part of the sentence about personalization still holds true to a great number of people today. How does one design affordable living arrangements in a multi-storey building, yet leave enough room for individuality?
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