Erin Feeney: 2007-2008
:: See Erin's Website
My Fellowship Proposal
My intention in applying for the 2007 Keegan Fellowship is to encounter vernacular architecture of regions around the world which are threatened by the homogenizing forces of globalization. Through independent travel and observation, as well as work with international non-profits promoting humanitarian and environmental architecture, I hope to learn from traditional architecture directly through interaction with local communities. While living and working in each community, I will focus on their use of local materials, responsiveness to the environment, cultural influences, architectural function, and construction methods, as well as commonalities and disparities with other architectural traditions. Only through personal knowledge of a region's cultural and environmental needs can the relationship between these factors and vernacular architecture be truly understood. The Keegan Fellowship would advance my education beyond my academic study of architecture begun at Vanderbilt, exposing me to international perspectives on the role of architecture within cultural and environmental contexts.
In our increasingly global world, deteriorating cultural identity and poor management of natural resources have complicated the current design challenge. The United States has become a model that less developed countries are trying to emulate, despite the fact that this model promotes urban sprawl, dependency on automobiles, and buildings that consume 48% of our annual energy usage according to the American Institute of Architects and the U.S. Green Building Council. The application of Western architectural styles and methods in the place of traditional building design ignores regional climate, materials, cultural identity and environmental concerns that are essential to sustainable living. It is critical in both the United States and developing global communities that design solutions be found that enable people to live in comfort while preserving regional culture and protecting natural resources. Having the experience of learning directly from cultures that respect and relate to nature will enable me to be a leader in the movement to make the built environment in America more sustainable.
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