MArch Architectural Studies School of Architecture
Guda Suhardi
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Embodying Non-Humans in The City
Humans progressively improve their lives by building dwellings and infrastructure to meet their needs. However, non-human habitats have regressed due to human demands on land for their own needs. Non-humans were part of human activities in the past until their services were no longer needed. The remaining non-humans try to adapt to the urban jungle of buildings, occupying existing structures and infrastructure. Currently, humans view these non-humans, who are simply trying to live their lives, as disturbances and seek to exterminate them. This detachment shows that humans have lost touch with the non-humans in the city.
Humans and non-humans have built relationships for ages, whether as companions or as sources of food. Domesticated animals are helpful for work and mental health. Humans have found ways to exploit non-humans to fulfil necessities and for entertainment purposes. Fortunately, as technology advances and the entertainment industry evolves, the use of non-humans has declined, and cruelty to animals acts have been passed. Nowadays, the existence of non-humans in the city is important to the ecology amidst the Anthropocentric era, although they are often forgotten and considered mere backgrounds. This thesis explores how to raise awareness and create strong bonds or ‘totemic relationships’ between humans and non-humans in the city.