Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez – författare

Architectural Exaptation: When Function Follows Form focuses on the significance and the originality of the study of exaptation. It presents exaptation as an opportunity to extend architectural design towards more sustainable approaches aimed at enforcing urban resilience.The use of exaptation’s definition in architecture supports the heuristic value of cross-disciplinary studies on biology and architecture, which seem even more relevant in times of global environmental crises. This book aims to make a critique of the pre-existing and extensive paternalistic literature. Exaptation will be described as a functional shift of a structure that already had a prior, but different, function. In architecture, a functional shift of a structure that already had a function may apply to forms of decorative elements embedded in architectural components, and to both change of function of tectonic elements and the change of use of an architectural space. The book is illustrated with examples from around the globe, including China, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, the USA and the UK, and looks at different civilizations and diverse historical periods, ranging from the urban to the architectural scale. Such examples highlight the potential and latent human creative capacity to change the use and functions, something that cities and buildings could consider when facing disturbances. Exaptation is shown as an alternative narrative to the simplifications of evolutionary puritanism. It also offers an innovative perspective and presents an opportunity to re-think the manner in which we design and redesign our cities.This book will be of interest to architecture, planning, urban design and biology researchers and students.Winner of the ‘Gerd Albers Award 2024’. This award is for the best book contribution in the field of Urban Planning and is awarded by International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP).

Architectural Exaptation: When Function Follows Form focuses on the significance and the originality of the study of exaptation. It presents exaptation as an opportunity to extend architectural design towards more sustainable approaches aimed at enforcing urban resilience.The use of exaptation’s definition in architecture supports the heuristic value of cross-disciplinary studies on biology and architecture, which seem even more relevant in times of global environmental crises. This book aims to make a critique of the pre-existing and extensive paternalistic literature. Exaptation will be described as a functional shift of a structure that already had a prior, but different, function. In architecture, a functional shift of a structure that already had a function may apply to forms of decorative elements embedded in architectural components, and to both change of function of tectonic elements and the change of use of an architectural space. The book is illustrated with examples from around the globe, including China, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, the USA and the UK, and looks at different civilizations and diverse historical periods, ranging from the urban to the architectural scale. Such examples highlight the potential and latent human creative capacity to change the use and functions, something that cities and buildings could consider when facing disturbances. Exaptation is shown as an alternative narrative to the simplifications of evolutionary puritanism. It also offers an innovative perspective and presents an opportunity to re-think the manner in which we design and redesign our cities.This book will be of interest to architecture, planning, urban design and biology researchers and students.Winner of the ‘Gerd Albers Award 2024’. This award is for the best book contribution in the field of Urban Planning and is awarded by International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP).

Cities are designed for order, but lived through improvisation. Contemporary cities are increasingly designed for control, efficiency, and safety, yet everyday urban life continues to exceed these intentions. This book explores how temporary appropriation—the spontaneous and informal use of public space—reveals how people actively shape their environments in ways that support health, diversity, and social interaction.Bringing together urban design, public health, and social theory, the book advances the concept of temporary appropriation as a fundamental mechanism through which urban life is produced and negotiated. Through international case studies and interdisciplinary analysis, it demonstrates how everyday practices such as play, social gathering, and informal adaptation contribute to physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Moving beyond conventional approaches to placemaking and design, the book introduces the notion of performative healthscapes, showing how health is not simply provided by infrastructure, but emerges through lived spatial practices. It also critically addresses issues of regulation, inclusion, and embodied diversity, highlighting the uneven capacity to appropriate space across different groups.This book will be of interest to scholars and students in urban design, planning, and urban health, as well as practitioners and policymakers concerned with creating more inclusive and adaptable public spaces.

This book conceptualises and illustrates temporary appropriation as an urban phenomenon, exploring its contributions to citizenship, urban social sustainability and urban health.

This book explores urban resilience through significant, original and rigorous academic research, utilising the experiences of town planners, architects and decision makers to create a charter on resilient communities.The second part of the book presents mini-essays discussing the strategic points of the paper, and enabling more casual readers with the ability to access information on urban resilience. The book then explores urban resilience through the work and understanding of the institutions responsible for regulating the professions of urban planner, educators, professionals, and those involved in communication.Providing numerous illustrations and examples, Resilient Communities and the Peccioli Charter will be of interest to researchers, postgraduates, architects, urban designers and planners alike.

This book explores urban resilience through significant, original and rigorous academic research, utilising the experiences of town planners, architects and decision makers to create a charter on resilient communities.The second part of the book presents mini-essays discussing the strategic points of the paper, and enabling more casual readers with the ability to access information on urban resilience. The book then explores urban resilience through the work and understanding of the institutions responsible for regulating the professions of urban planner, educators, professionals, and those involved in communication.Providing numerous illustrations and examples, Resilient Communities and the Peccioli Charter will be of interest to researchers, postgraduates, architects, urban designers and planners alike.

The Dusk of Design explores the intersection of evolutionary theories and architectural design. Drawing inspiration from the concept of exaptation in biology, the book argues that natural selection, as the most successful designer on our planet, thrives on the diversity, variability, and redundancy of creative structures. By transferring these mechanisms to architectural design, the book contends that we can cultivate more resilient and sustainable architecture and cities in the face of environmental crises.This book seeks to illuminate the profound potential of multidisciplinarity by examining case studies from architecture worldwide. By exploring how evolutionary theories can explain various architectural phenomena, it aims to inspire architects, designers, researchers, and students to adopt a holistic and transdisciplinary approach to their work.The book provides a clear and concise overview of evolutionary principles, demonstrating their relevance to architecture.It will showcase a range of case studies that highlight the application of evolutionary theories in solving architectural challenges, such as adaptive reuse, sustainable urban planning, and resilient design in the face of climate change.Ultimately, "The Dusk of Design" aims to bridge the gap between biology and architecture, presenting a fresh perspective on how we can create more innovative, sustainable, and resilient built environments.