About Built in the Cloud
This digital repository serves as a platform for critical analysis on various topics, including architecture, urbanism, technology, and culture.
Humanity is currently grappling with the profound changes instigated by the Information Revolution of the early 21st century. While connectivity has reached unprecedented levels, this environment presents challenges to societal cohesion, exacerbated by an overwhelming proliferation of competing narratives in the realm of social media.
Consequently, our most innovative minds are increasingly drawn to the dynamics of this new digital landscape, often at the expense of our aging physical infrastructure. The decline of legacy institutions' influence can largely be attributed to their overt attempts to maintain relevance in a rapidly evolving context, which, alongside mounting trust and authority crises, threatens the shared faith in democratic frameworks in the West.
This Substack is not a critique of technology itself; instead, it is an affirmation of its potential to enhance the quality of life for all individuals. It is imperative to understand the implications of technology to mitigate its associated risks. In my view, maintaining a connection to the physical world is essential for achieving this understanding.
As a professional architect, I engage directly with the realities and constraints imposed by the physical environment on a daily basis. The fundamental necessity for shelter remains a constant in contemporary society. Moreover, for societal functionality, it is critical to ensure that infrastructure such as roads, rail systems, reliable power supplies, and the provision of fresh food to local markets are adequately maintained.
In summary, we must recognize the technological innovations of the 20th century that have facilitated comfortable living in the 21st century. Built in the Cloud investigates the emerging tension between the innovative digital realm and our aging physical environment. This inquiry is particularly focused on how this tension influences architectural and urban development trends, extending beyond technological advancements to encompass social and cultural dimensions.
About the Author
Adam Mayer is an architect based in Silicon Valley, California.
A noted authority on architecture, planning and urban development, Adam has written articles for Alta Journal, NewGeography, CLOG and Dwell Asia Magazine and quoted in Monocle, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The South China Morning Post, The San Francisco Chronicle and Bloomberg CityLab.
He lives in Silicon Valley, where he is the Founder and Principal of the boutique architecture and interior design practice, Studio-AMA.
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