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primitivism,” which held that “primitive people misunderstood and undervalued their own resources and needed constant supervision.” Black continues: “Resource primitivism revived the age-old colonial logic that insisted ‘primitive’ people failed to value and tend land properly and should therefore be dispossessed of it?” By the mid-twentieth century, such environmentally tuned architecture as the basket homes of Iraq’s marshlands and the wind towers of the Gulf states and Iran were on the verge of extinction (Fig. 9.2). This gradual disappearance affected the region’s environmental management negatively. For example, as evidenced by the Khuzestan Development Program’s reports, now housed in Princeton University Library’s special collections, the modern irrigation canals that replaced the ancient ganat system (Fig. 9.3) completely interrupted older canals and cut access to water for many small villages.*

Figure 9 primitivism,” which held that “primitive people misunderstood and undervalued their own resources and needed constant supervision.” Black continues: “Resource primitivism revived the age-old colonial logic that insisted ‘primitive’ people failed to value and tend land properly and should therefore be dispossessed of it?” By the mid-twentieth century, such environmentally tuned architecture as the basket homes of Iraq’s marshlands and the wind towers of the Gulf states and Iran were on the verge of extinction (Fig. 9.2). This gradual disappearance affected the region’s environmental management negatively. For example, as evidenced by the Khuzestan Development Program’s reports, now housed in Princeton University Library’s special collections, the modern irrigation canals that replaced the ancient ganat system (Fig. 9.3) completely interrupted older canals and cut access to water for many small villages.*

Related Figures (13)

Fig. 9.5 Cover of Dune by Frank Herbert (1965), Chilton Books edition, c. 1982
Fig. 9.5 Cover of Dune by Frank Herbert (1965), Chilton Books edition, c. 1982
Fig. 9.9 Nader Khalili during his explorations in the deserts of Iran, c. 1976
Fig. 9.9 Nader Khalili during his explorations in the deserts of Iran, c. 1976
Fig. 9.14 Greenman Cooperative, cover design for Jay Baldwin and Stewart Brand’s Soft-Tech: A Co-Evolution Book, Penguin Books, 1978 futurism, Italian hillside towns and Middle Eastern villages.”** Interestingly, Khalili and his students participated in Soleri’s ceramics workshops in Arcosanti—an Arizona subdivision of the Cosanti Foundation.” However, while Soleri’s vision became wh:
Fig. 9.14 Greenman Cooperative, cover design for Jay Baldwin and Stewart Brand’s Soft-Tech: A Co-Evolution Book, Penguin Books, 1978 futurism, Italian hillside towns and Middle Eastern villages.”** Interestingly, Khalili and his students participated in Soleri’s ceramics workshops in Arcosanti—an Arizona subdivision of the Cosanti Foundation.” However, while Soleri’s vision became wh:
Fig. 9.15 Cover of Nader Khalili’s Sidewalks on the Moon: The Journey of a Mystic Architect through Tradition, Technology and Transformation, Cal-Earth Press, 1994
Fig. 9.15 Cover of Nader Khalili’s Sidewalks on the Moon: The Journey of a Mystic Architect through Tradition, Technology and Transformation, Cal-Earth Press, 1994
poetry, especially that of Rumi, also manages to link his design concepts with his spiritual beliefs.” He writes: Fig. 9.16 Building prototypes at the Cal-Earth Institute in Hesperia, California
poetry, especially that of Rumi, also manages to link his design concepts with his spiritual beliefs.” He writes: Fig. 9.16 Building prototypes at the Cal-Earth Institute in Hesperia, California
Thus, even if not in the mainstream, Khalili’s humanitarian work continues to thrive and attract the audience it aimed for. However, his ideas for building on lunar surfaces have remained to a large extent unacknowledged. Indeed, while these ideas continued to surface in his memoirs and a few scientific and architectural journals, they were never realized. In fact, Khalili’s later iteration of his NASA presentation excludes any confident and brave mention of Iran. Campbell observes: “Khalili relies upon the visual and material culture of Persia without explicitly pointing to a place that was still aligned, in the minds of many US scientists, with religious fundamentalism and the hostage crisis at the US Embassy in Tehran.”*’ Conversely, while O’Neill’s cylinders also failed to be realized, they have continued to fascinate the popular imagination to this day, even playing a central role in recent thinking about the future of space exploration.” Fig. 9.17 (above) Transportable fused monolithic vertical vault constructed using Georgia Institute of Technology SKITTER Concept. Drawing by Pedram Karimi after Nader Khalili, 1989
Thus, even if not in the mainstream, Khalili’s humanitarian work continues to thrive and attract the audience it aimed for. However, his ideas for building on lunar surfaces have remained to a large extent unacknowledged. Indeed, while these ideas continued to surface in his memoirs and a few scientific and architectural journals, they were never realized. In fact, Khalili’s later iteration of his NASA presentation excludes any confident and brave mention of Iran. Campbell observes: “Khalili relies upon the visual and material culture of Persia without explicitly pointing to a place that was still aligned, in the minds of many US scientists, with religious fundamentalism and the hostage crisis at the US Embassy in Tehran.”*’ Conversely, while O’Neill’s cylinders also failed to be realized, they have continued to fascinate the popular imagination to this day, even playing a central role in recent thinking about the future of space exploration.” Fig. 9.17 (above) Transportable fused monolithic vertical vault constructed using Georgia Institute of Technology SKITTER Concept. Drawing by Pedram Karimi after Nader Khalili, 1989
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