Finding The Human
31 Jan 2024
As we contemplate a fast-moving modern society almost unrecognisable to our ancestors, it’s hard not to feel that the world is losing its humanity. In fact, in an event hosted by the New York Times, Yuval Noah Harari warned that humans “have created such a complicated world that we’re no longer able to make sense of what is happening.” And it’s not just the acceleration of technologies that has arguably destabilised humanity as much as it has advanced human life, we also see it in our built environment; with too many cities feeling soulless and depressing, with buildings designed for business, not for us.
Second Home hosted an event to bring this fascinating subject to life with Thomas Heatherwick, one of the world’s most celebrated and forward thinking designers. In what was a lively conversation with the inimitable Suhair Khan (Founder of Open-Ended Design), Thomas made the case for human-centric design and set out his thesis for reimagining the world around us. Recognising and prioritising human beings as essential as well as exploring the moral and social responsibilities of those who create our cities, Thomas and Suhair inspired the audience to contemplate the real question: how are we going to live?
