multivalence does not equal bricolage

Multivalence through scale
I am a big fan of Marpillero and Pollack’s work, and art of the reason is the way tat the engage he landscape and almost map out the different activities that could happen. This focusing on scale, explains a little it about their methodology.
I believe that, especially when dealing with larger sites, it is important to have a variety of scales. Urban Design seems to be a great victim of scale, ending up with two extremes, the aerial design of simply the house/object in the field. Landscape automatically gives a variety in scales because if has to deal so directly with materiality and time…
As we cannot predict exactly what people’s behavior is going to be, or exactly how they are going to use the space provided, multivalence becomes extremely important. The architect’s/designer’s job is not to dictate but to open up possibilities. I believe a variety of scales is key in this aspect.

Bricolage?
I the second article, Andrea Khan mentions that: “Embedded within, and constructive of, so many framing contexts, such multiscale urban sites open to diverse interpretation […] In terms of their limits and their scales, urban sites present designers with shifting and potentially conflicting identities”. Not entirely agreeing with this comment, it made me think of another statement made Nezar Alsayyad in the introduction his book “Hybrid Urbanism”, Prof, Alsayyad states:
“Hybridity thus does not emerge from the synthesis of different components, but from a space where elements encounter an transform each other (…)”. Although not directly dealing with spatial hybridity but more related to scale, I still think this is very relevant. If we make an analogy to cooking, like anything it’s not about how many ingredients you put it, put how they mix together. As a result, designers, just like chefs, should not be concerned with creating a bricolage, ("make creative and resourceful use of whatever materials are to hand (regardless of their original purpose)"), but on the other and should aim for a symphony!