tools

Bicycle: The first person I met in Germany (while on the train to Cottbus) was an architect that graduated from BTU and now works for the university. She lent me this bicycle, my wheels in town. Every day I ride three kilometers to the University. I pass three bakeries, one cemetery, two kindergardens, one public pool, one church, two llamas, and many townhouses.

Dwelling: Below is the apartment building where we live. We’re on the first floor, on the left. I live with a Lebanese and an Estonian from my program.

space

(below is imagery and reflection from our second project)

Architects alter space, and spaces alter people. Even the banal, or as I chose, a square room, appears to be nothing extraordinary. But new experiences develop in the relationship between architecture and people. Through spatial experience, the ordinary translates into the extraordinary.

voyage diary

(below is my reflection and imagery from my first project)

Diary is reflection. I want to begin with the Socratic Imperative: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Philosophy has been inspired by this quotation since Plato wrote it. Architecture needs to integrate this inquiry, critical and self-examination, into its methodology. From this I question: (The unexamined architecture is not worth building.) (The examined art is no longer art.) (Art as activism.) (Art as terrorism) (Art as fascism) (What is creativity?) (What is creative destruction?) (What are the roots of fascism, terrorism, activism?) (“Every fascism is the result of a failed revolution.”) (What is visual analysis?) (What is textual analysis?) (What is history?) (Architect as creator of histories.) (Architect as hero.) (Architect as god.) (Architecture as salvation.) (Architecture is power.) (Architecture is freedom.) (Architecture then…) (What is the architecture of now?)

Architektur.Studium.Generale

I want to start a blog to document and present my experiences in a new graduate program, in an alternative reading and critical writing on architecture, and as a travel/experience log. I will explain my previous experiences in architecture on the “me” page.

My graduate program is a very intriguing new Master of Science program at Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus called Architektur.Studium.Generale (A.S.G). A.S.G was founded by Dagmar Jäger, a writer, professor, and partner at jp3. 

In the photo, I am in the top right corner, and Professor Jäger stands in front of me.

The program is unique because of its interdisciplinary platform, in that it attempts to cross boundaries between the design disciplines, and engineering, philosophical, and sociological questions (which are, as I have found, less common in architecture schools).

Additionally, and even more bazar, the platform of study is not based out of one university. Instead, the program is structured around eight workshops across Europe, in seven different countries, with one stop in the Middle East. The workshops are in Germany, Estonia, Portugal, Poland, Austria, Spain, Israel, and then back to Germany. Below is an image created by the program to illustrate this network.

The program begins in Cottbus, Germany, at our mother institution, Brandenburgische Technische Universität, where we have begun a Propädeutikum, to introduce us to eight lectures on interdisciplinary design methods: Collective Process, Design Programs 1, Design Programs 2, Spatial Planning Instruments, Urban Strategies (City Gardens), European Planning Landscape, Urban Strategies 1, and Interdisciplinary Strategies 2. I will try to blog on as many of these topics as I can and provide feedback and analysis.

Here are the universities involved.

Germany: Brandenburgische Technische Universität, Cottbus

Estonia: Tallinn Tehnikakõrgkool, University of Applied Sciences

Portugal: Universidade Autõnoma de Lisboa, Departamento de Arquitectura

Poland: Politechnika Wroclawska, Wrocƚaw, Faculty of Architecture

Austria: Universität Innsbruck

Spain: Universidad de Sevilla, Faculty of Architecture

Israel: Tel Aviv University, David Azrieli School of Architecture

Germany: Universität der Künste, Berlin

Germany: Brandenburgische Technische Universität, Cottbus

Why did I choose this program? 

I chose this program because of the interdisciplinary and international platform, which to me, sounded like the most unique experience in an architecture graduate program. Given my skepticism about design education to begin with (from my sociological research and praxis based perspective), I figured the significant cultural expansion from a program such as this would be invaluable even if I disagreed with the curricular or pedagogical perspective.

Why architecture?

I am interested in the relationship architecture facilitates between ideas and their realization, between the designing and constructing of objects, buildings, social spaces, urban centers, transportation flows, regional connections, and networks. I am interested the connection between theory and practice. If I were to read critical philosophical or sociological theory on its own I fear I would lose grasp of the real — of connection to applying those ideas. Why study if not to try to apply some of those ideas? (I could see arguments in both directions, but I believe in both.)