ALTERNATIVE ARCHITECTURE LENS is written by Kenton Card.
I have a bachelor's degree in sociology and master's degree in architecture. Currently, my general interest is to try and bridge between critical theory (critical geography) and contemporary alternative architectural practices.
My bachelor's degree in sociology is from Marlboro College (having transferred from the University of Colorado at Boulder), during which I embarked on an eight month ethnographic journey around the United States to research the 'social' architectural practices of the following groups:
- Architecture for Humanity
- Alley Flat Initiative (with Sergio Palleroni)
- Rural Studio
- Gulf Coast Community Design Studio
- Detroit Collaborative Design Center
- Neighborhood Design/Build Studio (with Steve Badanes)
- Studio 804
The research culminated into a sociological analysis: "The Public Service Architect: Professionals in Capitalist Society," documentary film called "Architecture for the Underserved," and a community design-build project that resulting in the Marlboro College Greenhouse (photo below). I also took a summer program at the GSD and workshop at Yestermorrow.
I also have a master's in architecture from a European graduate program network Architektur.Studium.Generale, which was a 2 years program based on 6-week workshops in eight different cities and universities:
- Brandenburgische Technische Universität (Cottbus, Germany)
- Tallinna Tehnikakõrgkool (Tallinn, Estonia)
- Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa (Lisbon, Portugal)
- Wrocław University of Technology (Wrocław, Poland)
- Universität Innsbruck (Innsbruck, Austria)
- Universidad de Sevilla (Seville, Spain)
- Tel Aviv University (Tel Aviv, Israel)
- Universität der Künste (Berlin, Germany)
My master's thesis culminated into written, conceptual, and video projects – abstract and preview here.
In Berlin, I co-organized The City and the Political, an open class, discussion and research group, and blog that began at The Public School, Berlin.
PUBLICATIONS
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'Constructing "Social Architecture": The Politics of Representing Practice' (with Paul Jones)
Architecture Theory Review
To access, click here.
Architecture Theory Review
To access, click here.
CONFERENCES
On February 2, 2012, I will present a paper called "Architects of Objects or Architects of Balance" at The Making of Architects, Architecture in the Making, in Darmstadt.
On November 11, 2011, I presented a paper called "Between Ethical and Police Architects: Assembling Political Architecture in Parallel to Rancière's Politics," at Architecture and the Political: Fourth International Symposium on Architectural Theory.
In April, 2011, I presented a paper, "Bridging the Paradox of Humanitarian Architecture: Constructing Space for Political Engagement," at the Death and Life of Social Factors Conference at the University of California, Berkeley. (proceedings published here).
Kenton currently lives in Berlin.