糖心vlog

In this graduate architectural theory course, students are asked to select an object (not a building) that brings together the environment and humans. First, they write observations of it鈥攁nswering questions about its materiality, authorship, use, and lifespan, tracing its materiality back to its origins. This is a study of what Elaine Scarry refers to as the 鈥渋nterior structure鈥� of objects: how objects 鈥渋nternalize within their design an active 鈥榓wareness鈥� of human beings鈥hat is not limited to their use.鈥� Students then write a thesis statement connecting the interior structure of this object to a larger question within the theory of the built environment鈥攅xamining architecture as related cultural object. The thesis statement is explored in a paper, and the paper is supplemented by a 3-minute film which seeks to reveal a tangible connection to the object and the theory underpinning it. For a student who chose to study an inherited metate, he observed the materiality of this tool for grinding corn鈥攙olcanic stone鈥攑roposing that 鈥渘otions of time that are embedded in the cosmic scale of a metate can provide valuable insight into the way we design and construct buildings,鈥� connecting the physicality of the metate to his own family鈥檚 origins, modernism鈥檚 avoidance of time, and the 鈥渄ormant tectonics鈥� of building with volcanic rock, which he鈥檇 learned during an internship in Mexico City. The companion film used footage of volcanic eruptions in Mexico, and the student using the metate, combining source and tool across time.For this session, we propose presenting the structure of this course, and three architectural theory papers it produced: papers whose origins were found in a metate, in the micaceous clay pottery of indigenous Taos Pueblo people, and in the ATLAS-1 Trestle at Kirtland Air Force Base, all objects specific to cultures within this region, and containing within their interior structures鈥攁s the students prove鈥攖heories applicable to the built environment.

Volume Editors

ISBN
978-1-944214-26-5