Projects on Territory (Thesis Elective)

Abstract

This lecture series sets up the agenda for widening the disciplinary field of architecture and urbanism from their focus on the city, or the urban in the narrow sense, to wider territorial scales, which correspond to the increasing scales of contemporary urbanisation. It discusses the concepts of territory and urbanisation, and their implications for the work of architects and urbanists.

Objective

The course will enable students to critically discuss concepts of territory and urbanisation. It will invite students to revisit the history of architects’ work engaging with the problematic of urbanising territories and territorial organisation. The goal is to motivate and equip students to engage with territory in the present day and age, by setting out our contemporary urban agenda. The lectures are animated by a series of visual and conceptual exercises, usually on A4 sheets of paper. All original student contributions will be collected and bound together, creating a unique book-object. Some of the exercises are graded and count as proof of completion.

Content

Within the theme My Species, the four guest speakers engaged in fields ranging from art and landscape representation to bioethics and environmental philosophy, will approach territory through the notions such as multispecies, coexistence, and diversity. With a more-than-human perspective on the territory, the guest speakers will elaborate their take on “telling horrible stories in beautiful ways,” debate “the dignity of plants,” expound upon “mankind’s fascination to better the world,” and confer “the non-human turn” and what is to come after. 24.09. 2021 On Territory Milica Topalović 30. 09. 2021 Architecture and Urbanisation Milica Topalović 07. 10. 2021 Methods in Territorial Research and Design Milica Topalović 14. 10. 2021 Multispecies Worldbuilding Guest lecture by FEIFEI ZHOU 21. 10. 2021 Better Nature Guest lecture by ALEXANDRA DAISY GINSBERG 04. 11. 2021 Planetary Urbanisation: Hinterland Milica Topalović 11. 11. 2021 Tomatoes Talk, Birch Trees Learn – Do Plants Have Dignity? Guest lecture by FLORIANNE KOECHLIN 18. 11. 2021 Disappearance of the Countryside Milica Topalović 25. 11. 2021 What is Soul? On the Idea of Species Being Guest lecture by OXANA TIMOFEEVA 09. 12. 2021 Our Common Territories: An Outlook Milica Topalović

Resources