Seminar History and Theory of Urban Design: The City Lived - Unlocking a Multidisciplinary Discourse

Abstract

In this seminar, we focus on two crucial perspectives that represent some of the most radical changes in the understanding of architecture and the city —gender and urban sociology—as a way of unlocking an alternative historiography of architecture, one that more truthfully aligns with the experience of architects and architectural students.

Objective

Upon completion of the course, the students will have: (1) acquired knowledge of theories and methods in the field of gender and urban sociology that have been crucial in shaping the architectural discourse, as well as the skills to apply this knowledge in the discussion of different case studies. (2) developed the ability to identify, analyze and interpret positions taken within architectural discussions from the perspectives of gender and urban sociology using critical analysis (3) gained a firm grasp of the multidisciplinary character of architectural discourse and acquired the methodological tools to cross perspectives of gender and urban sociology in a critical analysis (4) exercised skills to represent visually the complex multidisciplinary character of architectural discourse using digital concept mapping tools

Content

Although the profession of architecture in the second half of the 20th century has increasingly become understood as a complex practice that combines knowledge and expertise from different disciplines, architectural historiographies are still being written as histoires des idées that focus almost exclusively on the concepts and work of architects. As a result of this gap between writing about architecture and the actual practice of architecture, architects and students of architecture nowadays find it hard to recognize themselves in these histories. This course sets out to make a correction to the existing historiographies of architecture by exploring the interdisciplinary concepts and theories that shaped the architectural discourse in the second half of the 20th century. In this seminar, we focus on two crucial perspectives —gender and urban sociology— as a way of unlocking an alternative historiography of architecture, one that more truthfully aligns with the experience of architects and citizens. Through selected literature and expert lectures, these seminars will introduce students to theories and concepts from the fields of gender and urban sociology that have been crucial in shaping the architectural discourse. To test our interdisciplinary perspectives, we will focus on a particularly productive “encounter” between architects and other disciplines; The Any Conferences (1990-2001). The Any Conferences were ten exceptional cross-cultural and multidisciplinary conferences, with associated books, on the undecidability of architecture at the end of the second millennium, convened by editor Cynthia Davidson. In this series of exploratory conferences, it was not the product, but the encounter of ideas, thinking, and concepts that was the goal. By inviting activists, art theorists, economists, artists, and philosophers to engage with architects in architectural discourse, The Any Conferences tried to expose architecture and its theories to contemporary concerns. During the course, we will analyze one edition of The Any Conferences (1996 Anybody, Buenos Aires) from the perspectives of gender and urban sociology, and try to cross these perspectives. Collaboratively, we will reconstruct these conference discussions by making “assemblages” of the actors and positions taken in the conferences. Next, by visualizing how architects and leaders in other disciplines encountered particular architectural ideas from multidisciplinary perspectives, this seminar will unlock an entirely new, more inclusive perspective of architecture and the city. Seminar 1 (23/09) – Introduction Seminar 2 (30/09) – Introduction Seminar 3 (07/10) – Gender Perspectives Seminar 4 (14/10) – Gender Perspectives Seminar 5 (21/10) – Gender Perspectives (28 Oct - no class, seminar week) Seminar 6 (04/11) – Mid-term Review Seminar 7 (11/11) – Urban Sociology Perspectives Seminar 8 (18/11) – Urban Sociology Perspectives Seminar 9 (25/11) – Urban Sociology Perspectives Seminar 10 (02/12) – Special Workshop: Mixing Perspectives Seminar 11 (09/12) – Final Review

Resources