Professional Documents
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mentioned specific‐ human
altruistic soul feels that as
designers of the
Limits of species. Our ability to design ‘contemporary’ age, we are
Theory by has always been a
commendable characteristic
in many ways bound to limits
that are indirectly visible but
of human nature. most effectively affecting us
Malini Foobalan
Sometimes, it seems to me as architects or designers in
like designers almost take that nature, and it is theory.
place of ‘The Creator – God’. It is very important to note at
As a second year My experience over a this point, that theoretical
architecture student, I find semester in studio shows anxieties have been a
myself speculating about how we all think in different beneficial aspect in the built
things that I never thought I ways despite a common environment. However, it is
would. The question to understanding on certain perhaps time to ponder on
myself in fact, is why I care rules and criteria. Seventy how a beneficial aspect could
questioning, and what is it two students and all of us be harmful at the same time
that has made me come up came up with different as a result of our choice on
with such questions. Is it the design solutions to our what we use.
influence of people around design problem.
We are all deemed
me, my developing critical Now, what exactly is to thinking about design in
thinking or, is it an arbitrary the relativity of the question terms of theory, history and
questioning that a typical on limits of design to our criticism. As designers, do
architecture student would design capabilities and we really bow to limitations?
engage in? One of my theory one may wonder? The If yes, then is our work said
favorite questions is answer does not always have to be timid? But, if not, isn’t
concerning theory itself and to be direct. However, as a theory and in fact history our
how it affects the design design student, it’s perhaps first limits. I find both theory
world in a positive or
important to put the point and history of architecture to
negative manner. As one out there? As designers in be the most valuable
pursues his or her journey the built environment, to contribution to my
through the many years of what length do we evaluate architectural education. Just
their career and life as a design possibilities with to go back to the beginning
designer, does one query in a regards to theory? To what of the semester when my
theoretical manner, the extent do we allow factors instructor, Mr. Christenson
limits of design within the like theory and criticism to started off the first day of
human species itself? set boundaries in our way of class by asking us a question
It is very obvious, thinking and creating? It of what ‘catalytic’ meant, I
that it has been thought of or seems to me at least, that did think that I would either
considered, but to what theory and designing have a fail this class, or maybe just
extent have we come to great relation. So what then? drop it. Who exactly would
analyze the limitation on The inquisitiveness of my have thought of that word at
eight in the morning? Well theory precede practice Which now, is an evidence to
he did. I obviously, had no characterizes the work of an my point of argument, which
idea what it meant. I architect like Peter is do we query the limits of
eventually found out that it Eisenman.” This clearly design within the human
meant ‘to provoke’. And I proved what I was trying to species itself. I found an
think that is exactly what he question; the notion of interesting statement by
did; he indirectly provoked having theory to destine Sylvia Lavin on Abuses of
my thinking on architecture design. Eisenman spent a lot Theory, where she claims,
with that word, then on. of his time studying and “Over the course of the last
Today, I find myself understanding his designs several years, the simple
questioning almost through process, something presence of theory in
everything in architecture. which we are constantly architecture has
So, does that make me a being pushed to progressively been
theorist? Does that now, comprehend. This is a truly transformed into a complex
become a threat to my valid example because; pressure to theorize”. I
thinking as an architect? At Eisenman has clearly made a think this is a clear summary
his point in time, I was still great contribution to the that as humans, we are
unsure of myself. I believed architectural culture. In constantly placing limits to
that theory should not be contrast, Eisenman’s ourselves, unintentionally.
introduced as an option to processes, and idea of theory Limits, here are not bound to
design, because that preceding design didn’t really abiding to rules and codes,
confines our thinking to a work out as much as we but the boundaries we set to
certain way. I argued that thought it would have. His our creative mind. However,
theory should be fashioned practice and attitude on it is crucial to realize these
as a response to design. The creating architecture ended limitations are purely a result
bigger question was, if up hurting his own designs. of the choices we make. As a
designing helped the According to Moneo, it was contrary to this, Michael
evolution of theory, so why is not till the start of the Hays’s rebuttal to Sylvia’s
it now that we allow theory eighties that Eisenman statement ,says that,
to dictate our creative minds. realized the discourse of ‘architecture does not make
Shouldn’t we be allowing abstract architecture which architecture by itself but
design to explain itself in exhausted itself. And as a rather it is enabled, coerced,
terms of theory? result, he had to look for and constrained by complex
other options to what the historical determinants and
As related it may others were doing, which ideological apparatuses that
seem, my speculation about opened his architecture to a operate beyond the horizon
theory is very well exampled whole new level. of the individual designer’s
by Peter Eisenman. As Rafael “freedom” ‘.
Moneo explains in his book, I believe that, we as
Theoretical Anxiety and humans tend to place As the semester
Design Strategies, “An restrictions to ourselves in went on, I began to realize
express desire to make the process of designing. that Hays argument is indeed
true. I began to open myself idealist point of views. I If we go beyond
to new understandings of realized that Hay’s refutation Gehry who is relatively an
different architecture was very true especially older practitioner within the
cultures. At this juncture of when we take Frank Gehry as contemporaries, and look at
my education, I began to a significant example. As works of Shigeru Ban, who
realize, that there are other Moneo explains Gehry, ‘… instead of working his way
options to our design theory seemed to give way with forms, and creating
ventures. The first thing I to an architecture that was speculation, he decided on
realized is the presence of explainable through the materiality. It is vital to
evidence to my own actual building work.’ actually also observe that the
argument. The most Gehry’s conscious different architect’s way of
significant one to me is to expediency, combined with working around the whole
realize that there is way his inventive way of dealing idea of theory may or may
more architects than I with materials and forms not be intentional. Coming
thought there are, who do soon made him an back to Ban’s idea of using
what I have been proposing. undisputed reference. One of recycled paper as structure is
Apparently I came to realize his distinct architecture to definitely a valuable creation
that, I have not been me, besides the Guggenheim in this age where
proposing something, but I Museum, Bilbao, would be sustainability is the prime
have been speculating on his own house in Santa value to architecture. How
something, which I Monica, California. The does this become of
personally had not dealt and nature of the house where relevance to theory and the
found the answer for. The Gehry intentionally explores, limits of design one could
fact that there are many dissects and displays its marvel. I think, the
architects, whom actually layers, and also how he imperative question here is if
allow design to speak for it, opened the kitchen ceiling it would have been possible
surprised me. Here, I would perhaps to an for him to come up with such
eventually decided to drop ordinary person, be valued at solution if boundaries were
the probability of limitation, the extreme, as something set ‘by’ him. The fact that he
because I hereby realize, unlivable or atrocious. not only created a recyclable
limitations are not what it is, However, due to the value material using paper and
but it is culture‐ the given to it, he has cardboard, but also
architectural culture. successfully through his waterproof and fire proof,
Different practitioners have architecture created some gives critiques lesser
varied design cultures, and sort of speculation within the opportunity to cogitate on
what I am suggesting out architectural world and his works. A clear distinction
here about theory and outside it. This in return of a creation where limits are
design is one of them. would eventually become set aside and innovations are
what Nesbit categorizes in created. Ban’s works speaks
It became her book, ‘Theorizing a New to me loudest in the building
increasingly interesting to Agenda for Architecture’, as of the Nomadic Museum.
me then to compare the two critical theory. The fact that the museum
travels tells me that he has influence or set boundaries limits and theory, my
successfully allowed his to the questions researchers objective is to leave one to
architecture to speculate would ask, as a comparison contemplate on a quote by
itself in terms of theory‐ to the limits we choose to set Michael Hays, “ a little
materially and structurally. upon our thinking in the theory, even if wrong, is not
process of designing. better than no theory at all”.
As much as I would As I actually went
like to take this to go further, back and forth on the various
it is possible for me to actully speculations about design
use our own instructor, Mr.
possibilities with regards to
Christenson, as a remarkable theory, I have to make a note
example. As an instructor for that at this point in time, my
our theory class, no doubt,
journey through my
his knowledge about architectural education,
architecture is something a especially in theory has come
student would have a tough to a rather mellow rhythm.
time contemplating on. As I And as I end my speculation
am approaching the end of
on the ambiguities of theory
the semester, I decided to on design possibilities, I
read a paper he wrote for realize that determining
the Annual Conference of the design possibilities is not
Australian, New Zealand something one can define
Architectural Science
the boundaries for. And
Association. I picked an speculating the order of
interesting statement he theory to be before or after
made his paper ‘Testing the design is a matter of choice,
Relevance of Paramatiztion’ but clearly the latter has
which relates so much about
proven to be a something I
the choices we make on would regard as a
questioning architectue. ‘contemporary’ option.
Christenson writes in his
paper, “...researchers’ As an individual who
choice of study media limits is currently pursuing my
the kinds of questions they architectural education, I
can ask of architecture.” have come to apprehend
Relating it back to the earlier that in the world of design, it
part when I mentioned the is truly an individual choice if
options on choices we make or not we opt to set a
in creating limits, this is parameter around what I
undoubtedly a discrete would call as our ‘ creative
statement about how freedom’. While I begin to
choosing a media could wind up on the conjecture of
Bibliograpy
Nesbitt, Kate. Introduction, Theorizing A New Agenda For Architecture ( 1965 – 1995 ). Princeton
Architectural Press, New York (1996).
Moneo, Rafael. Preface, Theoretical Anxiety and Design Strategies in The Work of Eight Contemporary
Architects. The MIT Press ( 2004).
Moneo, Rafael. Peter Eisenman, Theoretical Anxiety and Design Strategies in The Work of Eight
Contemporary Architects. The MIT Press ( 2004).
Christenson, Mike. Testing the Relevance of Paramatization to Architectural Epistemology. The
Annual Conference of the Australian, New Zealand Architectural Science Association ( 2008).
Hays, Michael. K. Rebuttal: Theory as Mediating Practise (1990).
Lavin, Sylvia. Essay: The Uses and Abuses of Theory (1990).