Embracing Ambiguity in the Teaching Practices of Peter Eisenman and Colin Rowe

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    Abstract

    A central mode of thinking for designers generally and architects in particular is that based on part to whole relationships, the idea that fractional relationships necessarily characterise coherent objects and building ensembles and in turn nature as the basis for beauty. The part-whole relationship can be taken as one index of an anthropocentric mode of thinking and practice. This paper investigates alternate modes of architectural thought which challenge the perceived limits of part-whole logics through select case studies from the work of architects Peter Eisenman (1932) and Colin Rowe (1920-1999). While there is evidence of this sensibility in their practice, the paper focuses on Eisenman and Rowe’s teaching at the scale of the city. Through a comparative analysis of their university studio teaching the paper seeks to reveal instances of teaching practices which promote other models of thinking, different problematics, and various composition strategies and devices which embrace ambiguity, complexity and diversity and thus contribute to addressing a key provocation of the Design Ecologies conference
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationDesign Ecologies
    Subtitle of host publicationNordes No. 6, 2015
    EditorsB Westerlund, M Tham, H Edehold, M Avila, L Diedrich, J Rosenquist, A Holmquist, S Maittinen, D Studedahl, P Ullmark, K Lindstrom, A Stahl
    Place of PublicationStockholm, Sweden
    PublisherKonsfact - University College of Arts, Crafts
    Pages1-10
    Number of pages10
    Volume1
    Publication statusPublished - 2015
    EventNordes 2015: Design Ecologies. Challenging - Anthropocentrism in the Design of Sustainable Futures - Stockholm, Sweden
    Duration: 7 Jun 201510 Jun 2015

    Publication series

    NameDesign Ecologies
    PublisherNordic Design and Research
    Number6
    ISSN (Print)1604-9705

    Conference

    ConferenceNordes 2015: Design Ecologies. Challenging - Anthropocentrism in the Design of Sustainable Futures
    Country/TerritorySweden
    CityStockholm
    Period7/06/1510/06/15

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