Doctoral Seminar: 'Things' of Architecture (FS 24)

Some say that there are two ways to write about architecture: by considering "discourses full of objects" or conversely "objects full of discourses". In the first case, one proceeds deductively, i.e., from the general to the specific; in the second case, inductively, i.e., from the specific to the general. In this doctoral seminar, the second approach is radically explored by focusing on the ordinary "things" that populate our architecture (e.g., toilets, elevators, or facade panels, but also bricks, beams, or carpets). Based on these everyday objects, an attempt will be made to derive general models. This approach is based on the idea that architecture is characterized by the multitude of things that make up our buildings, and that these things, in turn, are key to the technical, social, and cultural changes that are characteristic of each era.