Events

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 • 11:00 am • Conference Room, ECLT

Thursday, November 24, 2011 • 11:00 am • Conference Room, ECLT

Friday, November 25, 2011 • 11:00 am • Conference Room, ECLT

"Open Architecture Reconfiguration. A historical view"

by

Lars Jadelius

Chalmers Tekniska Högskola, Sweden

ABSTRACT

Modeling is a central concept in science and the term typically brings to mind things like mathematical models, simulations and laboratory experiments. But if we broaden the concept only a little we see that modeling is a fundamental activity whenever we are being creative. The whole spectrum of modeling activities – from the subconscious to the level of formal scientific modeling – is essential not only in architecture and city development but for knowledge systems in general. But what do these tools look like? How do they affect our construction of society? Is it possible to both study them as "theories in use" and design new tools manageable in a complex and changing modern world? I will argue that there is a need to develop and find methods and institutions for what I call a “reconfiguration” of our models and tools.

Over the past decades I have developed a set of tools and ideas in my practical work and in my research in history and architecture. These will be introduced over three consecutive seminars with three different foci and plenty of time for discussion. The first seminar will introduce the basics of this set of concepts and ideas. Using historical and architectural illustrations it will be demonstrated how figures of thought and cognitive tools are essential for both architecture and city development. The second seminar will introduce a conceptual model (“the bridger’s cross”) which emphasizes the interrelation between four different forms of knowledge. This will be illustrated with a presentation of “laboratories” for social innovation and change, and a dialogue will be opened using "Bridgers Cross" for structuring knowledge. Finally, the third seminar will move on to possible new types of built institutions especially designed for societal learning paired with dynamical redesign/reconfiguration.  I plan to shortly present some more visionary designs of my own but also show a few illustrative examples; especially Prinzessinnengarten i Berlin showing how it is possible to work experimental in society, in real life without heavy resource allocation.

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