Architectural Representation II: Projective Realities
Along with the first architectural drawing came the problem of the relationship between the worlds of two-dimensions (drawing) and three-dimensions (construction). This course will examine both historical and contemporary techniques used to bridge these competing realities. In particular, the course will study historical methods of drawing and projection that sought to bring precision to this translation, as well as the opportunities for invention still latent in these techniques. We will examine explicit geometric relationships (such as coincidence, parallelity, tangency) present in both two- and three-dimensions, and ask how those logics bring discipline to ways of making and seeing. Will will study design methodologies and construction logics that leverage geometric intelligence as a basis for design.
Geometric logics discipline our work. Their resistance reveals new demands, puzzles, and games competing for potency. These constraints put us at arm’s length, letting us see new relationships, readings and behaviors we might not otherwise imagine. Rules, theorems, and behaviors can describe a rigorous and intricate world, and yet are agnostic to their use. When geometric relationships are manifested architecturally, they are always specific, instrumentalized by scale, construction, function, and legibility. We will investigate these implications using geometric techniques to create and represent form, while also learning to critically read it.