Architectural Design Studio 6: Option Studio - Shnier

NOMAD MONAD

A Will to Form + The Institution

John Shnier

This studio pursues the development of a design discourse focused on the identification of characteristics and criteria that are applied to what we call “The Will to Form”. The object of our attention will be “The Institution”. The Institution can be said to hold a significant place in the lexicon of architectural design. Often obliged to carry the image of that which it represents, the Institution can be said to hold a representational and or hermeutic role; our collective research/goal will be developing a critique of our own process in giving Institution form.

In developing a critical vocabulary this studio we will use design exercises to establish an iterative critical discourse intended to form a foundation and context to your thesis project. Specifically we will be isolating and examining the idea of architectural image and form via an abstract discourse. The bases for this discourse are two characters we will call The Nomad and The Monad.

THE NOMAD is the de-personification of the proverbial wanderer where continuous adaptation may be a requirement, not an option. It may exist in a permanent celebration of rootless-ness. To the nomad, the future is the present because tomorrow is uncertain.

THE MONAD Is loosely based on a philosophical concept derived by the 17/18c German G.W. Leibniz, and his idea of a particle that is so basic that any element removed from it would still be a ‘whole’. No two monads are exactly alike. Seeking singularity; the monad is a summation of all into a cohesive idea.

The Nomad and Monad sit on our shoulders; whispering to us; beckoning us with a siren’s song. To which of these two protagonists are we more likely to be convinced and or seduced by?

Does allying with The Nomad enable abstention from commitment and therefore from aspects of criticality? But in advocating for the Monad, who are we to argue for absolutes, truths or convictions? Is it not the fatal flaw of the architect to already be doped and duped with hubris?

EXERCISE 1: TWEAKING: asks you to take an existing well known institution, define its architecture in terms of whether it is a Monad or a Nomad and then tweak it, that is transform it into the “other”. In doing so, you will present a “new” work.

EXERCISE 2: ACOPY OF A COPY IS AN ORIGINAL: asks each student to create an “original” project that is derived by “copying” of another project. In doing so, employ methods media or other devices by which you can make that project “your own”.

FINAL EXHIBIT + REVIEW: asks for a final exhibition and panel discussion based on a student curated exhibition.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: The general course objective is to have the student recognize and understand the ideas of Nomad and Monad and be able to apply this understanding to developing a critical territory as well as a formal and conceptual basis for architectural design mainly as it may be applied to significant built form related to Institutionalism within different contexts.