Volume 10, No. 1
September 2006
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From Outer Space:
Architectural Theory
beyond the Discipline (Part 1) |
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Conceptional design
and editing: |
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Katharina
Fleischmann,
Eduard Führ |
Organisation: |
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Katharina
Fleischmann |
Editorial assistants and layout:
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Heidrun Bastian,
Ehrengard Heinzig
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Katharina Fleischmann
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Editorial
(in German)
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Introductory Papers |
Jörg Biesler |
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Passion and Mathematics -
Architectural Theory before Architectural Theory |
Burkhard Biella |
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Always home -
On the Relations between Philosophy and Architecture |
Claus-Christian Wiegandt &
Rainer Kazig |
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On the Position of Architecture
in Geographic Thinking and Research |
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Aesthetics |
Heidi Helmhold |
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Beau désordre, Beautiful Disorder:
The Architecture of Desire |
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Psychology |
Peter Georg Richter |
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Architecture and Psychology |
Kai Schuster |
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Quality in Architecture -
Approaches towards a Neglected Subject |
Bettina Graf |
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'Atmosphere' in the City -
An Approach to a Psychologically Reflected City Planning |
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Sociology |
Heike Delitz |
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Architecture of Society -
Architecture and Architectural Theory from a Sociological Perspective |
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Gender Studies |
Barbara Zibell |
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From Outer Space?
Architecture and Gender Studies.
New Perspectives on an Old Discipline |
Dörte Kuhlmann |
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La Cité des Dames |
Susanne Frank |
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Suburbia's Women -
on the Frings or in the Centre of Society? |
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abstracts: |
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Introductory Papers |
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___Jörg
Biesler
Cologne |
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In
early eighteenth century German architecture was considered as part of
mathematics and it was even taught by mathematicians. At the end of this
eventful century of enlightenment architecture was regarded as one of
the fine arts, at least as a discipline close to them. This fundamental
change is the real theme of architectural theory in this time and it
takes place outside of the theoretical writings of architects which
deals mainly with proportions and columns.
It was the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, who phrases in 1757 – in an
essay upon the differences between the sciences and arts – the most
radical thesis as he wrote that architecture could arouse passion.
Architecture was no longer just a case of sense but of sensibility and
it is clear that excitement is not only a field for professionals.
Theory is no longer a collection of eternal laws but reflection upon the
nature of the discipline.
The discussion was
opened now.
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(Paper in German) |
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___Burkhard
Biella
Duisburg |
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A philosophical reflexion about the relation of philosophy and
architecture asks for the associations of theory and practice, whereby
philosophy has to become practical, and architecture can enlarge her
theoretical foundation. Farther a philosophical reflexion is a
consideration on human essence, here in particular with a relation to
language, space and death. I refer the essential purpose of
architecture, to build for human beings, to dwelling as the essential
purpose of building, so that the practice of human life with its
individuality and sociality transfers to the centre of thinking. The
conception of existential dwelling depends on a practical turn to
architecture on the foundation of a philosophy of dwelling,
reconstructed on the philosophy of Martin Heidegger.
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(Paper in German) |
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___Claus-Christian
Wiegandt
& Rainer Kazig
Bonn |
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Architecture is a topic of German human geography since the 19th
century. In the course of the discipline’s development we can
distinguish three phases of geographical thought with specific forms to
address the built environment. The traditional landscape geography is
dominated by a morphological perspective on the built environment. The
research in this phase is about the origins and the diffusion of
regional forms of buildings and settlements. Architecture faded out of
the geographical focus during the 1970s after the turn of human
geography towards social sciences and the related loss of importance of
the landscape geography. Since the 1990s architecture is back on the
agenda of German human geography in different approaches. It is a topic
in postmodern urban geography, in research about urban atmospheres, and
in recent approaches of the rematerialisation of human geography.
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(Paper in German) |
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Aesthetics |
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___Heidi
Helmhold
Cologne |
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During the
19th century the boudoir turned into a place of feminine seduction. Before
that, during the 18th century, it was the site of libertinage. In the novel
Libertin sexuality is synonymous with erotic permissiveness as an act
of liberation from the moral precepts of Christianity and a disciplined
society. In the early days of libertinage ars amandi was not
considered as plain sexuality and sexual satisfaction. Rather, the art of
loving was geared to mastery in lustful pleasure, inventive and purposive in
its means and methods. In the process body and physical experience produced
a spatial counter-architecture to the geometrical social architecture of
18th century society. In the society at large space was imposed by
architectural style and social restraint; in the libertarian boudoir body
and space were produced by the actors themselves. Visualization and
emotionality are the architectural dimensions of two distinct forms of
spatial experience: Euclidian space, which is static, reliable and visually
controlled, and a space of fragility, or espace négligent, which is
shaped by emotions (“Affekte”). Descriptions and illustrations may be found
in the novel Libertin and in the paintings by Jean-Honoré Fragonard.
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(Paper in German) |
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Psychology |
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___Peter
Georg Richter
Dresden |
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From a psychological view architecture has a special meaning for the
human being. After a millennial progress the human race cannot be
visualized without built environment. According to the concept of the
circle structure of action (Leontjew, 1977) it concerns an intensive
transactional relationship in which mankind is involved not only as a
creator but also as a user. According to Lang et. al. (1987) this
relationship includes three levels: activation, interaction as well as
individual and social enhancement.
These levels can provide the outline for scientific research and the
approach for architectural psychology. Three studies illustrate how
these levels are empirical accessable and what statements can be derived
from such surveys. It is refferred to the interventional approach of
architectural psychology and a concise outlook is given.
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(Paper in German) |
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___Kai
Schuster
Kassel |
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Architecture is omnipresent and highly visible; according to Evans &
McCoy (1998) it presents a permanent stimulus situation. Consequently it
suggests itself to demand an architecture characterized by a high level
of quality. It is, however, not easy to get a general idea of
theoretical considerations about architectural “quality features”.
Resorting to functional and metric quality descriptions like in the case
of Neufert`s design reglements or returning to the past to Le
Corbusier`s “Modulor” is suitable to only a limited extent. The topic
“quality in architecture” which seems to be neglected is reflected on
from the outsider’s position of psychology.
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(Paper in German) |
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___Bettina
Graf
Berlin |
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The article takes a psychological look on architecture and urban
landscape. First some theoretical considerations on the relation of
physical environment on the one hand and emotion as well as health on
the other hand are presented. Afterwards it is shown in which way those
considerations had been put into practice in the context of the inter-
and cross-disciplinary research project called ‘Zeilenumbruch’. The
research team (consisting of economists, psychologists, architects and
urban planers assisted by several practical agents) worked on
sustainable reconstructions of post war apartment houses. A special
focus lies in the evaluation of external spaces and the quality for
recreation and sojourn of nearby open spaces. For this a survey with
inhabitants concerning different alternatives for reconstruction had
been conducted. According to the results of the survey there are
distinctions in appreciation and evaluation between the inhabitants on
the one hand and researchers and planers on the other. Finally a method
for participation developed in the research project called ‘Grüne Mappe’
is introduced and first approaches of integrating results of such
participation methods into designing processes are shown.
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(Paper in German) |
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Sociology |
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___Heike
Delitz
Dresden |
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From a
sociological perspektive modern architecture is a typical feature of
‘modern’ society. This society, as it is characterizing itself in the
new science sociology since the end of the 19th century, is accompanied
by a specific kind of architecture. With the functional differentiation
of this society the autonomous discipline architecture emerges,
legitimizing and observing itself within its theory. Hence, the
character of modern society becomes visible within architecture and
architectural theory. At the same time modern architecture undertakes
social change on its own account.
Despite the sociological importance of modern architecture the
sub-discipline ‘architectural sociology’ does not exist so far.
Therefore, a range of possible sociological approaches for the
architecture of modern society will be sketched out. In the second
point, an own approach will be tested: it considers architecture, from
the point of Philosophical Anthropology, as “medium of the social”, as a
medium of expression and constitution of society. In the third point
deconstructive architecture will be analysed exemplarily.
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(Paper in German) |
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Gender Studies |
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___Barbara
Zibell
Hannover |
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Gender Studies have a special position among the perspectives of this
issue. As a cross-over topic they should generally be part of each
scientific discipline, in architecture as well. However, gender studies
are still a fresh research perspective and so their presence in the
sciences, especially in architecture, has hardly been granted up to now.
Against this background the author focuses on a change of perspectives.
For this she develops three theses on the different perception of female
and male producers and users of buildings:
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Planning and constructing are not gender neutral: It is important who
plans and designs, who builds and decides.
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Everyday life forms needs and demands to space. Therefore requirements
are to be differentiated not standardized.
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Not
only differentiated projects are required, but also different structures
and processes.
It is
true that architecture cannot change power structures, but it is able to
make a contribution to reduce ignorance in reappraising knowledge. For
this the author finally phrases three fundamental research perspectives.
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(Paper in German) |
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___Dörte Kuhlmann
Vienna |
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Gender
studies offer many useful perspectives and interdisciplinary tools for
the study of architecture. One field of study focuses on the way the
built environment is used to structure society, establish asymmetrical
power relations, privilege or marginalize people based on sex or other
characteristics, including age, class, creed, race etc. Therefore the
design of the environment could perhaps become a tool for emancipation
and empowering; however, there are very few famous female architects.
This investigation concerns the relatively minor presence of women in
the history of modern architecture and art. Are there so few female
stars in architecture because women approach design differently, or is
it the deliberate result of exclusionary mechanisms in the art world?
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(Paper in German) |
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___Susanne Frank
Berlin |
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Within
gender-related urban research, “suburbia” is commonly perceived as
the utmost “antifeminist environment”. This chapter aims at
differentiating this picture: By referring to the process of
suburbanization in the United States it is demonstrated that Suburbia is
indeed a highly gendered socio-spatial model. But, as the study points
out, Suburbia’s gendered character has at no time been undisputed. It
was in particular Suburbia’s gendered character – respectively the
gender-images and gender-roles which it is built on and formed by – that
has always been, and still is, subject of partly enraged disputes on its
negotiation and interpretation. The latter are analyzed along the three
phases of the US-American suburbanization process. It becomes clear,
that social change does not only intensely effect the change of suburban
living- and settlement-structures, but that their very change is again
of great importance to gender relations.
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(Paper in German) |
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The editorial staff keeps all rights, including
translation and photomechanical reproduction. Selections may be reprinted with
reference:
(Wolkenkuckucksheim, Cloud-Cuckoo-Land, Vozdushnyj Zamok >http://www.cloud-cuckoo.net<)
if the editorial staff is informed.
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Link to Part 2 (Issue 2/05) |
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