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 PRAX I S 8 RE:PROGRAMMIN G

• Re:Programming
BY AMANOA REESER LAWRENCE ANO ASHLEY SCHAFER

6 2 Architects, 10 Questions on Program

Rem Koolhoas and Bemord Tschumi
16 Dream Houses
Architects: Studio (n·l)
2e Tulane University Center
Architects: VJAA
30 Tempering Program
BY VINCE NT JA~ E S ANO JENNIFER YOOS

36 Programming Aspiration: The Knowlton School of Architecture

Architects: Mock Scog1n Merrill Elam
•e Program ls as Program Ooes
8 Y PENEl OPE OEAN

s2 Elemental Program: Rethinking Low·Cost Housing in Chile

Architect: Taller de Chile
58 De·Programming: The Dead Malls Competit ion
Architects: lnterboro, Stoner Meek. Meyer Rosenberg, Central Office of Architecture,
Pierre de Angelis and Carmen Suero
10 Program Shift: New Orleans
72 Programming Scenarios
Architect: R&Sie .. .
BY J MEE JtN YOON

s2 Programming After Program: Archizoom's No Stop City

B Y KAZ YS VARNELIS

92 San Jose Museum of Art

Architects: WW
Darwinian Regula ting Unes: Tethers, Eddies & Reverberations
B Y RON W1T1'E

102 Notes on the Adaptive Reuse of Program

8 Y JOHN MCUORROUGH

111 Program Primer

BYWORKK

122 Genealogy of Program

Re: Programming
Amando Reeser
Lawrence and
Ashley Schafer
.,. progfamme is a descriptioo of the spatiel dimens.ions, spatial
relauonshlps and other pt,ys,cal condh10ns reQUired fOf the con·
vet"kont performance of spec:lhc: funet.ons' -.IoM S~I'SOf\
'7N Cow (Or'O Thtor'yof Mo<MmArctutectu"e.•t957
'A cont~ary 9en5eof program m¡ght not prNilege arc:h•utc·
ture .n the con"o~ent•on$1 tense· -Anthotty Vtdrer. -rowords o
ThtQtYofA~t«t"of A'ogromt 2003
Sorne tweh.oe months after decid1ng to dwote an IS$UI of PRAXIS
to \he most eel.l"nenlcal of erehltee-rural top.cs, we still fnld our·
Nh1H asJung what it program arrvwr,? What be\]an asan inoo•
cem •n<~t.WV lnto the status of p1ogram today-some th1rty vears
aftef i t was firat resuscitated from modernist funcuonalist doc·
trine-Qulclcly became a ventvre into labvr!nthtne and contestad
territory, The more we ttied to ctartfy What program is and how it
operates '" contemporary discou--se. the more elusiva it:s definition
became. For wN.Ie archltects almost unlve,..,.ly edclress the most
pragmat.c und•rttlnchng of J)(ogram-a l•stmg of tQeeffic use a
and reQU~rements. often ~an._.d by squ.are foocage aUoca·
tiOne-thla definition of programas "bfief~ fatJs to capture the
range ol mphcations the term has SCQUired m architectt.ral parl·
ance and practlce Beyond tills simple end s•IT'C)I•fY-'19 denotacion
of l)'ogram Les a comple:x~ arnbiguoua, and I.Atimatetv parado:xical
set of Idea$. We found that the mere menbOn or th1s 1ssue's top.c
often e licitad e highly contentious debau reg.arding its relevenee
and implicavon for de$"'ers today
The: d•tP1.1lt over the signiftctnce &t'ld in.strum«tt&lity of pro·
gratn a.s a des.gn conSiderahan is not surpn.smg grven rts equiwcal
architectl.l'al status over the last half century. By the m~d·1970$,
postmodemism had aU but banished the tl'rm from wchrteetur•l
diocourse, as program's auociatJOn with tht O'Ytf1y de~ormi nittlc
rhetoriiC of modem•st f\l'lct10na11sm had eKhausted •ts agency for
.,.chitetta For early modemiats. pr(9amwaa effectively ~lva•
lent to f111ction. wrth the resuttrlg development that justas "form
followed f~tlol\· so too""form foiiCM-ed program.~ Post-war mod•
els of efflciencv that mand.ated a drreet correla t-on betwttn fcr'm
end u-se only further sancboned the nearly dorect ttanslattan of
prog.em mto form-what John Surrmeraon. in 1957, fittingly
catled "the physic¡,l condittOns r~.red for the convtn•ent per·
formanee of apeelf.e funetiont • The retult of which prO'\IOk.ed the
post--moc»m nt~>-avant·gar'de's near·total re,ecbOn of progr.n as
an obsoleta vestlge of ft.nettonah st pofemles.
lt was this debased status from whiehBernard T!ICh.Jmi and Rem
Koolhaas ·r~OOJered' progrem end tmbued lt wtth the legacy of
lndttetm1nt'CV thot it m••ntail'ltd for the next thirty yeon With
Manhattan as the1r reséarch laboratory Tsc::humi end Koo111aas
SliTlJft.aneously, but lndlvldualy, recaptl.Wed the notlon of pogtllm
and reconceptual•z.d 1t1 uso through theori•s of indetenninacy
and excess In bcxh tht MotYiortCW'I Tronscripts and Oelrnous New
)brke:,oth 1978)'. prowamwas libereted from itseffiliationswith
functionali.srn and a prescnpt1ve relattQnShip to form. A!$ Tscn..mi
wrote, '"tn todey'e world v.flere rellway •tet.ont become: mvteutnt
and dlurches bicorne nightclubs a po.nt '' betng made· tht <:om·
plete interchangeatllllty of form and function. functlon does not
follow form and form does not follow function ·z These Mmtnel
works recast progr.am's paramet«:S to lnckJde fl'IJJlJI)fe confiQU'a·
IJOns of IPICit ~nd, reclprocaDy, proposed the pos,ibilíty that a
Qtven form or space could house any l"lJmber of progra.ms This
new concept10n or prograrn became afmost the exact oppostte of
ita linear moclemist prechKesSIOr· programs ~be crosMd rpole
V&ultmg •n the chapen. superposed t'the (!Uatterbac.k tangos on
the eltating nnk").juxtapOHdteating oysters with boxing glows
" IU tli S 8
naked, on the nth ftoor1. or redeployed (usmg the sect•on of the
Oowntown athlelJC club M the plan for l..a Vllette.)l
Wh• le there ere &tgnif•eant par-lllels '" thetr d0\lo6opment of Pf'<>-
grammattc theory, lhefe are atsosub5tantlal d1ffetences tn both
form and oontent T!Chumi•'s Tromcripts take the form of theoretf.
cal dr8WtllOS- 'lllth &CCOITIP&I'rf'"O teXl, whlle KoolhNs's ~retrO&C·
t•v. Mttlifttto" is • jovtna.li•hc ttllt •ccompanied by '"ficUonal..
chw•ngs Koolhaas éStabUshes a genenc. or formally indifferét'lt.
atl.ltude toward program. a!l progr8n'\S, however dtversa, are sub-
JtCt to thlt sarne fQI"'l\allogie fw,tness his CQrrlXItition entry tor l..a
Vilfette in whtch he estabJ,skes a relentless sef\o8S of dlmens.onally
invariable bands uninflecfed by tOO program they hou&e) Form is
genene, but program is spec1fte In Tsehum's La Vdlette, on the
othet hand. form.s speoflc and progremgenenc. Thegrld cf hl~ly
artlculated red foil es has no prodtttrmlfled program; form and
function are ll"lterchangeabM-. Together. these worb constitute a
body of researc:tl signiflc.,t in thet thev transformed program from
a SS>atJalty (8od fl'IOSl often fc:>rrn81M determ•nanl lnsuument 10 en
indetermntte one, rlltltrodvong programes e 9'"*•tw. tool
lf these programmatic propoSittans no longer appear to
erdx>dy the radical potantlSII thay dld m the-&aventles, ll ls only
because they have been fuUy assimilated 111to c:ontemporary
arcl'lllectl.l'e cultute. As such, we fett sufflclently lndebted to
the.se programmabc fomentara to begra the isa. with an inter·
view about the'r early work. as they have unden1ably transf«med
the wey we undettttw~d prog,em toct.y Ne;81riy therty years lattt
thotir l)(ograi"''W"natlc s:peculat•ons h.ave been conc:retized· in
Ts.el'l.lml's "even t ~spaces; SUCh as the r...b of Let'net Hall and the
central space at The Marne School o-f Architectu:re. and in
Koolh&ss's Seattle Publ•c t.lbrary, whose stufted programmatlc
tttJPt.Ctwl•ze tht dl&gr•l'l'lt'Nitic anelysM of both the Oowntown
Athlehc Club and t.s Part dé la Vtl 'eneprop0$11. These PI'OJeets
matbfestthe development from a theory of program to-its ~hca­
t•on .n pr~t•e• Witl\ the n~~o-JV•nt~gardt •xpenments of ttw'ty
y&al'$ ago now real•zed as mu1tl-mlhon dol8t bu1ldii"\QS. theopi)Of·
tunity for re·aaseasing program has re·e~rged The ectual iza~
uon of these K:leas tn bJiU form has l1beratecl a new generanon ol
ardbtects to move beyond these Pf~'bed solutlons; paradox;.
cally, the formal•zation of ptogrammatlc •den has re~opened
averues of lnQuiry rno pro¡;,'amonoe &g31r'L
W'hat. thel\ are the opport111ities for program today? Wh1e virtu-
allv <Nerv arch<tect\681 proJect ~s programas bñef. tl>e prq-
ects •n this•ssuo are uniQUo in lh•t theymove bovond not onJy tht
modernist. deterrrnstiC: appticatm of progam. but also beycnd the
1970s models of programmatlc lndeterm•nacy. lf Tschum and
Koolhaas rtpC)Sl(ioned program's role from the <::01l1)09ition ol apatiel
~ts - in Vlhdl functtonwttS Pffl~ vaneleted tnto
form-to the 91n1r1tion of rtlltiol'llll ecener10•-that .ccommo-
dated htMerogeneous and unforeseen events-the dehnit10nof pro-
gram eppears to be expand.ng vet aga.n. The arehlteets In ths 1ssue
of PRAXIS aref'NPC)roptia~ ptogram 1'1 two ~ wavs: ont,
by quesli:INro the recewed arct'llectural understandíng of progr&I'Y\.
further dist.-.cing it from its modemist esaociations wlth 'use' or
~Ion'; .end two, byelabclretlngvariQVS sttategles for organlzu""'
and •ccQn'l'nOdeting m&tter and informatiOn •s progrem.. Bvalding
sbls, matenat ted"nologies. forms. abandoned structu'es, and IM!r'l
acbons ere naw pot'ential sites for f)I'C9"ammatJC operattons.
Ed!tonllltRt9iog;¡¡¡¡m1f 5
This new programmatic matenalts 1mbued w1th a parbCUiar use
or funet•on tn eccordance V.1th •t•
lnherent charecterJSbcs. For
e~Campht. R&Sit's dus.l-.coflect•ng sk1nt, ~ betwton white
gallery boxes to eapt1.1re and et"Nelop the 8-f'Y'I.I l'n.lseum's oollecti-..e
functions. or thelayered •ina of VJAA's Tulane Student Center
that defllne & fltld and permeab'e zone between Interior and exte·
ttor S...Ond the •neotpOI'llllon of new matenlll• into the repertoite
of vdlat rs: pr~a.•nltd. these archi-tectsarealso extendlngtt.l tac:·
bes for how matenal JS ¡xogramrned, flrth« elaborat.ng possbili·
ties for devefopirlg programas an organlZ&tional strategy In the
·Program Prf'ner; WORK Atch•tecture ~any Pf'OVades pethaps
the c learest eloboration of thit epproech. offering a set of cod«f
'nstruchons that proposé nY(nad tactics fOt worku'!Q w1th, and
manlpulabng, various programs.ln the seventJes. progratl"m8tiC
theorvpreceded •ts implernentarion. but todaythe rec:onceptualiza~
tJOn of program ., emerging largety frorn PNtctice Thls tS patt of the
tea901l wl'lf tlw term raTI8:ins ao probtem.tic-not onty because of
•ts oomplex lega<:y buc:. more lfl"4)0ft&~ly, bec&t.lse ttiS conb'luou:sty
redofined 11\ cont~ •c::l'lllt.ctur61 practict
This eJusiv&defin.tiOfl of arct'ltectural ¡:wogram ''al
so caused by
¡¡ broacl4w &l'»ft In the term..spec¡f.cally to 1ts inereas.'lgly dominant
assoc•ataons in contemporary cult!Xe With the emergence of the
personal computer as a household $C:Ce,s.s.ory In the last decede,
"program"has acQUired., ent110tv naw Ml of comotauons.. ooce
reserved for computar SC1ént1Sts. The term 1S now ubtclu•tously
underttood as a functlon of software, and lnereaslngly the spec:ífc
and tectln•c:al dtf•n•tJOn of programas ·a stl of coded ltiSttuc·
Uons"• ls pett•t*'ll 10 atehrtects both llterally andas an operatlon
aligned with rt'9 deptoyment asan organizationalst rategy Thls
recent transformat•on has e~ed archrtects to see 'hflat was
ttad•tiOt'IOJv understood., a gtven programas aometh.ng that can
be reJ)f'ogrammed at w•tl
More than mereJy accorrwnodabng a flxed and passive program,
one cannowc:hoose todefine the h.ru:f.amer.alparametersof what
ls to be pro1180'1"ntd. re.ntroduc-ng 81'ch•tectural egency •nto the
ect of ~arnnng.5 Aa progr~m1: m1ttri1l pllette ~ptnds. ao do
the opportiXhties and range of opecat1ons for 1ts arclutectural
eppflcatJon. enabUrQ lt to become generativa once again. Program
ls Jonget $11'f1)1y acted uponbut is itsetf actrve In $hort. it is reCJ,Jal·
if•ed ftoma noun (e known ent•ty) toa vetb (tw~actiOn lttent with
rrultiple potenhatsl Anned with an opportun1ty to progrem, an
emergu-.g group of desiiJlet$ isn't ·genlng w1th the l)f'ogram" lt 1s
programmu'9
1 fhl ttbltlofu.t r~- ,.... e:.l'ltlltdln 1971. Ntleft &p.celn
Ntw YOft( *'-' ........N:Iy po.blished in U81.
2 Bernard T.:lunl, kdwted~n ond Dl...,..ciiMfCatnbridoe; MIT Prtetl 1996.
• 25S
a ftd...,m.Ñ(floileet~,o~~•4IIWI~iorl. ·~W"CCE_...•p S46. T.ch.lmi,
n. ~.tult froiiKriptJ. p.ll,l<dleas, OelrbJs Ntw Y01k,.p. 155.
""* dOUIY~ ttdwtteU • • llar.., ~Ú'IO cocs.. and fCf'tpt• VINd'l
• The
progr•m outcom1t1
&M PRAXI S~¡-.- ....... . _ u.~.._thl~dl~ ol t~
~a-.eaflcelfl( 1'10• one !WOf1t "'re'C)rOOifftm• • )Qumtl WoriOng W«t'' Allee
Ctuo.g and Kat-tnH., ol Ofmiwottl, -used tM,_,. ••.n
~to rec011·
g,....-
~ourforM~)Io~lieot'oinO"'-~t~a"'d~•"CirV~
dontl.tt•"'Y beMd onttlt ~ ltMH. ,.~ to • d41tnl01
fl«¡¡:llihty .-.:1 ti'I'!Ot"e fUd ,..dc:IMHp - - tllClll'ldirNg~~-I.Jitim¡ttly, Wtrl,
to G"*tte • cont.._ild ~Me....,..._ ltle tWO
2 Architects
10 Questions
on Program
Rem Koolhaas +
Bernard Tschumi
Questions written by Ana Miljacki, Amanda Reeser Lawrence,
and Ashley Schafer.
 PltAICIS 1 Kooi'INI • twvni On Proer.am 7

1. What role does program play in your current practice and how has it evolved
since it first emerged in your thinking and design? Has the shift of your work
from paper (both writing and design) to practice changed the way you concep-
tualize and/or use program?
KOOlJ.iAA$ Wc;v..-dlt be shoc:k'rg lf lcla•mod that 1t 1$ nod,:f crcrn tf!an r I.Eiod:obe'> 11
•s str~tforNaf'd. My\-.ork ";,th P"'Qfambegan as a des.re to OU"SOe dffereflt means
of clC.prC!Is•on tnat wcrc Slrn•lar to wr•bng screerplay! Atan .-,teres.ting rromcnt mv
~'Mih$Cf()t wntl'l(J ~r'I'()Sl randQmlv .,lefSécted the ..I'O"Id of COOStrVCtiVI$nl,
andw ti"! lhat 1disc01.•ered ane~~.Ceptcnal y n t erestu-.ghybt.ci 'Aflere any c1spect of <Ja,ty
hfecould be -maoned andenac:tcd through trc arthtcc1's•f1'l3Q•natl()r'l
ltl'w'lk th.at tf'letee~"e ..mderlv•ngstructures •n t heproce5sof atchltectural cre&t•on
andde~"(]n that cn~•cs nevcr recog,.ze l="or •nstance. the d•ffefence between a con~
()el•t•or $!~d a co-nm1S$ on d1ctates vovr room to manevver and has a dec•s•ve
nYII)&Ct onthtdes.gn As the ~tt el bt&ryw<~s p.oesC'I'Ite-dto a Bo,¡j(cJ of TI\.ISt&es 1t
had to be uf\Cief st oodas a lloear log,cal PfOCGSS Pofto. on t héothef hand, " ·as a
COf'TIPCl otion 50 •t could boa tota ty•rro)b0n6'. 11"154ne, Md st.npfl!>llQP'OJOCl Seatlfe
nad to be d•agrammatiC-in CW'dcr to win the comm•ss10ro. we had to Ql'neraie mate·
nal that expla.,ed •t step bv S(.eg asan E:!dvcat•onal orocess T~ere •s a d•a ectiC
ómcMiOO\O l'"lrS PfOJnct v.hchwasnot mymotrvJtiOn. bvtbecamea tool fOtocer
ta'''e.xp at~at•on of theoroJect
~ogram mcrca51ng1y ~s anothe-" COR'lotat•on forme, Nhich ~~ closer to agenda 1
havo bG4In uvino to f nd wavs thm WG coi.Ad c •rcui'"I"IVQOt Of a...cud the arcru:ects P3S·
SIVI \Y 8nc:S by th1S 1tnean htS tY her de()e"!dentee Or'l the ti"'I{I~HIVe$ Of Oth(lfS liOwe\!Cf
•l IS f1amed and I)UrSUed OUf 39enclafprogram !S M 1mi)Ortar1t le lm fOf me. to the
ex te~ th.:H - contrarv to lmf lonQstand•ng ,eoutatll(ln as a cap¡tahst sell-ovt and
cyncal bystMIC!er., tho process of globa•zot•on- 1was .xtuo!tywry n terestcd 10
select•'<'C D3'1:CiPCt•on Thekey is 00-og"so cctiv<l" wh. e a•so lo<*rng fOt stra;cg•es
tl\i!lt v.ould dlow us to pursue (prog~ tcal y) our O'Al"''tnterests. AMO~' beet"'
an •mportant OO'It or that tf"llt•atiYe, affordng usa g-eatElf means to r edehne the 1n1
t•al oroJect br ef. through the ack:l•liOt\ of poi ~·calor cultural dlmens•ons We have
¡VSi c~:Qd' comPQl ,tiOO .n Duba. for ;. v3St mJSlQvm th(ll lnó.Jd~ COI'I"'C>oner'lls
ot the Hefm•tage, ttw? Tate, and 1he ~pent~ aod that formsamalgarnatiOOSW"l cul·
tl.I'C i)l1d poht iCS- Th.-s lo:l"'ld of programm.ng a lov.-sus to f1nally ongage a p(OCtice
that re~ ly•metests me
Br•ef rs merely anar(.hllectvrei word. bvt fOt me program 15 a tJord d'ldt exceeds
\~t stteer 1tn tation 1am ncx suggest.ng thM we ar9 not 1ntGfMH~d in briQfs-wo
él1'E! I'I•CJh!y 1t&rat abo.Jt bt'•efs. tn ract.... a ce.-ta.n way, Wé a-e eamest and l rYIOCél'\t,
m.1ybe tooeal1"'loiY..t andimooont.lnPorto. tho Bcf,n Emb.lSsy. I T.andScanlewc l1t·
~al y oushed 1he btl9f 11""1 a oarttt!Jar crl t•cald ..GCtiOn to prociJco spec•hc gffects "'
that sense- 1woeJdn't cla1m arr¡ SO(Ihl&•c.attoon or un1l)Jene~'" our appro«l\
TSCHUMI My current ptactice explores a ....,mber of dif ·
ftt'ent lssues and concepts. Program ls o~y one of thtm.
Envelopea, movement vector• . and.. more recently, a new
questi oning of contexts are among our Unes of research.
The shl ft from paper to praeUee reaiJy happened w l th the
shlft from Tht Monhotton Tronscript s of 1978-81 to l.a
Villette in 1962·83, since 1 had COn$Ciousty entered the
La Vil1ette competition in order to move from í nvented"
programs t oa ·reat• progrern. f rom pure mathemat ics to
*J)pllt d mathtc'netb.
What strikes me is that some of the theotetical themes
from years past ate stiU present in our wOtlt today, but now
practice preoedes theory as often as theory once pre·
ceded practlce. lt ls a very ftJid reladonshlp. For example.
tho 1'9Ct nt f~ord on ·eonetpt.t. COI'\ttxtt, cont tnu• in
Evenr·Cities 3was my consctous attempt to post·theorlze
'Nhat 1had leamed from oor practica.
In our recent project•. co nctpu ofttn btgin as much
with • stN~~tegy &bout content 01 program s.s with & sttst·
egy about contexts. For exarnp... in our conceptuali zation
of Oubal, a •cuttiXal l sland" with an opera house. w e pur~
posefully revl~ted an earllet prograrnmatk: coneept (the
stril)s of ourope<a houst ln Toloio of 19861by eomblolng h
with OVt reeent reset~~reh on double envelope:J..
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2 . What is the relat ionship between program and form? And event? And poli-
tics? (Feel free to answer any one or all three of these questions)
\NQI'Iave loorned th.&t thcrc •s no 9'"'c-n relat•onshp bat wcen program a.nd form In the past The re lationahip between program and fotm
mree ~ar-s we\·eengaged '" rad•ta eKr.enmenta¡IOfl that at Nnes orotllced an extréme rellt' can be one of reciprocity, indifftf"tnct, Ot con-
t•011sh•P between program and form wllll e lll ot.hers prcxh.)Ced no rctlation~hc>. whieh snply fllct. l et me eKplaln. Rectprochy 1-t when you
srows hc:r.Y l.l"lbel10vably uostable, un:spec•f c. and also •oconsrstent 11 can be Jt •s imposs¡ole to shape the l)(ogr'• m ao t"-t it coineidu with the
<~bstract from U'lC$! orOjcctsa S•ngla dlfE!CtJOn fa. the off•ce. OUt therelat•onshQ of form aro form. or shape the form so that ft rec:lprocates
pre(Tam asalw.:r¡salarge¡:wcoccupatlon The foct lhtlt the uwsof these proJects h.we appropr.- the configurat ion you gave to t he program.
ated them all w.threltSh •s•ncred•l1v s.gnfca-'11 to mQ N~ of thefn suHe«s from the Sl•9'ltest lndifference ls when a stlected fOf'm can
dysfunct,an Of ortense tO•t s oscrs The Outch Embassy cmployees are unbel.ev...bly happy to e«:OtTWnOdote any program, often resultingln a
use •t the wav•t was •r«Qf'ded towork eve1thougll that was not. obvious whon•t was d9fi~Qfled deterministic form andan indet erminate pro·
A.lti"Q.¡gh form al'd pOit.cs is a tempt.ng sub,;ec;;t 111 ackhess yrur QU~t on abou: or()g"am al'd gram. And wlth confllct you let progrem end
PéitiCS Cortrarytoour off•oal s~ancc Jsc:yn.cal by$(;)(I(ÚifS, Wé havebeen ~rVW19 tof1rdwavs to form purposefuUy dash-l.a .. pote vauh ing in
oeate POSttJOns that Ct\2llble us to adCYess ...~at l'lté(é'SIS us rathet tt'l&ll be1ng an extens«)n of the cha~l or tht n.mnlng track througl1 the
tht~ket toonomv or dove'OJ>efS' des-resorlltldi\liduals' dewes, •....tlichtntenMiy begs th&ques libnry reitding room- so asto generate ooex•
tl()"' oloohtl(:$ FQf •nstance t.nere •s averv stro~conoec11on to oof•tcs 1nth&CC1Vbulldlrag No pected events.
other po~tca mtem tod&y wov!d collect so 1'1'\ai'Y)' progaom together., a sin~e st!uctvre and But yov must decide which one to use. That's
crea•e as manv•(lt~COnnQCMns bétv~ dtffe({!(lt componer~ts'" a Single cmtv In tho \\~$\, where archrteeture bttQins. There is no vatue
the ec:~.~v.alent of thé CCTV prog(atn would ha'..e been d•smantled and de.trtluted. """'le .n Cl'w\a, judgment here. AU three are fine, dependlng on
!"lé co~oldat•onrsr~shed fhcfe ts a d1rect carelat.onbQtwttn centr&ll8tiOS1 of program and your objectives for a given ptojeet.
t.M JYeséflt&of the state 'r\le are not so rru:h 11 rtng w•th authol'ltN•an(eo-nesas •nvesugattng A program is never nevc:ral. Tht peOf)le who
me woddand wn8( SY1Htrns er«>le vwh!H typo o' ~itectU'e d r aft it art full of preeonceptio!\1. The first
thing a n architect needs todo is to d ismantle
that program and redirect lt. Asan archltect.
younNCI to Mve., agenda. My .gend.a i• often
about geMratlng pubfle spaces or spaces of
encountera, tlke the generatora and the court"'
yard in the Miami School of Arctitteturt or tht
c entral linear eourt In the AthleUc Center In
Cincinnati. Program ia not the only iuue to
address. but itls often what you start with.
E vents? Events are dlff.,-..-rt fro;n progr'f mt.
A progr..-n relles on r~tition and habit; it can
be written down and be prescriptive. In con·
trast, an event occurs unexpectec:fly. Your
deslgn may contrlbute to condltlons fOf some
futura, unknown ...,.,tt o occ...-. but you do not
4
deslgn· tht event Programs and politics?
Prograrrmatic configll"ations are al ways pclit.J·
cal: a house w ith a corridOt lttving ptlvate
rooms ha.tdtfferent political implieations than a
house as a lar$Je loft apac.e witOOut doora.

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3. How would you trace the genealogy of program?
lf VOIJ mea"' the genealogy of orograrn in my worlol.. 1·Nould
tr.ce rl to rny ctulclhood Ewn then, 1was •nterested., orgar~~·
zat•on. 1 was COn'O'eteryhypnot•7ed by how Ul'bal"' svstems
.... ere organ,zed, or how dJfferent cul tures IITlag.,ed c•t•es 1
thlnk tnat nxsst be Slmotr an l.llCOnsc.ous preoccuoat•oo
Evervone who uses the term organ.zat.on li'M"\ediate1y
aMounces a 5C)CK:e between r 'gor ar.d default . or between
C()(lform•tv and .ndependence Organtzauon •s the back·
9fOVOd ,...d tht tens•on tt\811 •ntertst&me ~tc• e.81ted betv~n
~ldrlCQ and ~oeodence When tayeredWJth SCt"•IX wr•t·
lll'lQ and consttuct•v•sm. th•s ten~ lead meto a part•culdr
Oefirut10n of progra-n. bome out ola partici.Aar moment Tl"\.s
tdea of program s very similar to t.he program of OeJ•r100s
Ne•N Yorle. r&\het than tho geno•<: term of orogam that could
have anvcol'ltents. C>ur.ng m,o t1me '" Ne-11 York. !was try¡r-9 to
aS!Iett thatthecttv. 01 ••s arcbtect...e.<kl not.JUSt have a p•o·
ora"" but. V~·as '"!acta orooram lhat WdS ttiQ mten:•oo and
ant:~~tionor tt~e booll
Koolhaas • r .:t-~mi: On Prour.-n 9
Progr&ms are as old 8$ arehltceture. The flrst Gre•k temples began wtth pro·
grem. not fonn. Most erchitecta tve blinded by form and tgnore the poteotiel of
programs to generate forms. Think of department stores and railway stationsin
the 19th eentuty: programs e ame nrst. ft's the same wíth the mMging of alr·
J)OI't$ •nd shoppi"'' maU• today.
What struck me early on was that most arc:hitects are unbellevably passtve
towarcb programs. They eccept t hem in a cOf"I"'IPiet ety ~X~critical way, dress them
wwhh fOI'"tn$. and thereby miss majar opportunltles. l adrrit to havlng beenvery
irritat~ vis·•·vie the prevalent idoo'ogiet of the teventit' ~thtr the mod·
ernist "form follows form" d iCtum or the &I.AJ&eQuent "form follows historical allu·
slon" of archltect..ral poet:tnoderÑ5m. The prowanvnatlc dlmenslon had become
an abandoned territory since tht days of tht earty 20th cent!XY avant~gardes.
lncludlng consttuctM$m and ureallsm. ln my cast,l was &lsoW~uwest.cl ln the·
oretic.al isauea of interte1.Uality-mixing apac. . end uaea., odd or unexpected
configurations, intersecting spatial envelopes with mcwement vectors.
4. New York, 1 976: You were pursuing research and developing theories of pro-
gram that spawned what became for both of you seminal publications: Delirious
New York and The Manhattan Transcripts. What was so urgent about the issue
of program at this moment? What made New York such fertile ground- both as
a working environment and as a subject -at t hat particular t ime?
Todav therés a tota bana •tv of tfavel and •ntelléCtual tralf•c 1c arne to New Y~ from london beeause of an interest in tht art scene, which
th.lt ddn't e.1us.t •1"1 the s.evcnt.es Asa vcry tcchnleal Ell'opCbf\ 1 seerned to be in extra«di.narily ere.alive flux at tho time. Many artist friencb,
am dceoly •Of uencod by almos¡ any of the ··sms' tt'lat have inc::luding Robert Longo.. David Sane. Cindy Sherman. and Sareh Charlesworth,
compt•sed El,..l<X>e5 h•story ...1-e,efore 1was arrb•t•ous enough h&d come to New Yot1c about the seme time. Forme. archltecttJre was a btank
not so r"'VCh tOwdnt my ()1\·n prsm~bot to looo(, clt tho world 11"1 ~got: .,...-ything ~ to nttd to t>. invented. 1bteamo obM*Hd with Now
tét'ms of ·,sms·On the Ot'le hand. 1féft a ~éal d•sMchantmeot York City itseff.a cityin v.tlich everything seemed possible. l alsowatched a lot
'A•th thc slackening of rrodetn•ty that was an outcome of of bl ack·and•vdli te 8'f'll0Vies at the t ime. 1was struck by how space and bui'd~
f.owQf'·PO'Ner'or thG' Q""'QrQQOCQoi posttnodQm,¡m And v<n 1 lngs could alto bt ptOtagorists In the Jtetioft. Ptriormanc;e art seemed a natu·
w ..u t~tY'II•••taneovsly k.ecn1y 6w~e el 1'10,.1 m&n•festos tt-em· ral exten:sion of conceptual art. These two f orm.s of an: prbetice echoed rrr;
541lves had nwoduced so ma.,y fa hses that troe wnc. typology definition of architecture: ea concept at'ld experience, or t he definition of
~notoerescueo space and the movement of bodles withln 1t .
So apptoached Ne.v Yor¡. •nóroctlv .....th a rnan.festo th.:n
cons•sted of a vo1urne or ouan't•WOT pre-ex•st no ev dcnce 1
took. " jourmll~toc but also<t ocrson"' ~pr~ch. whiCh 1hl!ld to
sl'neld bel't•nd Ar'lenca Bernard lschum'sptq(>c-t seel"'ls much
more clearly a man•resto. or 3{ least •t mote openly uses tne

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 I'Jl A. XIS & Kooll;t;Js • Tschumi:OnProgr.tm 1 1

5. Tell us about your time at t he lnstitute for Archit ecture and Urban Studies
and how it influenced your development asan intellectual and as a designer?
Who were your allies there?
i W.l$ o t•me wh"n tf'& lns.t•tu-t• was prob&Oiym.Jch &SS r19orou& and rru:h lt~$S ug.d in •ts The ln• t itute for Arcllitecture and Urban Studies.
alka"'Ces fhcrc was 1'\0-t as r'IQ1~ ~son lfl that per.od m "-€M' York lhat 1was oot at sotne wfth its cooj oined publications, wasone of the only
p(lf('!t, or to somc CAt e~ s~athetiC to or irwol1ed w•tl\ or ...mo d1d no: 1n 50me ~'tS .nfhJ• archltectutal settlngs at the time that gruped
cnceV~t.atlwasde>no a rc:l'i Uicture as part of a floorous intelktctual dis-
The b¡g vic.I'IO't•nln thi.SSttvY lstho•nflucnce-ol Macttuasi.J'\ge'!s.l spc!'K a yeat l197a al course. But many of the lnt erests of t he lns:tit ute
Cornel pror to 1):)11'19 tO N&w Vorl(. w,.chwas S'91"fhcant There were ~"'O phenomona that were quite distant from my own. Ag.ain, l fe lt closer
maeko rt tl"'ponam F•rS1, $1udyfl9\'1'i\h Ungen~ exDOSeC me tohcS wwof th-r_.,.,.g. parucu· to the New Yort( •rt scene of the dmt. 1was at tht
la-dy h·s conceptual nbil·••o$ to thi'lk abC\lt c•t es. M•Chlf r ovc-ault elso t-appe~ 10t>e lnstitute for jus t one yoc~r, 1976. Pertt•ps being
\eacn<ng thele that '('eéf'". aswcllas Hef'ber; DaM!Sc.h, 3""10iher ~rer'dl "tltellectu.Jiwl'th whom there shaf'pened my desire to challenge tlle for·
bec.eme c1~ fr1end$. He ntroduced me to Fo~!J t. so CYCt'l befare arnv.ng •n Now Yotk 1 malizod disco~.ne on the prlmacy of foun. 1began
sJ)"nt ~ vear lr'IArr-.eor;a 'mrne~sed•n Frendl.,iel'ettw OJI~ure. w~ rer~forced rrv alrcadv The Monhotton Tronscripts immedi at ety after
Cot'IS•<:Jefable •rwolvement l!ollh Ro&émdBarthes voiO'k ~aving the lnstltute. AJJies? lronically enougt\, tM
V\felll'c:ly qnough 1 I "Uok 1 w:.s ~norft . ,;el&e:tt.•althaoP My of théll\ bvt 1 ws$ WOfk ng CJn a by people ot the lnstitute r ealty became my
J)(()Jt>ct tMt soomed aess •ntellectual thanany of ti'IE?'I' Jdeas •1"\E'Vv.-efe all ou1s•de a·chlec- friends criv a ft8f' l le ft.
tUfc, <Y~d so tñ.J~ was a kind of doub e . .:~n 1nterest1ng s¡tereo thJt •~~~as more li tert)(y than
a>reht t ecr~.W<t Ma-1be 0eflf'IOI.IS New YQric 15 abol.lt archtKtVO. but•t •smore a 'tcr;yy o-~
at~n-m~ewt• tlf'\9 t.hant!'.n~•l"9

6 . What was the status of program in this laboratory of Eisenman-inspired

formalism?
1n•ota Dtfl':iou$New Yorlc wher 1retl.ffled to Londor\ 1diCI the rew_.ch for •t
1"'1 Ncw Yort.:, butl OOtt<t\'t " ' re tt'oQ"e Ba<x n lOf"'dor) 1oave a ser.esof lec--
tUfcs at t i-e AA that t hen bce&mo t ilo b.l-S•S of tl'le book And 10 terms ol
al ies. Pc¡er nas arare and vnbelic.,.-ablege"''E!rosity to creat• and ~pj)()ft 3
f•eld •n•t.t'uchother peocle llounsh Proba.oty he •s partialty moti•..ated out da
k 1Xi o' perv@l'&e WIS&Of c uriOSi tv of wh~tv. 1 happen to tl1él'n lt was srrnJ ·
tatWK~usty a Shtnulat•"'Q ttéld. a test l:.e<t ar<1 i1l" acce!erat edaq!ng orocedi.J'e
He v.~ C)(trcmel'l ~ept1cal but atso extren"'E!Iy SI.4)POrtiW
At tl"lat t1mt> 1also had tho ux,¡ry o: bomg tho orly potsoo ,na most tl'le
ert•e P.lew Yorl.. scene exeept the OrM to be u·wotv ed '"' Ameh:.an .S!UCS.
In the Nrly lnat it\.lte yttrt, Eisenman wrote an edit orial in
()ppositions called •Postfunctionatism· wl'lich dismissed program
and funcUon as part of a 500 yeor ofd,. pt"e·lnd'u s trlal h~nl st
pr;)etlco. So;) redeAnltlon of program was cen•inly not part of
me 11\Stitvte·s agenda. Yet, asls oft&n the case. ñ"hat is hldden ls
a a intorosting as wha t is in fult view. Anthony V+dler's text a and
tect...-eson 8ouAié-e. Ledoux. and Lequeu wert txtraordlnarity ,.,.
ceptlve, for example. showing programmatlc rituals •nd spetill
MCIWI'ICt'S in Che architecture of lequ.u's &odges. Far from being
pre industrlal. his lectures suggested bñdges t o the most corr
4

So 1 tl.óld tl-(t"J•Eial adva••tage ol •w.s bll•tv. as no of'lewa$ 1nteres;ed 10 tne temporary art practicea. including mode9 of notation used in per·
rn,¡ter al 1 'Ha!:> research..ng ~¡as, an 10.1e tgeN persOI'l dea1u"tg w1th the formance art.. Sut the lnstitute's preval ent dlscoutse then was
ck>b..1$oi'd OXllen.()t U~t nobodyco.Jdvndefsu•otl 1hlK:I thebest ofboth worlcls. 41VtCWiomy. My inc:linotiont worel'n()(e towllrds intcrtoxtuality.

7 . What was the relat ionship bet ween this early research and writing and the
radical reconceptualization of program evidenced in your design for the Pare
de la Villette?
~~ '" avcry d•roct rcbt'O"'!hip lcxp.J"ed L4 Vdlottoas akJnd d
nonzontal skvsc:::r~per Tne re!ati'Q'lstuo to Oel~r•ovs New York was
sovl'()el~\<,;'lblyl•ter<:lltr.at 85 ou- Pfactlce e\OHed. •t has ll'leVlt&blv
becom& more •ndf'ect At fu·st those tdeas wo-kéd as anéllaMole or
pr ototvPQ, bl.( then•t bécamé SI"'''I!y éWllflfluel'.:-é (X area d atten-
t•on 1stil notioo occasiona ly that tho c~r 1 rcsc.:trch r ctums in an
almost t·eral wav. terta•nly •n CCTV So •ts a source ¡~at we feel
free to *9'10fe. biA there's a wws a pul Except ....r.en thcre$ a J<..o1d
of ant•·Pull Qr-w~ •t h~ no relev3"'1cé v.flat&Oe"'er For •nstance
wl :t::H'! 1'NOfK 01.:1 ;.CJuse •t s tot~ltv n <tbeyance
But 1al so CQn~i dor it M:. hi¡¡onctlll gi..,on. nnd so 10 tCKl S ke
"Gcncnc C.tv" aod "J...,..I!soace· •t rema•ns a re'erence but a refe•·
crccwc constant v :::.uoor~ or refine
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Mywork on The Monhottan Tronsctlpts began wfth a ttlpartfte definltlon of
atthittoeture as spac., actklt\ and mowmtnt. The resufting mode of nota·
t lonwas us.ed throughout the Tronscr'fprs and leddWeetJy to the La Vlllette
princi pie o f auper-imposing points (of activitiesl. l i nes (of movement), and
spaces (of eppropñatlon). The precedent for ""f point grid was lnterestlng
l.n lt.s relatlonshlp to progrem.s. In 1ho mkl·1970s, 1uMd to give my stu·
dents at the AA exeerl)ts ftOI'I"\ Kafka~ Poe. Ekwges. and Jovce as s:wograms.
In Otder to orgt:~.ni ze the complexity of Joyee's text with 11 number of stu·
dents. 1gave them a point grid that announced the one at La Villttte. lt
proved a great w&y to e•plode the park·s progr'ammatie comptexity and
roorgtniu it around the pointa of inte.nsity of the folies, Simultaneously, 1
was writ ing more theoretical texts-"Architecture and Limits" and
~olence of Arc hllecture"- whlch addressed the lssue of progrem direedy.
 .. lltAXIS a

8 . Some critics have written about the return of the megastructure, not only in
your practice but also in other architect's designs. Do you agree, and to what
would you attribute the recuperation of this type? How is this 'new' megastruc-
ture different from its sixties predecessors?
Thcre·~a VOIV scduc,,w and ootont•allyvery narve formo( bok· The reeent Faetory 798 pro;ec:t in Beijing atortad with our wiah to sove the
•ngat the past f,fteenyears. .,...hereby'(Ou begin by 5a'IIOQ thcn livelfest euftural c:enter in China from being razed t o make way for ten million
aret'htecture meets megaloman•a. and megaiOMMca •s -s quare feet of res!dentlal towers. After t alklng to the artl.sts and gatterlsts
debasQd &1 fortunately the force o' the market f'usl"cd it there, we proposed to ktop the att progrom below ond ¡:M.Jt the houting pro·
away v,th tl'le unfonunate commlment to oostrnodern.sm gram abovt, hovtt'ing <Ner the existlr.g art néighbortlood. The vertical ~ort
Then on tho 90s the rn..1r1tet seemed to pJrallel ond evcn apon pointt wwelocttted anywhere we could place them between the exia-tlng build ·
sor Of svoport rad•cal rcOOf,n,t<lns Of form In the l.ate 90s. ings on tlle ground. so that the result ing ·1'8ndom.. grid became a lattice. The
together w•th thedrstruc:tion of tho V\bfld Trade Centet, f01m project generated an enormous amot.W"t of media eovttagt sinee pe(IC)Ie aaw it
was: dlscrectted. &ndpertlaps also the possi::l, lty for archltccts' as 3 way to koop tht o'd while rnoving forward with the new. Maybe in part due
part•c•oat•on and eomi)'•CitY w1th tl·e mar<et ecO'lOft'lV. \Jow to the response to our pro;ect. the government decided not to go ahead with
~·ro 9 1Qok•"l9 lo1 someth.ng wtuch g•ve& us not so muer domolition. So~ we U\l'6d the nel~othood but ultlmatoly lott a projec.t.
po... er- because 1 don't ttunk. rnany peop e are nostalgiiC for 1do not think tht project coufd ha..-e been done elstwhere but China. Free·
po..,cr. and ,fs sUI a very dlrty tNOrd -but petha:>s a large~ market eeonomy 61"\d megaatrueture are two terms that rarely go together.
scooe of what arc.h•tecture cw•ddo. or OOIJd sav Who will pay for megastruc:tures? Today's capital is transient, wtlile megas·
truetures are not. So maybe you can call t he newest megastructures a resur·
gence of eritieallty. (What an ugly wotd!) Mo-gatttl.let...-et oft.en .et • •
manlfntos. Our Factorv 7 96ptojaet was a btJiktable manifesto.

11)
en
9. How does the above drawing represent program? ls this a diagrammatic
device, an operative tool, a formal construct, a descriptive idea, ora combina-
tion of these or none of these?
Not l~tlhavea~r ·¡wlarlvh•ghregard for dagarns.bul
ttus one 1$ svupl van 111 usuat •on to ene~ble others to U"'det •
st:ancl our procg.s;$ 1¡'$ no~ ita ad1agr.;.m, but a draw1ng
thot came after the fact H~f' •n •t•s& more s•mplefead·
•ng of 'fihldl olements el a J).lrticul<~r lmd el bv1c-ng can be
stable. and ~f'lch nave to rerna,n v~t,le Ttts •S stmply an
end producl. a reuoact•ve II.Jsttatlon of w~t. m a fl"'I(e
Qnvate 990~,1Sd wrH of :hnkn1Q
rM rec1 d•agram.s tt'e one t ~at aCXJresses stab li ty
and il"stabil tv n other prqects ;here wcre diaograms.
barcoc:les o1 s:(lb lty and •ns~ab•l•tY. Ot de'lned ancl vnde·
f¡no<f $p,jl((!:¡.
All of the above. Most projects stert with a program. F"IJ'St, you have to under'st<W'Id
the program's lntrlc:acles. but al so what you want todo wlth lt. Soyou explore possi-
ble eonflgurations and relatlons. 1do not mean bubble dlagrams htre. but spatial
eonnoectlons « sequenti&l routes. The quiekest w&¡ b to di&grem h. l.e. to eoneep-
tua.lize whot you wont todo with thot pn¡grom. Th•r• ..-. ,.ny pot•ntial progrtrn-
matic concepts. Sometimes that's it: your programmatk: concept becomes your
archltectural fcwrn.
At Lerner Hall, we had to put in6.000 mailbOI(Q$.. ~ audltOtlum. music rooms.
and so on. l wanted a central mee~ space ('1\tlich was not in the officlal program)
so thet ah the partt: of the program would be v;sible and accusibkl-a vertical
social space of sorts. BU1 a program atways hes to be lnserted lnto a given site,
which oftenhas multipleeonstreh\1&, whether physk•l or othetWise; In othet wotds,.
it has a conttxt. That in tum affects tht sektct:lon Ot the ••l)tess'on of the progum-
matic concept. At Lemor, t:here were many speeific aite conatraintt.,. including hi.s·
toric:ist ones. but 1could take adva.ntage of one of them, nametv. the fact that the
campus ls half & level hlgl'lef tnan Broactwey.l eouk:llink these two tewb by a tan'1)
and cootinue the ramp to the top of the building, O$Mmbfing th9 pi.c:ea of the pro-
gram with its 6,000 mailboKeS aloog the ~- Program? You need to figure it out.
literaly. That's what thls dlagram ls.
.....
o
 Pft.t.:CI$ 1 ~ • Ttctuoni; OnPo:lgram 15

10. Recently, various critics have argued that you are responsible for inspiring
an entire body of work regarding program, both pedagogical projects and also
trends in architectural production outside of academia. What is your reaction
to this type of 'blame:' acknowledgment, or attribution?
1can'1dény that rm perverselv ~ te-restedtn th&sedurl()(.otiOns'lll.'r..e such avast anenil0'1 look, 1do not thit~li: that architecture must begin
spon tllat lcan't c!env thit l follor,.tnem & t i th•nk tl\!l t ttt lh1s po.nt 1t •snot ~ tttibution. T~ wlth form. lt begln.swith a concept oran Idea. Scme
e~ttl''H of fTliCia c:~age has 1é0K:herd COOl>late narntv lt asad t hat trlO disciclino rs so of theM conc.apts or idoa• ~ b.prog,.1mm•tic.
deperv.:l&"- CYI ()()O gr~ of CJ«lPIOto prov.óé •ts s.b,ect Arehltecti.Ke 1.$ the mate.rlali z:atk>n of a concept
rm st Mtotallyoedcatod to the dlscflfi"le, in tlilfl"l'l$ olwo:'ll.i'lQ 10 11, bvt s•nco 1995 l've and 1 feel no qualma about calling the programa
elfeclr..-e!y eh the O.SC10hne 1"-<rve almost no fr1ends left 1"t arc.,..tcctu~e My ll'lW'f'ate mat~ial. much a.s concrete walfs or glas.s enclo-
fnend!i U$8d to be arc:l"ltCCl$. bt.l now they're &!1out9de the cl:scipline boCJ..JSt' 1nood flCIIIX• &OI'es are rooterlals. Yoo can al.so use programe the
•st'IMeot arxf w thin me f.e:d thé1~ .san a :-nost n'err.al utle of feQI.f"O tation ~nd that of W'f Malavich « Mondf'ia.n trl!"'.-formed painting. or
eo..,.~ ma.<.cs everyonc Ylhots reg.trg tated l).tter SO that eveo 1f vou proo.;ee somett'ung Joyce a nd Sch6nberg transfonned wrlting and
goocl, therc •S ~ cyn.c.al v•twof 1t from¡h; bQgi"'O ng S0\'1 "111~ l'm lflcreas·~lv ósenc~ted music. Most intarasting. however, la to duign new
"'~th the practoee of ~g lr\t(li'Vicv.ed.l hOpe tt.s CllJé'StJOnna•re OfOdr:es sanelhillQ new conditions for livlog. whethtr urbanor othtrwise.
01 ~t 1-f{llt t.Otn&thng ess than totally Pfedlcl atro
Dream Houses
by Studio (n-1)
The house has nevar been j ust a house. l t has always been a veh icle for aspira-
tions- a dream- as muchas an armature for everyday life. lts role has consistently
extended beyond its material form; as a solace against the tribulations of the "out-
sida world;' the house, as the saying goes, must become "a home~ These associa-
t ions are so cultural ly ingrained that Freud named psychological disturbance as the
inversa of the home-the unheimlich. The unheimlich has been explorad notas an
opposite but as a double: a second image of ourselves we don't immediately
acknowledge. The house contains such variety of human activities that it offers
rich metaphors for the layers and contradictions of the human personality.
Even as critics have increasingly plumbed the house's psychological depths,
both mainstream and rarified architectural discourses have focused on its surface
qualities. As the locus of individual capital acquisition and display, t he home has
become more sign than shelter. Whether traditional or modern, manufacturad,
custom, or 'designar: today's house is evaluated through magazine photos or
'curb-appeal: Even the architect-designed house is now recognized more for its
imagistic qualities: 'a machina for living in' has been replaced by a machina for
generating desire (or envy). More exposure than shelter, the house has become an
exaggerated display of the homeowner's identity-a drag costume for daily life.
Ca rol Moukhei ber and Christos Marcopoulos, partners in the architectural
collaborative, Studio N Minus One, see the chasm between the critica! and the
popular asan opportunity-a situation to be accepted and. at the same time,
utterly d ismantled. lf the house is a performance of oneself then its effects
should reverberate back onto the inhabitants themselves. The domestic projects
included here- some speculative, others commissioned- aim to operate wit hin
the inherent psychological, spatial, and political tens ions of the domestic
sphere. Through simple operations, the designers expose rather than repress
household complexity. Although a "House for Mom" could find its place amongst
these proposals, the studio might offer a meditation on oedipal space that mom
might find every bit as appealing as unsettling.
 _
Studlo{rll~DreamHouses 17

.....

For Stu dio N Minus One, even the simplest request for a stone countertop or
glass shower r esonates w ith a complex set of unacknowledged implications.
They proposed the Domes tic Appendix as a vehicle to expose {or uncover) these
persistent undercurrents. Architecturol Grophíc Stondards purport s to be a
comprehensive encyclopedia of programmatic activity that includes all acts of
hygiene, eating, and socializing. Yet in deference to pruri ent 'good taste: the
manual eschews all discussion of the space required for sexual and procreative
acts-arguably an activity that encodes the majority of domestic space. This
omission is typical of architectural literature. And yet, few have designad a bed-
room without carefully tending to the particular concerns and enthusiasms of its
potential inhabitants. Through t he lens of metric examination, the Oomestic
Appendix was developed asan anatomy of this subtext. a helpful guide to the
implied sexual content in domestic discourse that, in its assault on good taste,
offers opportunity for enhanced architectural performance.
Similarly, the four house projects included here offer hypotheses abou t
domestic life that aim to emphasize as muchas question. to undermine as well
as reinforce, our unspoken expectations about domestic space. These specula-
t ive propositions rely on programmatic collision to reveal the rich ambiguities of
the domestic sphere through the performance of everyday activities.-oooSh•••"<~burg
 Mirror House
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MIRROR
 .. IUlCI$ 8

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PRAXIS 8
Mountain House
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aient ~.t•e MOtit&eC 1Ar'CI'iteet
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PRAXIS 8
The Tulane
University Center
VJAA
For "'*ny 8rc:hrt•et•. renov•ting ttn ex•at•ng building •a viewed a•
l•tt le mOfe than a chane~ toupgrade f1nis hes c. upd.ate a fa~de
But for VJAA. (V.nceot J ames Assodates Atchitects). Lhe renova•
tionof a 1950s studont centtf at Tulane Un•vers•tywas •nstead
cap¡.tahzed on as anopponun.ty to rethlnkboth the log.c and mate·
riala of the existrlg atructl.re, while abo introducing a novel notion
of programmed skrls into the desi~
The e:os.tlf'lg112.000 sqvare foot sttveti.Ke, ~ooe tt.~etall pro-
pon•ons and sc.akl wore retan\$d, was transf<>tmed ttvough a
36,000 square focn add1ti0n at~d extenstve moctlficatJOns to bo!h
the exteriof erwe!ope and interior compartmentali zation Tho
builcl•ng's ong.nal arct"iitects. Curt.s and Oavis, h&d created a slm·
pie. conc::rete·fr..-ne box. with tho &dmitted goal of excluding anv·
thlng that would "comphc:at e the VISUal •mage • Taking an inverse
ap¡:roach, VJAA lnstead lntt oduced a c0ft"4)1e.l(, and varled ~vt$U81
image" by employingm.lltlpfo l ayors ot onclosur t . A W tO$ or Ptr"fo-
rated and touvered skíns SOfrot..M'ld lhe ent1re structuf e, un.fylng
the now and e)(iating building& On ver tical su~feces V JAA has
added a comprehensrve svstem of variable atuminum shutter:s.
embedded., a steet fteme. On tht roof, e gr.ant perforeted steel
c.anopy- wl\at the arc:httect& 1\tve dubbed the 'pBfasol' -covers
the strueture. These senes of screens, both vertical and hon.zon·
tal, creat e a responsivo shacling system that moderates the hot,
VJM.l * - UniwnityCent.- 2'i
..._.mid N aw Orlea.n& cfimate. c reating natVI&I vent ilation and
enab1ing more of t he bu1lcfing to be ogen to the outdoors In addi·
uon to redueltiQ energy loads. these ·smar t~ sklns also lntroWee en
it'lttft&ting •nvets1on of tr.clttlon.al pro~ng l tehniQIJe&, f 8ther
than stmpl y res¡:10nchng to spaces behind, the skii'IIS i tself pro-
"'ammed. Variations and modl ficetions in the shutters and
screens become the drivers for the d•Herent zones and programs
ollhebu-g
Tl-ws logic: of pe4"meab•lrty i s cont•nued .,side A seties of new
programs-lncludmg catenng and d cnltlg serv1ces, a 300-seat
auditorium and theator, study rooms.. studant a fficas. bookstoras.
a battroom. and meeting room-are aocommodated within the
existing s truc:ture and addition. But VJAA has intentionall y
rejected the compartment alized logic of the original modernist
lntenor etnd ln$tead opened spac.es to one &nOther, introdueing &
fluJCirty th&t echos the elrttriOr enveiOQe
CLI'rendv lM'lder consvuctlon. the building suffeted no damage
from Hurricane Katrina, with the e)(ception of sorne flooding The
original design-wtuch rec:eived a Ptogressive Architecture
Awerds Cit&tion., 2000-was. howcvef, modified et the end of
c:onstruction documenta to include hurricane gl azing and window
systems. The new structl.l'e ls sdlecUe toopen tn the Faii/WII'Itet
ol2006, ~ .UU.NOA REESER LAWRE.NCE
Tempering Program
By Vincent James and Jennifer Yoos
Reconsidering Program
1/l:e beganwtth the bebaf that 1he ONAof ~ery l)rOjett is embed·
dOd i"' tht ólSSUmi)(IOI'$, OliPéctatiOfiS, <lnd hnjt.:lhOI'I~ Of th8 1nibal
P'ogram brtel The bwl dlng program es typically seen as a set o f
prorequ&te-!1 so transparent andobvioua the t there is little need to
CfttiCa'ly examine thcrr assumptlons. Brlefs are often burh on
as~o~mpt iona dn•wn from other PfOjec;ta withovt ~my crrtique of
dte r o a grn s ar.d htt e reCOGnr¡ on of the: cornl)lexrt•es o1 human
benavrOf'. The development of the typical program myepkally
aggrcg3tes Sf)3CCS wi'th rigidly pr~..ct~ twe uses Oodic.ating $ig·
n•flcant arcas to Saf'Gie funct.ior.s prohibits the progr8f'T'mat1C flux
tMt occurs rnore apontaneoJsfv on a campus. As avcnts owrlap.
vna'lttcoated tnterocuons m.~!ttpty and social boundaries d:ssolve
to ere• te nt'\V cmd unfore5een octiv.tie$.
O..r ®S9'1Pf'OC'I$3 fo~Qd on roveal~ tho:&O ctynarr~¡c rQ at•on·
&ups. Ma.Ny tr'lormal acw•tt.es that oc-Our .na srudent Cfl"'ter. suc:h
as studVi"S and sodalizing. elude simple prograrrmatic c l assi-'ica•
ttOn In r~a.llty, f>tvdenlS engage 10 cornplex behavicrs. ofte!l com·
bm.ng fletJvitu~$ $nd •PPrt»f ~t~:mg ~tl()(l\t 'X'tl)l'edie~•bly, rtl•t•vt
toc~gi~condit«ss,tCh as t11M, ~a""~l\ and m~CJoehmate
Ounng the 1ni Ual t esearch. a range of conceptual modefs dro\le
the t tPJOQ'".1r"'''l'\"ri'IQ ol tht U•'WW(Sity Conttf Each ser~d ~a con·
ceptual toot to cr t>Qve the prescr bed program and expose ne-N
opport~.T~i tle:ltOf a moro 8'(f"'Ü"Io~ic integration ol program, buildi119
errvelope, and fO'm
Cone9ptual Models
Ot~e of tl\e most bas•c funct Of\S of hu~n sk.in ts to mectiate
between the comp ex funct i ons ot the interior and the variable
cord•t1onsof the exte~•ot erMronment. H\.Wllan skln sweats ano the
moleeu!u of water evaporbtt to cool tht body. The reiltttlonsh..p of
thG !:k•n t o tt"lé" oocl't •s notas s•mol stc as a s.'~Qié boundarv SQJ)é'l·
rat lllg insJC!e Md outsidc. !ts mcdiating fuoc:Mn ft1QU1res eotl"()lex
gradat•ons o f parositv across itS surf ace and ¡htQUttl its layen~
By form ng analog~!J 'A' th the osmot•c ptocess m btelogv,
ttr ~tt'gliS for pern'ltaOI•ty &nd programmattC fluld•ty were usoó
t o relratne tt-e progtam ol t he Vr•ver sity Center pro,ec-t ano
r edes.gn the bu4dng enclosur e. The moctel of the oell enclosed by
a porous mGmbtont $UOOfi¡¡ttd new w3ys for 8rchitectural sur·
f&ees 81'\d s;>&ees to ad8Pt to the movem-ent olai r. temperature.
tight, a-nd people Bu-l di-;g envelope pe~formance and theoverlao
and organ1zalt0n of prot;ram andCifC~tion wete s•mu1taneously
reoorce ved
In rcSJ)onsc 1:0 thohot ard tvnd chmatc, arch'tectura forrnsand
spac:cs h.avc evotvcd U\ Now Orteans that max•mize 1ntorsl!tlolll
S()SCe and er~c:o.wage a more ambiguws clstributionof prog1'81Tl. tn
achmate whete the lnhabltants mttlg.ete the heat bv movhg c:a.Jts..de
li't<tlf 1)1' V.1110 dormnns, $1ml)lo b,uk;hng dt'vtcts llkt balcon•GS.. ov·er·
h al"(;s. and J)O(OUS édQéS et'&lle a hybndUHIOn of soc:•al space. A
tWliclll Freneh Qua.rter b loclt eontai.ns a donse. but oorrneobfe
aggegate of b.•ikfngs Courtvil'd:s acfr'M light. verni lation, and rAJI·
llC)Ie po.nts of ei'KI)'. E.eh block r~.s&5;)01"19E!. a:low.ng mar.y
ways no the ~ntenor. MulttP'e doors connect closely packed rooms
wit.hout CONidors petmitllf"'9 a CQI"lbf'uo.Js end Pf'llt'NSCUO!JS CO"lf!Q·
uration ol Sl)t)C:e
The New University Center: Hard and Soft Progre m
The lle't.., UriversltY Center pro,¡ect rneOOtes the flux d social Inter·
«:IJon though e aerMS.&o' m~~ll~blo tll'chi ttch.rsl $1:18Ctt.- Tht b ..ukt·
1ng pro>11dE!'S dlsline:t miCfocl,matéS that QmpiOy a vatlélY of
adactable enclosures and cooll ng svstems. The spaees are htghl y
flolCible ood. at the same time. highly speafic Simolv put. peop~e
e1ther OOaot toO' cN'l)e the W lding deperdlngon IOC$1 condlt.ons
Thc retained e)natino atrvcture beoomoa •n arm&ture irorn
wt.ch to reprogram ano acc-orm~odate vary•ng zones of hard fpre·
$C1"~ive) or soft ~taneousJ program Ateas t.het are d ssslfied
as hatd proor am re~ir• ftKid IOC.;)UOtl$ be<:au!>Q of nitd$ tor secu·
rtty, servu::e. eQuiprnent. 01 thérmal co"chtioning. Ex&mplas of
t~se incl!de commen::'al s.paces. food service the ballroom, CO"l·
fererce rooms, and oHices.
Ar'e.l)t thet .... IOCllled tn bitween and can accommodDU shtft·
•no actNitios aro (OC:!asS¡fied a& &Oft prooram Soft orogram ab-4
rot act rviti estodlange 0\!er the day and seasons in spaeos t hat
ean be p~ica11v poroos ard nau.rally cortditioned This includes
actMtiessuch as din.•ng. studyu'lg. soc1a-"z•n.g. c::lrcvl&tlon, andpre•
funetiM, or bretakout &paces. Largo •reas of toh program on tht
frst Jevel se.rw. as both tnteuor and extérlor spacé andas cir cula·
tion Orgonized as a f1old of smal or scal c element 5 (kioska ond
counicrs tJnd t3blos 3nd free--fl03tl"lg volumes), ~he soft program i s
diStfibvted to enc:ourt~gelt'I0\1Jment and the mndng o f acwrtles.
Prog~ammatic spaces a~e a!so categcwi zed Md distrbrtedb.:l.aed
on levels of ac::t•VIt y and degtees of social lf'ltE!facttOn. Exteuo1
poth; /JII'oadju~ucd to converge at mulbple e,__ry potnt:S .,_ttoducing
a SQfiKOf shor.; CUt.S and 10lif$1Ctlf'IO l)<)th$
Tempering the Program
The bulk:l.ng •s deslg"~ed as a ser~esof layeted sur face-sand spaces
th:.t n.atur':llly inero•~o In dontity :.t the bulld1ng's: odges. This
me<ht•ng edge ls r éSQOnSrve t o bOth thé prox•mal social soaces
and the correspond1ng environmental condi tions and orientation.
Both t he bui ~ding's exteri or slcin l)nd it$ interiot surfaces are
(llt$9J"td to tnlt.gett hght or &ir or htat gel l\ re!et;ve to the speedlc
.,eeds of ad,acent p.rogram spacu 8oth hard and soft progrQm
space can bé ten~(ed In anv combln.atl()(l of ways that cOtWOOr
specif•c functions along with onoot.anon and hours of use Gi w.m
the complelCilY of the building program for the Uriversitv Center
end aiJ of the v~1ations in buil clng oceuparcydur ng the dby, e._...¡.
wrsal appr oach to env.rorvnenta' tQn<NIOI"ing IS tneffec-lwe
V~rioblo SI'\Gding
Eat ly tn lhe Oto,tct a canopy was de...elopcd that defmed a rooftop
terr.xe and uscdv~rying lovcla of porfor•tion to Jhede d1fforent
types of activity spaces be ow More active spac:es like the ball·
room and terree: e wete p t ovlded mote nehxal bght. The canopy
 PRAXIS a

....
F~t
_
L1w1 P'-'

.""""""
3 Mei:...._.,.,,..[~M~~~I~
3 l(ll<f'len

llt-~:1110"

,._,SetYu
1 MII" ~Hall
1
a ~s.:.-cil
9 &.ctr ~ lo..l'ge
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'0 COIIM ... OIIII
.' ""'""""'
•t

q c.u~ o

: J:
u
·~ U( Clullcl

----
o

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1
13 12 7
e o
..... ..
tclill< SIMoiloe .,.... .. ""'""' ~
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. ........_
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~.-..~~~~..,

rfll'l" Nw1floo•' r.~ -..1

,..,_ ..._,,...._ . _...... tt.t

•..,. ..,ltrt•c•.....,_,. ~~-~
.. ....,.u-w .........._ ..,...¡.._
·~ ............ o.ttll Mni6M64
c~

•r-t-
PRAXIS a

&re& WbS reó.lced during the COl.l'se of the pro,ect ancl the add...
t1onal ftoor wase11mN1ted.
Thé tdea ot a surface programmed wlth variable levels of sh&d-
ing remau'\ed Th~:t strategy w.n ~c:ktpt ed to the verticef exterior
surfacesvdlere. relatrve to Of~&nlatiOI\ theshadingmedtatedmore
eJCtreme shifta in solargain ancl microclimate with vary•ng func •
t•ons andhol.l'sof use
A combinatlon of green•walf$, louvered exterior $h&ding SyS·
tom~ fttttt<f glau, and overhangs selectlvety &hade and prot&et
from rain torrents. ThQ extetiOC' shadi ~ system al so reduces inc•·
dont soler hoat gainvd'lile alowlng sign.fteant naturallight to pene-
trete the sp&ces These ba&c shad.ng svstét'I'IS are adapted to
becOI"nt mete orless porousdepcnál¡g on otientatton and use.

Thermal Zoning
To reduce onergy consufl"CltiOI'l and txJ)tlnd thé eomfort zooe.
operable wall svstoms, large movl'lg fans.. and chited water walls aCTIOitor.M. •at~.UlQttOM.,,__ __
werc strategjcally usod, permitting a v ariable e•change of alr, 1
hght. and programmatic .etivit»es •n artas adJatCflt to the l:>l.!d·
lng skln. Thermal refuge zones &t the bu ld•ng's InteriOr core main-
taln a mQt"OCOr"'$tant design temperatura of 75 degrees FeretYleit

-
wlth 50 Pércent retativé hum•dity. HIW.er temperatures at the [
periphery are made comfortabfe bv the mo-ving a ir, shade, and
coot/radiant surfaces

---
··-

1l rv 1

EJ
1
1: ' '< 11

- -
•

u
@
I
Moving Air
Social gathoring spaces a!ong the potlmetot af the pr-OJtel ,JrO gen·
eraUy supplemented wilh a van~tyof O'IOChantcal fans that pr ovde
loealeonditJO!'I•ng OCI'estory sky1ightsloeoted on the rooftop lf'ltto·
ouce solar dr rvenvennlation and hgM to iho conter o' tho b.11kkr~
lhe speed of movement of fans 1s a lso used as sn areh•tccturat
device to.mtlnce tht Ptf'CtphOn ol ;,c:1tv1ty in the buikling
Ex pandi ng tho Comfort Zane
Whtlé toe New Orleans el mate rs cha~ac teozed as bo ng hot and
h.Jmld. th ere are pro!onged perlocb dunng the spr.ng and fa!l
months in wh•dl daily outdoor condt110ns fall w rt hin the comfon
zone of the human bOdv Simplé modilcahons to the envvonment
to introduce shade, radiative su1ocos andar movemeot ean t~g·
n~k-am l y e:xpand th•s comfort zonc and th$1'Mnbér of davs the
b.JJkitlg can •etnllin OQen The building mcmbn1no a~usts to con·
uol ci,Mat•C txtrQr"nQos, yet provtdes maxi mum permeabil!tywhen
intettor Md oxtér i or COt'ldit ons are i n equlhbr.um At times the
boundaries of the buil ding d sappcar as tha Unn1ars•ty Contlilr
expands •nto the SU"tOI.,Jnd,ng landscape
ProjM.t The U.~wi\Cio. Cem*' fa. & u*"t
U1•1 ( """' T~I--Ur1i~lt~ 1Arc.._t
VJAAr. •ssoci lltionWith~ITI9$ ~roentw
O..iQrl~:t~•••ndT•-ol.•
E!'IH'g.etKMk Onti4/ DHII" l'ttncrp.t
Vlrooent James f!AIA, J..,.f., VOO. AlA 1
.......... Princ;p•l NWIII'\I<nwt.on AIA/
St>fi!OI' Pto;.ct Atdll••ct Pwn.A V.IJII~ AJA 1
Cot1-.A~ Atchiteet W.'l"'4 Tro>;wr Arcl\it.ct /
Stn~c:t\11'.. IWW:f Civil El'!flne•ir!e s.All'la!:h
~.-ni. Dr Ar.a Sabri: ~ Mtctlrkal
El.ettieol a ~ MD"' Engin..,...
LOUINf'\fll Uihtl,. D•tir• ~ti\
Schl~ IMO&e$ EnQJneersl/'--ndtc'"
A~h~.U C~ • P.lrtnerw. Mnne~i1
PRAXIS 8
Programming
Aspiration:
Mack Scogin
Merri/1 Elam
Knowlton Hall
PRAXI S 8

Open discourse in the broad community of architecture empowers the individual

within the collective and substantiates architecture as a public act. Discourse
enables possibility and possibility is open-ended. Possibility as provocation is
optimistic. Optimism is challenged by an architectural discourse of an inherently
infinita natura. The conditions around the rea lization of architecture are always
in flux, and while each architectural decision or condition may reduce the possi-
bility of other architectural decisions or conditions, it may libera te others.
A building for a school of architecture can aspire to promote the project of
architecture by encouraging open discourse and by raising the question of its
own physicality. Such a building, by making itself a tool of the pedagogy, makes
itse lf vulnerable. As a forum for architec tural debate and criticism andas an
armature for thinking and making, the weaknesses and failures of the building
are as informativa as its strengths and successes. Knowlton Hall was conceived
through this lens of aspiration and vulnerability.
Under Rob Livesey's care, a rich subjective text evolved that particularizad
the project. Relying on these textual signifiers and the resources from within the
project-an enormously ferti le territory-and working freely outside the bounds
of any hyper-described extra-architectural theory, the design sought an embod-
ied strength-a strength born of its contextua! and circumstantial complexity.
From the outset. the pragmatics of the realization of the building were weighed
against authority over form and affect . In the end, the building ekes out both form
and space realized from a limited set of tectonic systems. The building is a com-
plex container where form is experiential-something to be lived in and used up-
and where systems are tweaked to the limits of their capacity and affordability.
Architecture as a dialogue between movement and stasis is a frustration that
reflects the tension between the calm-seeking archaic. requiring stillness and
pre-knowledge, and the action-seeking (r)evolutionary, requiring invent ion and
curiosity. Extreme legibility of either undermines the perplexing and compelling
condition of architecture. lnsistence diminishes the richness of conceptual and
material plasticity. The exploration of the archaic and the (r)evolutionary in archi-
tecture is a continuum seeking a transcendental condition. Like a game of the
exquisita corpse, it is the unknowing, the blind-folding that invigorates the out-
come. The architect's hand is always partially informad by the unknowable. To
know that you cannot know exactly, and to prepare for and rel ish in the unknow-
able is a profound lesson to convey in a building for a school of architecture. This is
the ultimate aspiration of Knowlton Hall. The joy is in the search.
The des1gn ora 175,000 sr mult•·use facll• ty to accommodat e
avor a thousand people a day engag ng n ecores of di ffCf'cnt ectl'l/
•t•Gs-art ~wttw-1 a budget of less ihan J15Cisf-would pose a chal·
lenge to t1f'r( architoct Howevor, when that feel ty also happens to
be an arch1teeture school tho ~tf·rQfQf'eot•a naturtol of the ptO·
•-IMv•,.,,.,..._..,.,,.lll_
.... ,.5!....."......................."'"_...._
_
...
ooth.s lt!...._.n....._.._-".,_

.....
grcmadds a degree of comple:Juty of almost Oechpal propOI'bM:5 · llo.lldlfte ........lt$\ ..... ~_,._

..... _._..
Not only does deaogning a pace for architectural education .....tinflt. n. .........._.,1... ..:•1•
-;.._

..
-"'· ~
ma.c;e one coofront one's own c reati ve proc;esses, •t •nev•tabfy .,....-• cono~~_, ill r.~.-. ta tN
raisc!l largcr qucttt•ons .tlovt tho cbcipllne. penici.Aarly the hlstor· a.f9e'..--l!yalt .. n. ~~-~
.,
....,..,....,. U• Pl'f•nt..lfor_,....,_.. IM.

-·-
•ca lv ctysfunct•onar relat 10nsh1P betv.·een the academv aod the ~ '"',..,_."-~-··
._.a-o--··-
profes.saon. The successof Mack Scog1n Merril Elam'sde.Stgo for
Know tonH;)H at Tho Oh10 State University, cornpleted irl the fal• of
..............,....,.,_
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...-. .. .........
.. __.. .......
ot....., 11- .... ............... •••11•
~

2005, COf'I"&S from the f&et that theyd.,ecWengage the$t!: ISSUeS.

ao that they beoome the pnmary •mpetut for the pro,-ct. Tht doel·
510n tobuld a new facll•tyrathér than to ret'IOVate the Q.lhStiOQ lves
~n Nnged pwneuly on a ptogramrnat•c argumenl 1he construc·
t <~n ot a new school afforded tho opportunity of Pf(Mdlng sq..~are
footage beyond the minimum re<;u•rements-arMs wh-eh were
dolberat ely uodor· or I.Tl·programmed Both the dMig-n IJ(ocess
an<t the subse-QUent proJett unequ•voca&ly e-schew any not~on ot
modorrist progr•mrnat•e eff•clenc•es MStJiE •nt ended that the
overabundance of space woutd fostef a ·toNm tor are:h•tee:tural
debateand cnt.cism asan al'mature fol' d-.n~o:.ng 6nd me•~ng· and
inck>cd •t hars
lhe OO. dang exempM-es excess from the 30Q-foot·long réW'Jl>S
that st tch togethe1 every le~l of tho b1.nld•ng lmaktng it ont.rely
access be w thout an e éVatort to the marg,nof space between
the colum"l gr,d and thoundulaMg extGfior woll that that inflocts.
to tal<o oo variOU$ programs. both •ntenor and exterior-from a
oommunal S()3oe for stvdtos ~o a bus shel ter The most generous
and pubiJ<: &pace of the bullldu'Q hc)wQYQf', •es n tho middle of tht
f.-st floor-anunprogrammed arta ot near1y 5.000 sf. ac:>tlyk.nown
~ •the cooter space: Tho space has a!ready hosted an extraord

nary vanetvof actrv•t•esfrom a stuclentcareer falf, student·fawttv

mcot•ngs, rcgv'at rehca,-,&ls for ' " MFA theSIS perform(!ltlte by
stvdents •n the dance óapartrnent a bbck·t•é fundratStng gala fOt
the Columbus AlA dlaptet, student naps, regular lt.neh gatheri~s
of ong•nearu-¡g studont s from an a~acent build ng, archftecture
f,nal reviews awards aMOuncements. Jfld spontaneous student
W'lstoii>~Jtiom. lt os thos moet cénlfO and mo:st publ•c space that eul·
tJVates :1-Me •fe of tne ~ and where the compl&x r&lat•onshc>S
between st~dents. facv w.
the I.Tlwers.ty, the c1ty, and the profes·
&l()lnal tomml,l'llty f~ish • ASHLEYSCHAFEA

"11;1~~ ~l.:lh>I._U..tif!lolu;f''!"II~Of~I-GOIPI\.Vl<S~G<IIK~d~M!.O
orc;IAf•to~vq..::l!Qr9bPioo. <1{ t'C*II'Ia_l..,, .. ,.,.._;<JI ...¡;t,lc.t...""!O!Iu.
''""""~~~ ""-QI't~_..g- '""' l•o~~< ,._ o'lln roK"',..tO"Itoll
MSME Knowlton Hlll 38
 1 1
The Ramps
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f'RAX IS 8

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 PRAXIS 8

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PRAXIS 8 I.ISME.:KI'IO'VMonHall 47

O.~gr~ .,._ ~tck Scogln. Merrlll EWn

I.Pr~ O...,ld "1tiQ.Im IPn:;la
Ardlite«l ...i.-. B... ..lotrl Tref~
,_M~ Bwnum T•lw, Cec!le
Thefn. Jtf1'-V Colllflt,I<.Wft GcN<:t\
W~ Rettt.r 1 Auocia.t1 An:hltect
~. Sclwltt. An:tllttctt.W:.. cfbl,
ws.t. ~ 1 Str'-'~:t~• Crogin.-
u.-:r. JoM:s a Nebr..._ 1nc.1
WPE. fnei""' HAWA C<ir'leul~
Enoi-.JCWillgro- Bird a M
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2004/ CoMnctor P J Oldc,.lrc.

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Program ls
As Program Does
Penelope Dean

Program has been t oo often neglected as a form-making

device in contemporary architect ure. With advances in the
geometric manipulation of form, program has frequent ly,
particularly within American academic practice, made its
appearance asan afterthought. In this way, recent arch i-
tectural discussions have limited the "disciplinary" effects
of architecture to the geometry/form side of the equation.
However, if the opposite of form is not simply function, but
understood to include content, then program in sorne ways
constitutes the mat ter of architecture. In this context, the
Knowlton School of Architecture (KSA) in Columbus, Ohio
by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects demonstrates how
program can be productively revised along topological
lines, j ustas geometric investigations are similarly revised
to different ends.
PAA XI$ 1
While the term program has continuoustv been rccast sloce the
eorly tvJenheth-centvry. •nost render•ngt hove. neverthe1es:s. been
ascoociat edv,.th the Qénéfat•on of form Under moderms.m, when
the i«<epcndcnt te1ms "type.. élnd ~prograrn· were reconsbtutedas
"form" and •tuncti on· to auggcst a.n ahistooc.al ard scttnttflc
ln~lry, th.e ~ facts• of fvnctlon often beeame a prll'l'\at)' alobi fOt' the
productlon of form. Whetl conf•donc• .n the form foUowa.·functton
J)aradigm ciSintQgrated dunng the 1960s. a spltt took plac;e arnd
C•5Cipltnary r~ard'l <Xtvanced ~nto either pure form or ¡::lUffl fvnc•
tion. On thc functi on s!Cie. grut.- omph3$.•S wa$ placed on P'EI·
sumed faet (extreme function). where comlort and use (a k.a.
h.Jm,...ist tc:ienc:ol ~ove an oarly veraion of cybemetic or parame--
ter·based deSIIJ"l Wtth the paSS!Og of 1he tnOOefflist forrn-fvnction
did'lotomy,the 1970s w tnessed a renewed •nterest tnprogram
aod typo- promising that ettt1er term mioht bo abte to s...tlsume
tl'le forrn!func tiOn cl'v•de. Theso arcMectural e~:piOf'abons ranged
from thé ritual af'ld narratiYe of John Hejduk, through event and
scnpt wlth BernardT$C.hurni. to the rw:>tion of emcrgcnt l'lStitut.ions
and th• O!'g&nl.t~r'SJ of *CttvttiO$ in Rem K.ool~aos' research of the
Manh.;:man ~vscrapor-avolviog ~ung the 1 QSOs and 1990s
in to a spooflc form-rroklro exercise w1thin Dvtch arch.tec:ture. 1 In
a more recent interpretatioo. R e. Sorno! hols 3t"QUOd thQt "bQyond
lorm and functlon" progremoffers the po$5ibl~tv for lifestyle and
pof,ues In :wc:hltocturo ~ ll ~S proc•sely ~hl& combr~a tion of etyle
and oolectM associat.,n lhat dist•nguishes a progr am·form axis
l ene precicoted on arranglng at.nt0$1*'-eres) from lhe 9eomevy
form &lQS !one prodicatecl on contwnplat•no ob,~Ktsl
Artv development o! &progr&m-fom~ &X1$0bVIous.y needsdes.gn
tochniques fordistributing volume and mos.-s lndeed, it W3~ the
n&cesSity yét lad:. of sucn teclvuques d,at John Summerson
acknowledged in hii 1957 essay, -"Tho Case for tt Thcorv of
Modern lvc;hitocwre: ArQ.Jing th:at PfOQ:I'M'l coul<i olfer a new pnn·
e• ole of fol'm.ll . lrutY 1t1 modcrn archi tecture Surrwnerson con·
ceded that program'slactc: of fOf'll\ill tcchnique. or •n his worcb i ts
"m1sS1ng archit ectural l angvage.'" wovtd probably te-mato ~SS• f"'Q­
Wh;:it lt -'!;¡nlf~nt 10 S~r&On't tflkfJ 'MIS ha undor stanoing of
Pf0Q(3tn. noc: orac•sely as form per se, but r ather as ..adum~at•ons
of form·: it& promtSSOry noto and >ts 100vrtabdity.l From thls prem·
i se of latent form. Summer$()1"1 allvdod to a.-rw:>ther way of ttliM.tf'IQ
about program. lhatlt!s more proO...ctlve to &!!.k whet program CM!
do rathor than S8tk to dtllne what program 1s
Sence Sumrnerson's 1957 essay at least t.hree tlstoncal mooes
of program"98'nernted·form navo developid a COt'lttmi)Oftfy rtao
r:ance witt.n architecturc: elrt(ucfed olans, stackéd plates, and
nest.edvolurr"~CS The f\f'M. asan altemat •ve to desig'l methodology
inher htd from the Beaux·Arts trad1t-on-where a room w¡,s
asSigned a Single func-t 10n end the assembly of rooms ordered bv
oompos.ition-relies on the verttt;al oxtrusiotl of pla..., to prodvce
volumetnc envclopes H~re the relatlonsh.p of par t to whole and
tho !Ssposi ti on of volumcs .n plan are organized horlzonlally, by
erttler •f'1l>051f'l9 circula¡ ion or enabting ~n emetgen~ c irt1.1lat10n
through mposed eon'()Os•tion. The f l"t $tr&tt-QY re~on6t e~ w tth
tho argumont pul forward bv Roynor Banham in 1962 V\+lo. in his
an•cle ·on triaL 2. Louis Kahn. the buttefY· hatch aesthet ic,'"
cfoimed that tho oporation of function oou!d bo undeNtood '#Otv·
metncally as etthet the assemblage of functu;¡na! volumu (for
\ovh1oh 8enham Cttet. le Corbusier's P8~iilon Suisso llnd K.ahn's
Richards Méd•cal Resoarch bu1ld1ng as examplos). or In reverse.
tho disscetion of a g¡ve.n volume into furcttonaf zones, 'Atlkh he
associates vrith the design apf)(oach of M ios van der Roht:' Tho
second strate!J! can be seen i'l the more recent e.x.ample of K.azvvo
SOJ•ma tn<f Ryvo N•&hiuws s Glau P~ilion for the Tolodo Museum
of Ar t ,n Otilo, whéfé thé cornrad•ttury progroms of glass•malang
and museom gatlorics are arranged and ~so asto separate
anoco..,n«t. thw allowingcircutauon to appe;l( a$ 30 emerQent
flgvre. In"'' C3&eS, che vertteb.l ex.truS10n of pro"am •ntovoll..wnet·
nc éri'Velopesi splan dnven lt frees form•malling inmass
The stackr~gof ftoor plates. as identlhed bv Rem Koolhaas'" his
Martunttm ck.yserapor study of Qef,riiOu.$ Nt w Yon~;, olfcra a a.ec·
ood oractice of proQ(am·generat~d form. Here the repeti t ion of
flOOt8 'Nithon 3n exttuded envei ()S)e iS exclu:lNCJy doven bv vertteal
c•rculation As Koolhaas observed, the elevator, while enabling
mulllpte floors. cavses prog(!n"'ft'\&tic d•$Juncttonandd«ont.....,_,tv
bet.....-een o:ach ' loor lhe t f feel$ of th" e&n b4 seen in th& roalized
e>camplé of t.&VROV's !Aitch pavihon for the W:::lríd EXPO 2000 m
HannO'IIOI', GermaflY. The pavdlon-eooee.ved as a "sl aeked l,an<f.
scape~ ard delivered in the form of a m.A'iMI p;)fi(- reads a $ '101·
ume rendeted •n Wlre frarne ·~ h&s no fat;:ade~ it conSists only of
floott, tYOf'Yth•ng e-.m be &eOn at once The discontiruty between
cach floor' plate (enabled by elé'YatOfs and ré ,nforced by an
erwc!oping periphef'al stalrcasel a!lows each íl oor to bec:ome the
site of a new ecology rain on lev"el fivo. tulipsoolevel tiYoe. aon·
Ci.lftut'e on le..-el two. 6nd so on. In eJC.IltTIPfe-SSJeh as this,. the funda·
menta' disciptine of stacking ia reoet>lion in section and !ibCf'3tCS
each Hoor p!ate to carry d1fferent organlratlons Statklng frees
form-mO)I(Ing •nptan.
Thc nest1ng of volurnes:. U"lderstood as the pa&&glf".g ol staoked
floor platos Mld extruded erwolope-5 into largor vo!umes, consU·
tutes a th•rd pr actceofprograf'l'l'generated form AI.Ieest ~woso.;t­
tlal techruques exl st. consolldat•ng &nd elus.teting m OMA's
Soonl e P\.lbhc t.,il)n)ry, the svperimposit iOn of five platforms-hon·
rontal bars consOiklati"'Q like sLbsets of program suchas park ng.
store. a$seni::lly, boolro, and heOOquarters produces 11n lnbct.,./Mn
r esidual voi..-ne This zone is ma<lc inherentlv publtc tlvi)Jgt\ its
ebsorpi!On of vertlc~ <:arQ,If.&tu)n l'with escelo!lltor$1 end aceommo-
dcnlon of f•vécoU&ct•YQ arnas- clentihed as ·roof tenace:"reading
roon'l.-·milung ehamber.~· I Mng room; and "ktds' on t.he top sur·
faces of tho platforms. lrl MVROV's HAN Foc;ulty for Social Studlet
and Hca1thcarc. 300 rooms <lre clustered .nto largtr programmat•c
boxc:;~ Of9o'"ized <~ro...-.d ~central plblic spoc!!. The composit.on of
these b~es creates a terrace·l1ke landsc.ope, for colle~;tive ac:ti'lf-
tty 'hllhln the department. In both ex:amples~ the nesting of pr()-
gr all'lmO)tic volumes: th(ough C()I'ISOhdatinQ or elustem>Q resulta in
spaMI 8fr&ngements drh..cn by an •nst•tut•ona~ eoncapl ol pubi 'C
Me Oriwn bv notioM of &olid and void, ne"St.ng ia interior·mot r
vatP.d and enaOies prog-QIIrmiit'lt adJacenc•es to take place in pl30
and seeUon 1t ftees fortn-m&k.i~ .nvo~.
\Vnilo oach ol these straleg•es (extrudir.g, stacking, or nesting)
gi....es progmm form. the man!pu1al!On ol S~Sface offersyet another
progr3fM\.11t ie techntque Pracedems for 1t CQft;)inly t•hU (QMA't
Jvssev l•br¡¡r v or Yo~hamél Oeslgn Forum. Bernard T$chumi'$
L•tntr Htl , or FOA'$ Yoktthsma lntc.Wnabonal Port Tcrmincl- to
cit&JJSt a fé'N) , but ' " receflt ard,.tecnlf'a' oonvers.ations. surlace
has been rer.wessed as a teciYIJque for progrsm•forrn and •nstead
celebfated as a geomeuc IJ(Otocol Conse~endy, anv di$CUSsiCWl
of st.rf8ec 8nd topology ~s betn ltargely l1mited lO the geometry·
form axis Sut if topofogy i s understood as sorneth1ng other than
geometrv. then perhaps the idea of ptogram can be revlsed aloog
tOQolog•c:•l hnes lndcted, t his r•or•entation is consistent with
BatNm's ul'dorstandtng of topology en hiiS "New61'ut811sm" ess8'1
of 1955. When eommenting on the Smithsoo's Shtff••ld
Universrty c:omoetition entry. Banham observeó that the
Smlthson's PfoteCt Mcf a cornposctlon based on -an lntUttwe sense
of topology"hacheved through 1rt;éfCOMtct9d c •rculation routesl
rather than an e!ementary platonlc geometry. Barllatn not ot\ly
resituatedgeometry as tho subordinate discipline to topol ogv, but
deo'IOnsttatcd that a burfd,ng can operate topolog¡c-ally Wlthout
having to loo\t topo\ogi col S
Asan rntersectiOn of surface and program, Scog.n and Elam's
KSA contrtbutes to the larger pro;.ect of recuperatlng topology
from 1ts lim.ted manifesta t ion through geometry·f orm Asking not
what the program tS, but exw.menting wrthwhat tt can do. genet·
at vel v tho KSA dep!o vs ptogrammati cs as a fuliy three·dlmen·
sional disctp!rne through s....-face Cornpleted m 2()().t, the bu•kfi.ng
h<:MJses the depttrtments o f Arehlteeture, Urban PlaMing. and
landsc:apeArctute(t\lre lt$ programmacic t lorntms-admlnrstra·
11on off 1c:es. classrooms. studio S()aces, auditoi'U'ns. galtery. out·
door areas. and lectura rooms-are otganized by a continuous
concrete ramp beg m1ng at s treet-level. switch1ng back on •tself
81ong the bu,lcfing's ~ngth and tem"lln&tJng e t the libt81'y/roof gat·
denon level five Here circ:ulation as W'lcfi ned·s....-face comects
and dlsttlbutes program w1thln a larger erweloplngvoh..rne.
By pnont•z:•ng c •rcvhuion Scogin tl'"ld El am 9•..,. form to the
KSA·s program As ergonomtes d etermine the ramo·s stope
kM;oordrng toADA requirements). the extonsion of flllmp-l&ndngs
ntoveriab!ysized f iOOf plates c:reates opporturvbes for program·
mat-e expenslon. Tt-.s ha$ resulted In an Irregular dlstnbutton o f
ROOI" P'ates n plan and soct•on wtlere j ury ;paces. admmi$tl'ahon,
and lecture rooms can be found on level one, faC\JI[y offlces and
semnar rooms on leve! two; stud os on level three; computer labs
on lavel four: anda lrbr<WY on klvel flve. The conti nua t-on of the
ramo ~nto a conerete surf$Ce reDChing beyond the bv•ldrng erNe~
lope has generated ootdoor entry forecourts a t grol..l"ld level anda
garden at roof leve l. Beyond the enlargement o t' honzol\tal SlM'·
f.c:H. the foldi"lg l4) alld dcw.'O of extensions at ramp land·ngs gen-
erates requ,red hre stairs and by defau!t, sho([OOtS tiYough the
bualdlng·s seebon. The fotdrng down of the secondolevel Roor plato
nlto pubhc seatn-.g r•&ults an both the opan "cent er space" (wnh a
ganery beto.,.J) Md lhe main auditorium Stmlar to rw;sti ng. surlec·
ing has freed formmaking in vohsne.
Whh almost aU of the K SA's a:uxtllary ctrc:vtnJon (fue stairs and
etevt~tortl tm~~ehed tor~ landings, surf ace prod.tces ttaffic: i t
becomes publ tC. offenng v•ews uP. dowo, aod obi1Qootv through
the tntetiOt vok.Jme. As program isobhquety sttvng alonglike be8ds
on a necklace. an in terior bollevard 1a la Le Corbusier's StrasbolM'g
Coneert Ha!Q he!OS eUm.nate the Achilles heel of reoetl t•ve type-
t he doub\e·loaded corridor-.n favor of the Nt\lrated t i~
Srlgte-loaded and free·floaung catwa!ks open to below, bat~es.
terr&ces. and platforms conf•rm the status of the publlc s1.1faoe. In
what seam$ hito the invorsaon of st&ndard netloross calculations,
wt.ere c.rculaoon iS vsuaUy eot\Sidered oan of gross.. the K.SA's e--·
culatioo assumea the importance of net In other words, C1roula·
tlon-t'fl)~Call ypenphersl to program-b~s program itsel f.
The c:l&pO&ition of progrem htls rttulttd in archtectural plans o f
dtfferent si zes, proportions, and oroanaa,t 10ns- rang.ng from the
open plan ~urv spaces on 58\101 one). batcode (bands of offices on
level two). fields (stud~ fumiture arrays on leve! three~ and islands
(Uoat ing labs and off•ces on level fovrl-seemlngl y on a 'slzed to
fit" basis While resuh.,t pltv"l& sfide pest NCh o~htt •n ..ngth and
at drfferent he91ts. they do not atwavs span thewidth of thé~.nld·
ing. O.temuned by clrcl.iatlon, the plans are nelther extruded nor
stacked but rather emerge ovt of vert•cal eroonomic$· program
Slft"1)1y slips.-.t>etween ftoors and geu sealod off -,.¡th Root·t~eil·
ing gfass. In the KSA, ramps enablewhat elevators generally do
not· remely. programmatic contlnuttv andad1acencv tn sect lon and
plt~n. The resu!t tt smoothntJt fa fl#"letion ol the ramp) as opposed
to d~scontlf'IU•ty ta functionof elevatOr). The disuibut•oo of or0(1'am
ls ft.r~dameMalv ptan·secbon cfr'iven.
Surfacing prod~s residual vol~~'~"~e in the KSA· 3 volume that is
not ex.truded but one that emerges as the spatlal fa'l -out between
envelope and pr ogren-matic mass. Cifoulation.. elevat!Kf to the st•·
tus of p!"ogram. absorbs thts arnor-phous void to becorne 1t s i deo·
hty In what functtOns l ike P1ranes1an space. the KSA"s i nterior is
dtSttnctly u~ · OQ09ratmg pubr.c traHic through its ll'l.lltiltveled
plans, ramps. bl'ldges, stairs, ahd cenval spaces. Ttvou!j"l $\II"F&ce.
the KSA further reoonfiguntS thecampos type In what ool.kf eas1ly
be m1trHd H 1 mallllfPOfl. or st-.lontwhtrtltf~l~ I"'UWO'S
tnetvar101.1s ¡,..frastructores me~ to tnablt cont.nu.ty, m~11ty,
trld ecceas• tn.ti<SA taps i"lto fts surr~QIII 1 MIJO'~
erttl'y lt'ld trajeetory to the unlverslty stadc um Uk.e nesbng, s.x·
f.c•no grves riu to., •natavtiont~l n~lon of publlc ~~etMty
F1na11y, thrOUQh surlace. progtam acau••• •ts aesthet•c 1n the
KSA Thle •• not one of mas.s or extrucltd YOII,J'nl, but reth&r a e•·
"'" afOtmei•IIITI es descnbed by Banham •n hls 'Ncw Brutal sm·
eMI'f. 'l'llt.eh W'l M c.a:se iS ecbeYrld ttw~ topoiOgielll organtz:a-
t..,.lalfocel Thoof'ootos"'-......Wood"tt.o~SA~tt.or.w•

"*• •
~ rnalenaL~ al conaete tt\tt conttOI.Ites dYous¡tl
tnt•.orltatilnOf ~ and teiiii!QMW\U ol wt lndNd.
tl•ortc:cm•~Q of tllt buo>ding con alsobo <lont>f«<. In •• momentsol
twce..,.....ltehltectu'"al deta• •"'9 and tll:t•nel ertlct.A&t,on.tt. KSA
undtrm.nts tlle pot~iat of thri:1ng Pf'09!'Jmoform dvough topol·
ogy tooologu:el an::hl tect~Xe produces lts efftets tiYough extend·
u~ ltt HIOCIOtlont lO urb;~nitm lnd lllndtet~pt Wtthout needing to
rtSOI't to ttad t1.:Y1al arc:tlitecturalldeas of ornrnent or ~niculabOn
Al e disc•P'•na.ry problem. surf•c• hti elrttdv d4t'I'IOI'Istrat.cf

Md --1·--
~íbt.ltlttl"'«t•ons of fieds that wert tr8d•t•O'la ty Mi)atated

ordlltoetln orchotoct...o l . -
tl'ld""*-"'f• ;al± .... ~\lbetl~.-.dii'Ctitec-•
lllt f"' ~t.rtsm In the KSA.. 'f'ltlefe ttwee ~ c:o·eust n
~ t»~ tt SMmS fitt..ng tn.t progr-.m-form trn1Jr9H ttwcugh
surfec:t As PfOOf'I'T'I oHers one wrf to rttNM uiace, t al:so
off•• a way to reth.nk topoiOgy. Whtt tlll steke es not whethet
progrom 11 eomethl~ to be e,thef afflfNd 0t I'OJoc-ted. but
'r"/Mther lt offett different opportunlt•es for f0f'fn611zatlon Against
the twln etsent•&ll$tnt th•t wovld IMI.IIT'II"funcbon" la self suffi·
Cilnt 01' the parMiel re~ect10n oll)l'ogtam biCI!Utt 1t ¡¡ppears ande·

--
ttrmil'late. projects sud1 as tht KSA auggest that progtam can
......)Q...... good . . itgots

' ~n.,._.......,........,_".._.........,..cz,on-..aoo&
Al>!ii.....,W.. ....(-.d...,....... ...... fll,..,,...~~lortor­
Mib'll ~ •CD~~r w•t rddllt'tl.n no. .ro....._.,.....,..,.
ICII!Pt.II!Oiotv•.,..""'......,... ~., ~ ......
2 A ( ........ •!KtlnO'I 'progr.m" .e; tl'ltl ~tftiOI'ololoiA~
11........... 200!L
3 JOM ~IOt\ •TheC..ior • tt~eoryol Mo<ttm Arefli1tetur.:~
o
ll'lt'lltvt• " lrltllh Archit«:::$ Jo!Kn.t lM• '957). "' 307·31
A R.-;'* a.1'-1. "'"' t..._l, 2 Loo.oi• WW ñiMt...,.N ich 1-.t..._bG: on T....
Ntht.ctl.lt"M ~ ~h 19&2). ~ 201-206.
S FI~NF Bltl'-" '1ht .._ SnAa~., Tht .t.n:ftlKt.nl ~- 118
1~1$S5l~ 1SA·Ji61
ELEMENTAL Program:
Rethinking Low-Cost
Housing in Chile
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p ... . . . . TAlLER efe OillE ELEMENTAl 63

ELEMENTAL, "An lnitiative to Construct Seven Sets of Housing of Very

Low Cost in Chile;· reexamines the program of low-cost dwellings by ask-
ing a fundamental question: what is the mínimum dwelling unit that
allows maximum flexibility over t ime while maintaining the larger social,
urban, and physical order?
This question is not new. The existenzminimum lay at the heart of mod-
ern architecture's mission as formulated by the 1929 CIAM Conference in
Frankfurt and in such projects as the Weissenhofsiedlung in 1927 or, more
recently, the 1969 PREVI Lima housing in Peru. Yet ELEMENTAL brings a
new focus to this debate, as it proposes to find a balance between the top-
down planning approach, as practiced by the modern forefathers, and the
bottom-up transformation of the dwellings by their inhabitants over time.
ELEMENTAL was formed by t he unusual partnership of architects, uni-
versities, and prívate and public agencies, bringing together the Harvard
Design School and the Universidad Católica; the Housing Ministry of
Chile; the David Rockefeller Center of Latin American Studies at Harvard;
and several construction companies. Their goal was two-fold: on one hand,
to tackle the problem of affordable housing wit h innovative architecture,
engineering, and construction; on the other hand, to make sure-via work-
shops, extensive interviews, and research - that the solution be rooted in
the residents' actual needs, concerns, and lifestyles. Toward these aims,
ELEMENTAL organized an international competit ion in 2003 and brought
a d istinguished jury to select seven proposals, totaling approximately
1 ,000 units, distributed around various sites. While these winning proj-
ects are awaiting approvals to begin the process of community review and
eventual const ruction, ELEMENTAL has completed a prototype project in
the city of lquique, Chile, which serves as a test run for their ideas.
ELEMENTAL's underlying concept takes advantage of a new housing
policy t hat went into effect in t he last several years in Chile- the VSDsD
(Vivienda Social Dinámica sin Deuda, or Dynamic Social Housing Without
Debt). which provides a voucher in the amount of $7,500 to low-income
fam ilies that do not normally qualify for a loan. In ELEMENTAL this sub-
sidy is the starting point for a more ambitious goal. "AII of us, when buying
 ~ -ªr - - -'=',_
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ttpltfl:"'-of•:H1Mt ~ ...........

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top rigltt;Vi-!Jf·..,...tl'ooo.IIM.,...(IiW(..W~
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bOUOIIII'ight:Silo pllltl oi~_.._O"''t,
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a house. ex,pect •t to u'lCrease lts valvc But social houslng 1S more
sim1&ar to buying a car than to buy;ng a house-owry day its valuo
dtcreases... explains Chi;ean architEKt AleJandro Ar~eila. one of
the I'NStermlnds of the ELEMENTAL inlh8tlve Stress1ng that
..&Oc•a· hous1ngs~ld be seen asan lflYit&t-ment, and notas an
e"'pense: ELEMENTAL hOpes to adctess wavs in wtuch lhe ,.-.tia!
governroont subsidy can uftimate.'Y add value to the proporty Tt-is
means a',IOWlng for wavs in wh eh the hovs.e can dev~. change.
end htlt.f8!1y.gONover t•me.
Oeveklped bythe TALI ER de CHILE-a group of arci'Htects,
eng!lleefS. and contractors founded to asslst !he ELEMENTAL 1ni·
tiatcvo-the ICf,J,quo prototype u\Volved the reSQttlomont of 100
fam.ties that had tlteg.attv occuoled a s•te dose to tho c11y ceflter
Led by Anaveña. the team prop0$ed a ao·C<tlled parallel houaing
tvPQiogy· a three·dimenS~onal matr i x ol k:wrnse bu•ld•ngs Df'gan·
szed atourd shared courtyards. The TALLER's scheme start.s w ath
the urban whole r;> thor than with thG W'ldividual unit •nstoad of
th ,.._.ng of how mud'l J7,500 can buy for 0'\é dwelhng.1t focuses
on how much •750,000 can buy for 100 un;ts. Thi s stratogy
results •n a more eff•c•ent use of land. thereby allow.ng lhe rrew
settlement tor emrun in the center of the C•tv where l&nd it vtlu
able tt a•so resuftsin 3C:()J'111"RJnt~y ~hal tSbetter ablo to Pf OtOCI its
shated spacesandvalues.
Otsc8fd,ng t~ IJ'ban precedent!l of the singte.fam)y house per
lot. thc row-house. or the h.gh-r•se. the paralf.el houstlg typologytS
based on the POSSibllltV of e)(pan&OO ovet time lt IS lf'lten t.:;~nally
en incomplete ploo, $0 that there is room for growth i1 the future
As Araveña explams, "We had to bear 1n mmd that 60% of each
vrut's volume woul d eventualtv be sell•bullt and therefote was
vnk.nOVW'I tous in rt$ patlJC;ulats The rni halbuildino had to thGfefore
prov•de a SUpC)()rting. unc:onstrt·u ned ftamework for lml)(ov,sed
construction "The houses are stacked two levels ng-.on 30ft • 30
ft lots: a panohouse on the grQI.Kld tevel. anda duplex urwt abow.
The ground noor l.llit.. whieh meas..-es 20 ft w1de • 20ft deep, can
expand •ts w1dth 1nto the adJacen110 ft of 1tS lot Thé O..plo)(
wh~h measutes 10 l t wlde by 20 1t deep, c:an c:taim me a43Cent
10ft wide x 20ft deep bay
1'he ELE~ENTAL ifl·tlat....-e sets a ploneerlng eX&~ •n the f-eld
of progrttast\l'ehov&ing poiK;y On en trthst.ctvralkMt\ tht ~ralle!
typologv tS a needed alternattve to the cheap and substandatd
c:onsttuctaons that are the notm. Bv allow~ng the resldents to com·
pleto their dweRing, •t offers not only a good f inancia! investment
but also a more seam.tess ifltegraoon intO its occupants' fives On
en urben leve! ita lows the rea.idents to remain an •ntegr•l pert of
the crtv. close to their comml.l"'iti es and therr jobs With both the
lqvi(Jue ex.ample and the eompet111on proposals, whlch wlll hope·
ful tv bcateahztd $001"l, ELEMENTAL mai<QS d"'t Ci:~Se fOf the c:ont~n·
ued advancemGnt of soluttens to address not onlv Chile's housing
¡:roblems but aJso a~ordabl e housing shortages across the worid
~RI NA VUONA
PRAXI S 8
Arctwtec:t_A,.;.n.:hA••..,.'-' ~t
fum.. Nf01150 NoM~ remas Cortew,
EmliO dt le Cen:ta. Mdrt& II'ICotlelll 1
CIMtnt Rlgional Go'Yw""'" ol T~•­
Chil• S.n'WD 1T..clwllc81 Count•~»tt Ollle
BaNIO !Central arel IQu(ll.ofl: llrd ~\IV u wacry
of Housing ar'ld lkb.,jsm IOPH HclusrG
Poliey DivitiotiiOITEC, s.MtM'Solottn"'' IQU-.,.~
Munk>iPIII.cvol ~J ....,,....,.,.,...,,
Pontifica ~slaad Católlc• O. CH!el
Envi~ JC de le Utre. Ctllt L.uttn. Metlo
A lveru.. TomH FW-.w, Alt!:,onclro ~ro.
Jot• 0.;.-do1COI'I!Prut:tloft 2.004~r1Hnl
TAI.LERdeCHU:ElEMENTAI. 57
1. Tholo fou,.... ofELEI.IENTA t . c o -·
I r loeete themMhet Ir! die &eQuene• of
UleM rNO hstoncal j:QCedwcs.lit.e thl
1927 ...........~~""· 11'\e lNe
PAa~Jl.IIM HooJq '"P.ru - • al'l
Mt..npt to lfl...ol"" wd!lt.cts In ttoe ~
Mg 8l"d ~t9ti0noflo-~
"""'""
2. TN;..ry in~ Jorgl s u...tu,bfa.J
MoneQ. ~ M~ da Aodle,.atld LlA
Ftl'l'llérdn-G~
De-Programming: The O

In the half century since Víctor Gruen's invention of the automobile-oriented,

dumbbell-shaped shopping mall, the typology has become the hallmark of con-
temporary suburban American lifestyle. The archetypal mall is created from a
formulaic rec ipe of carefully calibrated proportions: surrounding population to
localland area; parking spaces to freeway access; anchor stores to specialty
retai lers; hallway widths to ceiling heights. In contrast, the true life of the mallas
town green and performance space, as day care center and retirement commu-
nity, is hardly so easily quantifiable. Far from being strictly a retail space, the
mall has always insisted upon (and generated) a programmatic diversity.
In recent years, a number of alternativas to the traditional mall have arisen.
The increasing popularity of big-box retailers in mega-strip malls, of adaptive
reuse strategies for urban industrial areas, and of factory outlet centers have
created an overall surplus of retail space. Though the typology of the typical mall
can hardly be said to be on the decline, the proliferation of alternativas has
resultad in many abandonad, shuttered, or "dead" malls. While the closing of a
single suburban Macy's department store may not seem catastrophic, the aban-
donment of an entire mall-with its extensiva architectural infrastructure and
surrounding parking areas-is of a vastly different scale. lncreasingly, the subur-
ban landscape is dotted with these empty si tes, many of which are the size of
small towns. In 2003 the LA Forum organizad a competition aimed at proposing
alternativa re-uses for these ghost cities.
In a typical architectura l competition, entrants are asked to conceive of a
scheme that fulfills a given programmatic brief. The brief may be vague but the
program is set, and competitors are asked to propose the structure to accommo-
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 Pierre De Angelis and Carmen Suero
"The Slim·Fit Mall"
Val ley Plaza, North Hollywood, California

In their propasa! for Val ley Ptaza .nNorth Holtywood, California,

P.erre Oe Angelis and Carmen Suero replace one mall w•th
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rna 1 wl'v>re an old one couldn't survfve. thev c!Bit'f'l todo it more
efJ,ctemty_ De Angel1s and Sueto seae on redl.ndanoes nclf·
eulatiOfl !!paces, cash rog•stGrs. SGCUflty area!l ad loading
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areas. and C)(Opose OOfiSOIICiatoOO these •nto shared support
spaca t:htlt grootlv roduce the OYorall footpfint. The resul t •S a
mall nd of its excesses, 'The Shm fit MaW The recla.med space
•s thenreti.A'ned lo the pubhe .n the formof pertt&nds The pro-
posal shQIII\•o; a <;.trong be ief in the ab•l•tv of •ndividualstore ten
ants to shale ,nfrastructuré. inc:ludmg c•culahon. d1splay, and
8'\l'en checkout spaces. The proposal al so does av.ay w i th the
anchor teoaots. malciog for a spat•atly homogeneous but pro·
gr~tte(Jlly hetetogeneou,s speee Furthermote. De Angeles
and Suero reorgamze the mall accord~ng to 1ts vanous prod·

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ucts-all pa¡nts are loc.at&d 1n one area, all radtos 1n anothef. The
modol 1!1: of o tr• dG thow or tllhib•t•on hafl The typ.c.ol rtt••l
stOI'e •s repl.aced by OYet ten thousand 5 ft by 5 h modl.ies of

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products organized by type This polemtc re·sortong o( the mall
program cla.ms tobe mere etfciem but. mere 1mponantly does '
I!INPJV v. th the ttadlt•on&l bovnd$1'1esor the retall store by tvrn·
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.ng the ent.re tna l •nto • grad·~ned, d•SV•buttd tpac::e &hared
equallyby Clffe(ent reta.. ets

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ead Malls Competition

date it. The Dead Malls competition, however, proposed the inverse; as in
Jeopardy, where the contestants are given an answer to which they must supply
the question, the LA Forum set up a competition in which entrants would start
with an abandoned but still existing architectural structure of their own choosing
and work backwards to propose the program. Thus, the emphasis of the project
shifted the architectural focus away from the design of a finished product and
toward the design of program-an unorthodox strategy. The result was arare
opportunity for programmatic invention.
What follows are the five winning schemes; the proposals range from tob·
ulo roso redesigns to small·scale renovat ions. lnterboro proposes a host of
incremental interventions programmatically piggy-backing off the semi-illicit
activities that already occur on the abandoned site. Elizabeth Meyer and Anne
Rosenberg allow the organizational strategies of the suburban landscape to
infiltrate the pancake footprint of the mall, t hus challenging the assumptions
of New Urbanist planning. Stoner Meek turns the mall into an active agent of
ecological renewa l, converting parking lots into swampland and installing a
wind power plant. Central Office of Architecture celebrates the density of
urban life with a choreographed, time-based proposal based on different
types of movements through the space. Pierre de Angelis and Carmen Suero
find redundancies and inefficiencies in mall programming; they slim it down
and return the excess square footage to public parkland. Oespite their differ·
ent strategies and varying scales, collectively these projects demonstrate
inventi veness of programmatic potentials that avoid t he clichés of adaptive
reuse. -mOEJiocu•""
 lnterboro
"In the Meantime. Life with Landbanking"
Dutchess Mall, Dutchess County, New York

lntl?fboro·s proposocl ptOJiiiCt for Outchess Mal in Outchess

County New YOfk aggress•velv reJects the •dea of the
• Mooterplan" and the acc~anyi ng attitudes of a mo'""festo
Thovgh oftic•&lly shvttered 1n 1998. Dutchess Ma lrveson 1n
the eon"•T•.mi ty es • centet of semi •lhc•t actl v1hes •nclud ng
P'Qst,tut•on. flea markets. blaCl< I"'a(ket wnd.ng and car Q'\JIS·
rng. lnterboto embraces these acttv•t M as a focal po•nt fOt
tho•r propooodprogrnms As fnterboro saya "the seheme &tems
trom OUf SUSOICion that thel'e s a 1og1e to these seml·•lhcrt act.v·
it i(IS, llrw:f that we might do well to •mul•t• that log•c ~
lnterboro's scheme is exceot•onal 10 rts acceptance of che 'OO•C
of "landbat'lk1ng • The land developer, as IS Common praCIIGO, IS
attow,ng tho Pf~ftV to !:1t unoccupied and off•cialtv closed
"'th the hope thcn thevalue of the land w 11 rlse. &!IOW>ng the
proporty tobo sold for futuro profit Wh."'t ~PI*lllO t"-
prop-
ettv between OON ancl then is the fooos of lnterboro's proposal
The ptogt'&ITI$1ntetboro proposes-bus•ness .-.clA:Iator. fitness
centec-. dayc.are scull)(ure parl<. and summQ(stage- are ones
that tM deslgners be eve c.an emerge out of the COt"f"n'nul'l•lY
thl:lt has alroady dowloped 01 the property lheir proposal fett'
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arrangod •round • core of shor4td dre,trueture. coffeeshops,
post off1ces. fast food dt•ve-ttuus; car was.l'les: and day care
f«1ht E:~. The emphas•s •s O"'the cheap, tho faasibl e. and the
¡. t~orary-progr.:tms that do not need significant and expen-
srve ll"'fastrueture. but that ClM' lnsteact take advantage of tMlat
hasboon left betlind
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Stoner Meek
"Pell Mall"
Vallejo Plaza Mall, Vallejo, California

Stoner Meek's proposal for Vatte,o Plaza Mall m Vallejo,

Catlfornta adopts the n~rwueenth·centurv European model of
the Pell Ma SQOf"'t•ng oreon as insp¡l'3tl()f'l for an .colog.cal l)r'o-
posal The projKt ,ncJudes the ftOOO.ng of park•ng lots and
dtmol•t•on of two atructures to create a merahlands 't turna
thé e:x•stlf'lg défunct malltnto a coffin and ptaces green-on•
C('l\ed recreation proJects on top of it lt afso piggyback9 the
ma 1omo a neighboring ecological Pf'Of9C,-the rem9d•at101'1 of
the neerby '-"~etJands The propoS&I •nvents three &ckhtional
malls that support the Pe 1Mall-the Car Mall the Wind Mal,,
end the Mud Mall-to offer a f•nanctally feas ble ptOp0$81 The
Car MaU supports el&etr.e cat dealershlps t~t lt•so ith•nd
space '" the ~arsh The W.l"d Mall houses w<~cha' s that gen-
etete electriCPQ'NOr to be bought by the eityofVaUejo. And the
Muddy Mall pr-ovides a brd·watc:h.,g faohtywherevisitors &fe
encouraged to donate to envlronmental prOjects Rather than
findnga wtlf torrokea tracJ,tlonal roto l)(ogrom fMt;.ble '" tho
abOO<bled space. Stonet' Méel< propos&S a t~la rasa scheme
v.here tho enLre &te is recla.med fot green uses and serves as
an nst•gator for ei'I'Vlrormernal rede'llelopment

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Elizabeth Meyer and Anne Rosenberg

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"The Field Eagle Rock Nu'burban Mall"
Westfield Shoppingtown Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California

Ves 10 subdivlsion and dispei'Sal

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The model of e retal! m&ll as on vrben mieroeosm is e widety
used ttope, and proposals for re·inv•gorat ng defunct malla
oflen lmag11e thé ma as a mlfliature c1ty. Elaabeth Meyer and
Amo Rosenberg ll'lstead look to thecw•g•ns o f tht m.;¡fl,n post·
war. sl..hrban Southem C81•forn•a. and usa me IOg•c of subur-
btmi:t~t•on tortthnk the typology As such. theor proposat ¡, an The value$ •ll!J deslrü embedótd In $II..C)UI1WI de..,.IOpment remaln
act•W l'é';éChOn of the te(lets of New Urban•sm They wnte· wable to many Amencans.. Re!M en.Wormeru can lf'IOCitPOt8l8 local
otgar'IU.8CIIOnal $ystems, fl'l!her tnan lmi)IC)t1lng \lrben 1'f'10di811,
'The values and d&sl res embedded In suburbande...ebpment
rem~·n v•able to many A.mQncans RetD•I env•ronmentt ceon
•ncorponne local org.afllzat•onat svstems. l'éHher than import·
ingurban modela· The proposal reorgan,zos the d.iagrarnol the

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ex<St•ng mall to re;ect a typ¡cal anchor·tenant dumbbell
scheme, and &doptt all.b.«b&n l)tCtureSQt.~e pf.en of di51)tJre.al
IIAQyQf' and R0$8nboro ac:~I'IOwledge the gooenc homogene•tv
tf'l.at tS the hal1markof soburban1zat10n. In conttasl to this. they
propose -r¡festyle parks"- sites branded to OOfrespond with
ex•st-rlQ 1 festy~ magaz.nes The automob e plays a major Patt
•n the scheme- where •t uscd lobo relegated to distant p<~u· .·

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.ng lots. the automob•le •s now a owed to enter into the mall
at'ld accompanv users.

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 Central Office of Architecture
"The Arch•tecture of Four Economtes•
Hawthorne Mall, Hawthorne. California

R f4-.ng on Reyoner 8anhln'tt HtriNI Cl~tt loe Ang.HH 1N

M:hrecr.n 0/ ftu feo~ogon, Central Ottcoot AttMocr.n
fCOAJ propoan '"The Arehtoctlle of FOUt Eco IIOft'l»ta: wt'liel\
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rede·.-.s e t • • econcrn• ,.,, thlnOf.• COA r.pl~~en Che
trad. toONI nouon ol pi'Ogftn'l'h ll\ tl'leor four econorniel 8.g
Bo·~ Elaotoc:- s.w.-.ondG!obolllort••
E.acn S8SSI(Jnld a clH•er'll tJQt ol ~t t.rwougf'I~D~U
reao.c;~.w~y Gat'*'lt'IQ 'N~.rtg. Sw•tnfi''O• .-.:f !Wving
Ano e~n of t~se 8C(InC)f'Tio" 11'11d t~t ot I"'IYY!I"''fl'tt' are
"~ w•t" ~ng caoecm. onto • 2' .f'oJr dty COA t pro-

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1·~tyle-btandi"'Q tenda-lc.• cf cont~.,v rec:..l Pfot:)OI.II.t
infworot amod.. thtt ltltltiC*'" ~IOI'w tho.lt<k:Utl"'g

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Programmin g
Scenarios: R&Sie.
By rott•angul at•ng thor~3tlonshtpbotwtrQn progrom, toott r•Oll,.-.cl
pi3C't. Fl'~ Roche;,nd Stép~le Ulvaux. panntrs o f R&Sul ...•
rcdotno architoctural progr-ai'TVTing at the micro and macroscates
to nstrumentalize the maierial grocessing of place Conceived as
$1'1 tnhatul&ble OC"gtmlsm. R&Ste .. 's arehl lect~Je sets lnto mot•on
tht pt"OQról!tnM N'lQ of sctno;u'•O$ w htr o arch1tecture ~ nd oc::ol ogy
metoe llltO new hybnd tem tones. WMe R&S•o.. :s arch11ecture
oooms to &hare formal charatt er i:stics with other cont0f11)0r ar y
practtces. the:r wort<: tS highly distinct r. rts <iscursive. contingent.
tw'ld pcrformt~tivu cngttgement with eeologv os fer bl e meteri.ol f01
ard"utecture, both 11terally and f.gurat ively Frorn pro;ec:ts such as
Dusty Ref¡ef to Green Gorgon to Mosquito Botdenec'k. th!irunder·
standing of progr am synthnizes ocology, biology. and bui!t form
as both aluque andcatalvst
R&Sie. :e. pr.cti~ SU9g$ttt. ll ponillle eYOiving dcfinition and
role for program •n archltecture 'M"li'e themost oommondef init«>n
of aret"'ltectvre.l ptogr e.m te fers toa des.gn br•ef of spaee reqvire·
mente •ndlo• <lCtiV•ti•s. tht C()C'I"¡)Utft S<>&ne$ and bolog:•cal def•·
l'llt tons ar& more hélpflA In understandii'IQ ltS e:titical role fOt
R&Sie .. In c~uter science, tho pro9'8f'Yl is a sequence of coded
instruct•ons input into a mec.hanism thatt en-&bf.e 1t to perform in a
speohed mal'lner. In bkllogy, a Qtogram is a sequenee o f eoded
instructioos las genes: 01' bihwiorol rt&I)Ot'l$8$) ombedcltd within
the Ofgal"'lsm.ts&tf- int egral t o thl! buikiL~g's Ufe proc:essH in reta·
t~ to itsbiotope SubstiMif'lg ttle word!l biotopo and scaoario fot
Stte and desl:gn resoect•vetv. R&Sie .. lnterveoe wlthln the ~materl·
elogio&· of the hypof·tocaJ
Sycodlng the ge:nius materiae. the DNA of themateria1 of place.
they lntt•ate a process to produce effects t hat are unantlctpated
;)(Id wor·evolvtng FOf' R&Sio .. the rnatorial proooulng: of pl aco
l oca tes architeeture with l ts oont ext not ooly geographieaUy 3nd
ecologically, but also psydlol ogically at'ld as&ociat ivelv
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Adl.nowledgnlg dlffQftnCO, not a$ moraJ c:rltiQI.JO bvt u cri t ic•l
~culatiOtl,théir ~<Q"I( es born out of dualitles-gtobal/loeal. natu-
ral/artificial. biologicatlarchitoctural Moving beyond those s teroo-
typical du.ali ties by eng¡ging material es program and program as
m&t erlal, thev tr~orm. mvumenc.aS.zed and lnvent new temt~
r;.s mat e...cetd mer e hybf1chz-ation.
Ousty Rehef, a l'l"'l..tSee.. o f comernoorarv an •n Bangkok. 8m.u
takes up thi s highly charged prograrr•T•U"'Q operation throogh the
mater sal ()(ocessing o f place. R&Sie .. 's proposal for the museum
e)(()loits tts context by m~ing tM project contingon t on 88f'lgko&('s
higrfy tox•c l.l'ban atmosphere. Acknowledg•ng that cl.lst. soot, aro
smog are an integral patl o f Bankok's tHotope andan "'lf'ldlgenous"
mat erial that has &v"&n modi fted the city's cli mato. 1ho1r proposal
sets out to juxtapose the global archltectur al ambltklos of a
mu:sel.I'Tiw•th t he highlv loeeJ t ite spe,cificity o f ita to.Kicmicro·lk:Ol·
ogv Contrast•ng th e ubtQuitously pn stule 1n t enor w hit e·walled
gslleries wllh t.he hyper ~specl f -eltyof Bangkok's polluted atmos·
pht,., Outty Rt l••f propos•' the tchlzophrenie co·tx•&t enc:e of
the pure and pnstine w1th the flltt'r,o and Or'gartic:.
The citv's ubiQUi tious clust is tramformed from industrial waste
•nto the raw mataria1for the bvitding's mater'Cil envelope through
the bul dt'lg's elec:uostat.cally chatged mesh daddlng detJgned to
atttact the flflo part•clos . R&S.e ... ~prtalizéS on bo;h ;ho avad·
ability of lhis abundant and l.lldesirable mater~l to generate an
ufl)reoodentod building anvelope As time p assos. the dust contln-
ues to aocotTUate wfthcarixln monoxkfe partlclesprecip¡tating on
the amorphova electroototic &h~l. f eedi ng t his atr-ango ovofving
parf1c1e landscape Usmg a static charge to sttract thst whfch
most bu.l duv;¡s attempt to r epet, the processes se t for th by
R&Sio • onsuro tho holghtClf'lod C(l('ltr:.St botwoon a clfnlcalty dt\W'\
•nter•or and an eYOMng OtQ&J\lCe~e:terior. Dust v Rellef serves &san
evolving convnentary on global c lima tological phenomene wit!Vl a
B.muMuseum
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k:lcal context, hamesslrtg program and process to create an
unciWV'!Yundorstanding of place
Oreen Gorgon. a prOQOsal for the Nouveau Musee des Beaux·
Arts 1n LausanntCnMBAJ. '' conee.ved es elok.e$ide blotope thet i:S
at onc. arch•toc-turo and eeology lnsp•red bv dw mvthological
Greek snake·Nited Sl$ters. wtlo$e appeatanoe t1.1ned on·tookers
into &tone, the undulating gnaried forms of the muse...-n mtorlace
to forman unfarn.har landscape. w,thl.n thls rhtzomattc- meze are
hidden oro.uts that accommodtHtlht I'I"'U$t1..nls diver&O timote·
bies V1S1t01'"S get lost only to f•nd their wt1f by means of ll"ldividual
GPS dovces as multiplyi~ pal:hs cont1nue to ~.r~fold.
Thas spatial labyrinth is covored •n a grCKtn opu:klrm.s thet
recasts the Me as •b•odvn•m.cal sJtln, Roche and t..aveaux
dosetlbo tho 'it.,-el..,.gtttl bu•lding envelope as "more landsc.ape
then ufbal'llsm: more forest than arch•tecture• M•cro·trrigated
poros gonerate a new ertific1al nature-landscape u cladchng
9oth eochantmg and moostroU$. the nMBA is a place whert tho
unc:onttollable weeds and artof.elaUv ttansptanted natutes merge.
Tht lx11lding envelop iaat once erchitectural and btological Thl
'1lalry• skln f• tersoty ci.Jst and p...-lf,es the atmOSPhere ~~a new
lrv109 a'Chitectural material
MOSQUito Bo«leneck. ahousestted .o Tr.o<lad. ex.arn.n&S theco-
he~brtt~t•on of tiNO d Stinct local biotopes. h...nan and •nsect.
Cac:11ta'ZII'~ on fears assoc~atedwith the West Nole Virus the proJ·
ect challenges convent10nal dehnttat•oos between an hermellCal ty
sealed intortor and unprottettd t•ttti()( Cf•at•ng • Klem Bottle
relatronst"up between •nslde and outs1de, t.he home 1s loterally
ekinnod in a mos~.l'tohobtat
M1xmg obJective paranoia w1th a des1re fOt safetY the program
slmLAtaneou.sJy creates a..s.are· sheher by wr&~ng lt in •t s own
phobia A wovon skm enables the mo~u·~oes to onter Jnto the
mosQu•tO hablt&t wh 'e ptevet\tii'IQ them frotn exltulQ or enter'ng
the t.Jman hatxtat Luring and trapping the moaquitoes. the proj·
ect creates a fragHe yet reSihent sk., v.t.lch we8Ves together fiOOr,
wall and roof, .nto 1n il'lltld•·ovt llndSCif)e The neti.Jng·liks ene lo·
surt itlvetrts thé relahonship between ~safe• •nterior ancl ~haz·
ardous·exteriOr creabng a coextstlng lnhabotat1on between the
two Mosql.lto Bottleneck synthesa.es ec;ology btoloov. lt'ld bvrlt
form ltnto a new tr,<bnd terntory
From dVIt to W"Hds to mosq.ntoea, Roche ood Laveaux'a work
sets In motlon scen.vlos that expose as muchas they speculate.
Thc-•r WOI"k m ines tlle cLAtural subconsctOOs for tts phobtas ancl
des,res engag ng miCrobes, allergen$. to•rn$. •friU!Int$. and
lt'ISects w•th•n new ard'litKb...-al contexts. Confrontad w•th these
abject arct"MtectufEts, the viewer/inhab,tant unclergoes a psy·
chotherapeutrc enco~.r~tet Entomophob•a •scountered throu~
aystematic desensit.aabon end re·sens.tlzatlon tiYough e Ptv'Chlc
a5SOC•atl've space
Propoeing aeen#r•OS II'IStead of program. evolution instead of
constructton, and process instead of resolunon, tha.r work
approaches a non·form bcwn of the material from each sltuat•on
R&SiO: , has rNCtiVIUtd the r!ÑbOr'*'ip bet..WctnJ)fOgfllm. mate-·
rlat. and place. not ttrough the 'deal or I.M\Iversal but through local
inventor1es For R&Sio. , arch• tect~e is en org ar\ism born from
COO"iplexcomexts, which not orly absorb ambigUibeS but feeds oH
them. The1t workcreatestmab•table ttansformat1ve seel\!llfios, en·
t iQutng w•thout moraliz•no. comm~tntn'lQ w•thout correctong, and
PtOYof<u'QWithovt prescrbf'lg. -J. Meepn Yoon
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PR AXI S 8
What al'é tht prospKtS fOt progtam today? In the md·twentteth
ccntury, progrom, a!l the loBdlng of di<Serete !!poees w llh Sl'l*Cifcc:
a ct•'~• t•es. .l!l owed mOOcrn architects to asoira to the statu& of
•t wes preci~ly thcS tdca of architecl we as
&oc•~J! eng1ncet'&- But
S:OClat ~er-•ng that served as a target in the critiq.,¡es of mod·
emtSmin lh! 1960sand 1970s Somef•fteenyears¡¡go, progam
returnod to the fote as two new posctiOM onwuge¡d. thq hybnd-
wtuch can be rovgtltv ~dentlf,ed w t h Be..-nard Tschumc- aod the
901"11:1.nt - as.aociv l cd with Rom ~~. In the formor. architects
oerverselv complicate spaces bydeployiog confl icthg USfi-~thc
skateboarder meecs the Sl.hts," fOf examp!e-while in the latter
they codo tho gr-o..,..d ontirely bv a~ating il p~ograrrmotiC •nd&·
terminacv 1 Although t hcsc new rnodel$ ot program werE!
&tt009Q<&t in the ac.ademv. ther e too thoy f011d theirundoing. Both
models ptoduced "Photoshop a rchitecture.'" unconv1ncin.o mon-
tagesot people in space.lhat wat less VI$U8!1ycompelting tl\&n thc
o~~:ptnmonta1•00 Wlth blobs and "new matencds,r2 wh·cn nov.. virtu·
ll[ty dom.nate wOI'k in the top$Choo1s.
As this debato pf~OO out, ho\.o..ever, anothOt ehól ll~ to .,rc hl ·
tec.ture eme!ged. nametv the rlslng preemlnencc c>f nct\\'(Yk$ ovel'
bullt Shuttul'eS Tho mieroeornw.~. tclac::ortrnUnicotions, and
S)Qf'WIO ve torll)utu'IQ oombne wrth the bureaucratic landscope of
wl\;)t Ulrictl Bock eal l-' "sooond I'I'IOCS!rnity• to shape a fOrm~ss and
m.-narerial shadow wor!d 31t is not architech.r'al spacQ •hat domi·
nat es our llve' today. as Manvel Ca.stells potf'\tS out. 1t ls •too
Spo~ee of Flows; orgilt1izod andchoonetedbv the invi-;iblo (orces o f
pl'o~TI'nng.' Blobs and new mat ena.ts can do l n tte in resoonse.
offerlng onJy the perverso sattsfactlon o f grv.ng form to l.hc form·
less Program. now thol'ougtdy l'a.lmbled, is u'l even worse shape,
aetrvlt>e$ .,. ith•'\ contemporary ~ces are lncreas.""~~V determ.ned
notti'YOVQh program but tiYough programming, through the algo•
rltf'lms l hat run w 1t hln them c>r by the legtSiat•ve and eoonomc
codea that determine cNhat can transpil'e1n them- The .wehrttet'&
t r aditiOnal tact•C o! loading defll'léd spaces wrth actMt•es ttTough
the pi ;)n-be it cpoc¡fic or hybrid-fodes as eont~orary spaces
are determined bv programming e-ocles instead of by archrtic:tural
programs. The programmatlc lndeterm.--acy of the generic. mean·
whfle, offer-s little rnQr't th;iJn aeoprtul~t•onto thia condition
In oo eHort tobetter ...-.ctefs~and-u~ed to get beyooo-ttvs
contemporary oondition-. 1want to focos on the moment of lls
rnstantiataon. •n part•cular, the soc:M:IOJitural ¡nd tcchnolog1c-a1
transfonnal JC>n$ of the m•d· to la:te·l 9GOs and the radical p¡opos·
als made '"response by Arc,i zoom Associati with their No-Stop
C1tv prOject ol1966·72. 01 cCiurse t"-s •s nota search for re t ro
fo..m-Sólve that for the l ost ~oma.ncng Woflpopé!f' tl'lilgtzine tOtid·
ers-b..ltrathet for metnods of pract1ce that could 1nf0rm a ()ftSMl
response to the <:hellenge progremmi.ng pQtl.esar<:hjtoc.ture. Thc
pariJ.Ijll or OUr' own diJV to the mrd·1960s has been dl'awn txlfore, ~
andnot w rthout reason, as late Cap1taLsm, fltlst·Ford•st restruc·
ruri ng, aod a postmodérnist f~Pt$titi"'IC IHICI cvlturelr•gnne rema.n
w1th us today 1t was the firs t momec'lt W'l whk:h arctutects and
other th nke111 could grasp tl'\c ttandorrrotive potential ol tho co•n·
puter ard the glob.:U telec.ommunic:ations gnd fi For archnoctvre. •t
was a Stgnal momer1t tn v.hch challenge5 to modetntSm :.nd to !.he
ido3 of program wOr'e mount9d. 7
Moct'l hke cootcmporory orchitects. the young practriJOnél'$ or t.he
1960s were faced witha repidly troosfonnng ""rorld. For ltu!l gerltilf·
ation. the battle of the heroiC er a o f rnc:>dem archltecn..e was not
~ l' men'()r'y On the (OI'(r.,ry, in tho cves of 11'\ll?t' -SJCh~ tisto-
nan RéYI'IQf &nham, Arch•gram. or the Metabolis1s-tugh mocl·
erntsm. v.1 th •ts fb.ed sltuctures andhall•century•old teehnology,
had f3i ktd to moot tho era's dGm01nds for mor o flct~~lble $0póiJCO$ But
tt'tls was by no means a wholesale te,ection of modetntsm. l f ther'e
vqg; ~ drcvo to tho fvtl.#e, it CQnacious2v stylcd it &eff Neo·Fut\.rist. In
th•s hght, 8aMam tecowted Santtl1a and Mendel sohn 1norder to
adwcate Megastruc\l..#es and Archqam, •Mllie Watren Ch&Jk.. ,.. hls
"'Ghosts" oo~ f~ Arctw;Jram 7, invoked WJIQ$ van d9t P.ohe's Fiftv·
bv·Fiftv House P"'jec:t as well"' Le CorbUSiéfS Roneharrp. Even as
theneo•avant'{lo3rde rojected the increas.inglyobsoloto moderrism,
•t a!so sought to HNIVe the prlf'~Ctiles. <;,.~es.t•ons, and energy ol the
frtat modcrnlst moment. lnde.cf this l aetle ls not unlque toerchi·
tects. wnt.no both about ttMI 1960s artist•c n&O-avam·garde's
rett.rn to the'AOrl< ot the 1920sand 1930s andaboutAithusser and
Lacan's retlms tO Mane and Freud. resgectivel'f, Hal F<lstor idGntifius
a coi'JYl"()n Impulse "to reconnect M' th a lost practlee In order to des·
<Xlmott from a prHent W3'f fett to be outmoded,. mi:5911ided, or oth•
erwrSé OPPI'é'S9:ve:"' Rl?SOrt to tt-.5 method i s a furthef, cruoal
simllarttv bct'f\Wn the 1960s and the ¡:wesent day. for il practil:lon•
ers from that era pioneered Ulc COA$Cious f'QCUPilf"Gt•on of the PHt
as e way of dlstancing tnemsefves from & problembUe pr~ent. -...-e
ck>ploy 1\ wi tflout &O mt.eh ttS a svc:ond thought
lf the radicalsof lhe 19605 soughl to rev•ve Fut!lcsm's sptnt as
theydreamed up their infbtabkts and plug·ins, theydid so .n rooettOn
to the raJ)Id transformatJOn of thQir conttn'II)O(ai'Y W()t'k:l. Ourng ttlé
fi-t~t twenty v~rs of the poetwar era. the Fordist r1!'9"M of big busl·
ness, big goverrwnent, mass prodvc~()(l, limited consumar choic<t,
rattonalaedeons~hon pa!terns. and l<eyneslan fiscal pohc::y had
successfullv genetated a long, suctarnod iC()r'IOO'IIIC boorn thet. by
the n\.d-1960s. seerned .ne·~th3Us~•ble to mMY. Emtrging at thé
l»om't; cnd, the neo•<Jvont·gat'de of the fi111t h.1Jf of tho decade was
still i nformed by it and. hence. could serve only as a transitional
movement il"'are:hlte-ctute. '" interest ,n specstt~,zed throw-aw&y
plugo-in un.ts. plar1ned ob$01esr..-.not. and &eff·assembiK'1g mecl\ani·
cal gadoetry the pr-oduct of a fait.h n téd'l"lologv that accompanied
Fordisnl's5t.eoess And yot thci' appeal to the young. hip cons~r
was al so •nsp•red by a real1:auon that the product'IOn-oriented
Fordlsl approach would be n::aoible of e~lf'IQ a cer~in tevel of
e<:on()f'OIC gtowth So long as thnft, ut•hty, and responsb•l•tv were
dée(lly erqained in theculluraJIJW'IdSet, COilStlllJ!;tOn would be satl•
oted and the velocny of monoy would rtnlOin st o~dv By thrt l•t•
1960s. tn both Amer.ea and abtoad. the fong postwar boomwas
trKheu:stod lY!d post·ForOO t rostructl.King began..t
The post·f=.ord1st restructuring cns•s was accompanioed by a
eounte-t·cult...al youth mO>Jemenl that rejected maas soe•etv for
wha t i t emt51one<l as the froo putsu•t of desir•. Boomers and
'68ei'S aliike torned their backs oo trad•ttonal valuesai'KIInst&ad
foUCVMd feelings of reason. 6Eieking lifostylesoriented around con·
SUIT'DCion and self.fl.lf1!1ment rather than pr oci.lctionand faml¡¡l or
oor poraic obligatlon. They were not ~tlone for btg. ~ h is book Thc
ConqueS:[ ot Coof. Th01'1'13S Fran': c:onvmongly defT'IOnstrated tha t
o'
ad\lef'tiSCI'$ and eorooratt tNfketersra;>idly oo'Opted the eounter·
culture's di sgust with mass society throu~ their I)(Omotion a
"hlp conso:mer;sm; a new CQnsvmer c.utture driven by <teslre. a
rej4lC1Kin of conrorrndy, íitid $tyle ts t1r mesf'llS o f reb.flion 10
 ·::·-·:·:: : =·=·=· ..
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Unlille the diacretely pl.anned Ford•&t wodd, the progr ammed
post·Fordlst world ex1sts under constant modi.Jation. For lhe Post·
Fordist corporatlon. niche f'l"'3(keting and flexible product ion, once
me wv•ew ot tho hlp boutlauo. reptace mass tnal'ket•no arw:t mass
prorut-tton. (i.ovemments Nlve g•~n up the dream of the pltw'lned
wetfare-state economv that proyides for allv.ñ.te dehve,.ngsteady
growt.h for an economydomonatedby big. VE!ftlcally·lnt~a ted oor·
porat1on& lnstoad, gOV9fnt'l'ltntt hgve roph:u:.ct ~$J~nl smwith
the constant fu'l&·t...-.•ng d monétatrst policy as weU as the encour·
agement ol more entrepreneunal ty·structured mult lf'lationals. So
too. ~hevery gcx~t s of prod'-"tion have thange<:l No l onger do
&dv&need eeonom~s wrwe the prodvettOn of physleat objeeu.
On the contr81Y. dtvol~ COI.I'Ittif'S speciali te n sorvicos. •nfor·
mation. and med&a wh•te ootSOtXCing itlduS-ttlal pr oducuon to the
developing'NOrk:J.ll
Archtectu(e. too. became su~ to t hls epochat transfonnation.
By the late 1960s. the farth.,toci'Ydogyhadsoured. A.svoung~
pterejec:ted societYs wditimal vaLes and structurea. both modem
811'd'wtecn..-e and t.he profesSIOI'I asa wl'ole, overty ldenttf1ed whh blg
g~r"''ntnt and bgbus.noss. c..,.. IJI"'ddw" att.xk.ln North Amorlea.
archltecture l)(ograms. ret.gured themset-..es as envirorwnental
design. lnstoad of eiYolling in archi tocture achool, hippiea begon
bvióing ad-hoc comTUnes and domevlllages ~The enbre field was
in a Cf"1SIS. eone4uded Robett Geddes '" a 196 7 speeio&l report com-
miSSCII'IGd bythe American tnsbtut e of AreMects 13
Ma1nstteam arct'ltecture att~ted to eo·c"n counter-ouhtXé'S
tr•ttc¡ues by embrecing early sixti es neo·avant-garde ideas.
Al ternauvc const ruct tOn methods were demonstr&ted at the
M ontre~l EJIDO '67. where & m&ssrve geodesie dome w &s eon·
structed, Moshe Safdie edopted Arch1gram's P'ug·n for tns modtl"
lar Habita t. and Rolf Gutbf"od and Fre j Otto erected a hghtwei!11t.
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tenHilce Germ&n pav•lion Bv 1969, no ltss an estobl•s.lvnQnt
volee than Skichore, OWJngs. and Merríll fo~S~det Nathanlel
0'1/ings wrote The Americen Aesthetk-, registering concem about
the destructlon of the nation's erwironment and propoSing ~he
John H•ncoek C~nter's f'l'\tg&strvetut"al densl ty as a solut•on 1.0
environmental llls produced by urban sprawt NéVerthtles&,late
1960s radicals dlsmlssed such solubons, togelhef w1th the early
shctiu .-o-avant·gowdo proposals, a_, ovorly optimishc about the
powers of technotogy and owresswe In their retianc::e on the top·
down plan''
Among dle radical cnties of the la te 1960s. Ita han Marxist
archlteetural hlstonan Manfredo Tafvrl s tands fotemost. In h .s
1969 o-UQy for the ,oumal Comr-op.ono. 'TO'NQrds a CritiQue of
Archhecwral ldeology.~ he tdenof•es wch1t ectvre's asp ..at ions
toward the organization of society as bankrupt. Tahri ergues that
while the avant·oarde set out to sotve the prob tem of the citv
ttYou~ the archrteetvrell)&an, that pl.an wa.s now Slbsumed bythe
l<evnesian welfare state's economic plan. The result is the e.xhaus·
ttonof modenllsm ttselt. 'ardwtecturea s the ideologyof1he Pfon is
swOC)t aw ~ by the rooliry o( the Plon the moment the pl an carne
dov.'fl from utop1a and beca mean ooerant mechan!sm ..,.~ Tafurl
propoHa thot thc orchil ect mu:st abandon •nv g~'s of chana¡ng
soc~etv dwough arcñiteeture In h ts svbsequent vwitings, Tafuri
ovtlines tiYee l•mit ed eholees EWt~dable for IW'Chl teets.ldeologv et~·
tiCJJe wit lded by the histonan: the fatatshe doewlo¡:rnont of a ~n­
guagé of formalist silence by the neo-avant -garde-as epitomized
by Aldo Rossi or Pet er Eisenman: or an at eep tance of erctlitec•
ture's c:orrol•city with caprtal and the establishment of a c:ordon
S$n•ttrure betw een redieal polrt•t$ end erehiteetc,l'e l6
Cer taW'Itv, Tafun's analysis of the archi téctural plan with~n a
btoader tdeologk a1context ls bril iant but. for all hls insight, Taf...-1
P IU JI IS 8
•s aman of hr st modern•tv and the owl of M•ner va spreads het
wings at dusk. the collapse of the wel fare state was well advanced
bv 1969 and 'lhe plamed ecooomy would rtsetf soon be a thing of
the past.. E...en as Tafutl observed the modernts l ptan's ifretevanev
at tho hands of ford •st statt pl;.lnn1ng. thot KtynH•an econom•c
plan was well on •ts wav to be1ng supersedod by the PfOQI'arM"'ed
~!ati ons of post •·Fordism.
But 1f Tafuri missed the transibon to post·Fordism. a grow.-.g
rnovernent in ltaly ~llod Arcf'lfrott\KO Rodioofo did not. By themd·
1960s, ltaly became a hotbed of quest•oning and ah ernat,ve
design ptachc:e. Both Tafuri and Anch ea Br anzl. the leader of
Archizoom, suggest that, perverse!y, i1 is the COU'Itty's IOdusttially
backward c:ond1tlon that lay beh!nd 1hese e)(J)Iorattons 11 The flSe
ol hipoo~nsm ttnd the tr11n$ition tothe fe3hionorientod niche
market began to mfluence ltatv earl y in the dec:ade. and s-nce.
unltke much of the developed WOtld, lt&lloiW'I lndustrv had never fullv
adoptod Fol'd•sm 1nd w'ISttad rargetv employed obsolete, Pf&·
Fol'dtSt methods of manufactur.,g and consmJcttOI\ the countr v
readj)y abeorbed these charqes In its re&otiwty backwar d produc·
oon. lta1y colld not asp r e to Scandi'l¡N·aan or Germen rationahst.
mass·produeed modernlsm. lnstead. deslgn objeets ~re l&rgetv
oritnted tOw11'd a fashion-c:o~s: IWI.'Ur'Y mSI"két, a mar'két that
bégan as the neo·LI:lérly tevivat ot ltaian Art Nouveau ~l swiftly
~ed toward hip c:onsumEH"i sm The result would be st'(lish, pop
prOOucts such as .Joe Colombo's 1962 Ac:nllca tabla lamp, V•co
M~i~ trettia 1965 Ecli»e toble 1~. or Ettore Sottsa.ss'a 1969
Ohveth typewrrter Cruc1ally, this nascent post•Fordist desognwas
close'ly tntegratedwlth lhe CCI..I''Ury'sarc:hltectural d.scourse s.nce,
at the time. lta!ian desi.gn was the r ea!m not of spoc-talists but
rather of young arc:httects seeklng opportur.ty wnen ,obs., their
own field were acaree 18
Stdl, m the mid-1960s. FIOr'ence seét't'l&d to be the least llkely
place for eaperinentation, stuck in its role as a hi storie tOU'ist dosti-
nation in a c:ountry just recoveri'lg from the War As with ltaly as a
whole, however. th•s verv bac:kwardness proved produetlve. The
tOUI'•ShC foc-1.11 onob¡tcts as prodvc:•s of afftet, tht impossibl 1tyof
pi'OCiuC•f'C reatllabte archltaetlUI proposats. me newdOSIO" sprooct-
i'lg throughout the courury, ard the acaclerrt{s fascinationwith both
racical pohtics aod Pop Alt coo(:ted with a paradoxical disptay<Jf Le
Cotbusiet's ~ i'llhe Pl'lazzo Strozzi.,1962-Mwellas the mes·
sive flood of the nver Amo in 1966-generated an attnosd'lere tNt
inspl"ed rad1cal, unbulldabJe proposals and n.Jrtured the groups
Archlzoom As90Clatl and Sl.4)ftr studl0 The rnult wasArchitetturo
RodlcoJe. a movement that QUestloned modern.sm but also d•s·
mi&&ed the more recont tochnologic.l ~olvtions of plug·ins, irltete·
bies. and moclular architecture and ctew a tense refationship to the
htp~•sm emerg.'lg., desiW1 dl.l'lng thspenocl1e
Architetturo Rod1Cole b~n wrth two joint exhibitsc bv
Archizoomand Superstudio entltied 'Supetarchi tecturé,~ the flfst
in Pistoi a in 1966, t he second in Modena in 1967, exploring the
intersection of arc:hitecture and fvmitvre m a he.OV atmosphere
inforrned bv pop cvltvre Svpera:rehite<:ture was i~p¡red bv the
Piper Club, a mod dl&eo that ope.-ated in Rome begl!Yung in 1 965.
and tl\at had manv lmltators thr oughoutltaty. The effec:t of the
Plpw Club was, acc:ording t o And-ea Branzi, tht Mader of
Archizoom. th8 'total esttangement of the subject. who graci.JaJiy
lost control of hi s inhibitions in dance, rnoving tO't\lards a sort of
psydlornotor liberation This did not mean for usa passive surren-
det to the consumptlon of autal and' ViSual stlm...l, but a liberst•on
of the full Cl'tat ivt pottnt•al of tht •ndivtdval. In this sense t he
poht•cal s.igniftcance of the Pipers was é~~tdent as well." In the
show's announcements, Superarchitecture is described as "'the
....,_A.u.tM....St.aot,le llloíl'l......,•...,_.
..... IIIN.. - t... ..,_...,. ......;t;.,MtM
.,._ic,llif-M•W-. ........II!IIui~Wi11111·
tr-.,.,...-itYM••-•iw. For~tt.. .........
....,l.of'QIN..._,CII!r_•_"' ~ ,....._tN .o-
a.te ....tol ot l.twlftdiliooo... .........,_. dly•
. .,_.~ ......oel_.l ...dii'*'•Uoltft111>4tiM
. . . .,,.._...._ _ _
,.,Arc...._....
~(1024l, •lfio it.e~

""'_ ........... .. WMrt_ . . . .

hrldo,.....m.,.-' ...-. Mrw~. .....

S..Cllv. luc...,.._,... dl'(~_.llu!H.MIII

~IIIN..S!oto~.,_Oitlltloctllro Ht-.norc"'-"
...,..¡.,.....,..,,
..,...... ""*"t)' -¡;u.ftr -·~

For Atchizoom and other membefs of Archrtttruro Rodicole,

archotecrureof superprocl.Jcuon. of s~rCQOSUmption. of supet•l't-
ducement toeonsumption. of the tupttmarket. of Superman. of
super·high-test gasoline S~erard'utecture acc~ts the loglc
procllct tOn and cons~.mphon and makes en effort to demvstify
't.-20 Tht •ntqat•on ot l)fi)O..IctiOO and consumption •nto a crrtiQut
of the sarne system. the pursu•t of nelther reslstance nor autonomy
but exacerbation and OYer"IC*i is Suptt"treh•teeture's wminal imo-
vat•on and a strategy subseQuentlv decloyed by Arch•tecturo
Rodtcoie end Atch®om 1n parucular 11
hCWwever, h•p consumensm, w th •ts quest for fash•on. obsofes·
cence. and tle•·bil•tv. v.as sna.thema. ReJectJng "the mytha peculiar
to the de-s9't of the shcties, based 00 f~IÓblity, un•t ¡ts,s.embfy and
mass·product•on.~ Branzl called for ·ur~~taryobjects and spaees
thet wore solid, ,mmobile and eggressive in their almost phys•eal
fOfoe of COfl'Yl"'-.lnlcatJon" ln Pf"oteetsllke ArchiZoom's '"Nautrag.od•
Rose;"Pre&&gto di rose· 0t ·Rosa d'Arabla" or Ettore Sottsasa·a
lamll"late furnrture. mese des¡gners eventuaJiydeclanng them·
selves as th& Arrtidesignrnovement. introd...ced e deloberutety entl·
hop consvmensm Branzi was unequiwc:al m hls rejection of hap
consunensm ·Wewafll tobr..ng lnto thehouse everythlng tl\at has
been left out contrived bar-..htv inttntiontl w lg8f1ty, urban f,t.
of t•ngs, b1ting dogs• ~...
However, Btanzi's arg~.ment also hada mofe Oed•pal target
rno<kw""sm and archotecwres role •n creat.,g soc1al plans Branz•
would latet reflect on the pet•od "mtstrust of arctlltect....-e and the
instrumenta of plann'"g was grow,ng, the now open cris•s •n the
Modern Movement carne to be seén as a final day of reckol'll~,
syn'C)tom of mottal •llness in a discipline that. bom as the most
PA AIC I S 8
advancéd point of the system. hiild bec:oma rt&most b&ckwaró see·
tor ... lht! problern l ay not so much .,,the qualety of dle desegn n tn
thc vory proSOf'lce of archi tectu-re a~ such, w ith •ts spaces f or
obsel'\llng and i ts metaphOtteal f'l"M}SsagEIS genJOQ .n tOOway of any
rodicol r efovnd<&tion of human settl emente -?3 Architottt.ro
Rudiccle. SranZJ ex.plains, carne to understand dlal"the ar chrtec·
ture of the ruwre would not etnerge fr01n éU'I abstrect ac.'t of deslgn
but from t different form of vs. it had to woOt- on a connnuurn of
thO pc-o-t:onL refralf"'ing frOM m.aklng stratcg.iC projoct.ons lnto the
fvture Ooing etChilec.turo became an act ivrtyof free expmssiOI'\
just ,s~s makng love mea."\Snot JUSt prQduc::lng cNidren but COtTifl'l..l·
ncating thi'Ough • • • 2<~
For Atchltenuro Rodicc!e. thQf\ tht Pf~J(eS of arch•tOCtUI'e Wé'IG
et~\ll$ioned asan eJtponded f~ld, $Utpas,mg thl! act of simply
making build10gs Nor wn thls a questi on of merely using 1he
too's of arthltecture as a mode o f cr•t i Qve. That would be
SvpOfthxfio't tatk. 25 On tho c ontr•rv. fat ArchetOOf!\ orchet8C·
turewas a r éséarch proJeCt, tnOre akin to the pr esant-day
OMA/AMO-eibeit pursutng r esearch through archttecture rather
t han graphic dC$ign-tholn to Oaniell•bw..Jcind Qtf Peter Ei:oeM"~an
olthe 1960.
In contra&t to Tafure's pe&&~mist i c verdict, then, Architett11o
Rod•ccre maintained a conUnueCS neo·avant·garde role lor the
des1gner. fot this Tafuri roundly condemn'l Archltetturo Rodko!e,
concluding th:at its oosttion tS nothl(lo but a provoca t •on tor thc
elite. oeeuPVing the margiMI poMion stakod out by p~twar l t alian
desi(J'I V\i'len it turned to oroduction of lux.,-v objec.ts.~ In
response, Branzl agreed that the taslc of the !W'chlteclural plan and
~hQ ;archltoct ural av;:~m..g•do wtts O'<'Of: however. vnl1ke Tafure, he
bel;e\led that the post Rlrdest culture emergu-.g aro...-.d him radt·
4
cnfly changod tho torms of tho s.ituat1011.21
Atch•zoom's response to Tafuri emerged tn its mo~ significant
the 'Ctdtcal Utopoa~ of No•Stop Ctty, begun •n 1969 and
ptO)E!C t,
published in Oomu$ en 1971 WhQI'Oa~ en thoer pro¡OCtiYO u10Qi 3$.,
Ar<:tugram al"'d the Metabohsts h<>ped lo reahze théw pl ans for a
neo· mechanicaf architecture and o dynomi c motropolis,
Arc:hi¡oom devek)ped No-Stop City. lil<e Super sti.OO's contempo·
rary Con~inuovs M onument. ts "l)<.ltely cognitive: eiming for •tt
lovetl of c~rity beyond that ot reahty tt G"elf"'For Arch•toom, No·
Stoc> C•t v por formed a scient•ftC al\al ysis of the eontémporaty
urban condition. aimultaneousl v utopian and d vstopian, that is.
beyond good anO ovil. emploving tho ·abstract, theoreucal. aod
conjccturol' tools of orchitectun:tl repr~r.Sentation 1'he city is
treated as -a chemecal datum• to understand 1ts format i on and
lmpacl. Re femng to thtSI<.IIld of conceptual p tOJeet , Germano
Celant would lator conclude, ~Nowada ys, tht architoct and
deSignet donot produce more !deM. they M themselves of ideas.
Pf'od<JCen9 tdot~ l pr09r•ms thet ere 'less iden.' mental liberations
fromone's own acteng and beeng."2t Brar'IZI exp1ains "No-Stop Clty
was a mental proJ.eCt, a sor1 of lheot'etlcel dlagr em ol on 1moral
c•tv. a c •tv 'w 1thout qvahtios.' as H•lbérsoimet would hav&
deSCf!bed it. .Thefllhtti$.\iC IOQJCOf the m<'I:O.ITUI"''(IUOOtety was the
ooly lo¡jc of the svstem in which we were living; instead of deny•
1ng th•s logtc, we (iedded to make use of 1ts •mer work mgs to
ach!ova a cfomystl f.cet.ton o f all ets ldeal t of quol•1'1 and at the
samo teme to carry out $CI8nt eftC re!>Eiarch 1nto th• roal naturé of
themetropohs. :•:.
A compare son of No-Stop C 1tv w11h Hllbérserner's HochMus·
stadt ato,ecl of 192 4 reveafs r.ot or1f H1!bersetmet'"s tn!'ll..lenee but
also tht radi~l dlfftrtncos botweon thG two momonts Both proj-
ects tr.clude a bleak. tnfll'lite gr1dof feature&ess suuctures Q)(tend·
ing to thovantshing point ~d beyond The Slbject, in both cases.. i&
no longer autonomous and whol e but exists orlfy as integrated ent o
a larget system. lf dle Hocti'lausstedt. a~ K. Mic:hael Hays writes,.
'Shtfts "archl\(l(;tl.l'al mcanng from the aos1hetit realm toa deeper
log.eof the sociOeconom.c metropo ll.s: sodoe,s N<>-StopC!ty. But
Haya concludes that Hochhausstadt was e dead end for H i!ber·
selmer: &fterw.ards. hls atct.tet'tlM'e all but ce8Sed todevelop ~·e
or•led to fOQ.Jl un the appetent f•ct th.&tlog•ully, • • IOmatteelty,
such. a totaJ,z•no organiwtiOt'l- ()('lt In whd'l the productlve, causal
sourcc of sigr.fication is ba!ed o n reprodt.JettOn-con only ~
repeoted• All dlélt wasleft for H~rwa !i to endlesslvrepro·
~<:e t he sodoeoonomte condetlons of capital. gMng arch!tect1$a1
form to hes mornenl of c,.:.it~l ism,31l
l f en Hlllersetmer'S proje:-t lhé ciHeré~EI bétWéétl each butldrng
~~t« and the liban order was abohshed,. ., No-Stop Ctty the differ·
enea betwoon archltactur• ;md utbólnlt'r' itself woo abofisheO
Hoc~st3ch st:all &eknowledgtd the eretiCet importance of urban
space and thlt street, V\'t!E!f'&aB No·Stop Citv ra,ec:t ed it Moreov&r,
where H•ber'SQ!rnet'S Hodlhausstadt represe-~ttations focused on
the exteriot. Arctizoom's No·Stop City tmage:J wero generaHy inte·
riOf. Whcn an eJC.tcnor to No-StoP C itY was deptetcd, ¡t was
incl.Jded ineidenta.lly, provi"9 that any e11tertor wbs fJfbftrery. Thi s
ambivalence dtfferentiated it f rom Supers tudiós Continuous
Monument.. v;hlch sought to amoiSice archltectu-e toa world that
hacf ~ndoned et4
The auestionof aretutecture's&xlerior wa.sc:tucialtOA(Chtzocwn.
for i t was tied mto the changcd condit~o f cepita!. 3igrificotiol'\
and ...-banism under what soon became known as late c~atism
Areh•zoom bega.n No-StopC.ty w 1th the prem1se that. g•ven the
sptead of trade and commerce, tho C:tty'a hr$tOr•tal rOl$ was <h·
plac:@d by eléc:tronic media:
Now:.davs there can be no hesitaüon in admitting that the urban
pl--enomenon ls the weéd:est poiru tn t he whote kldustnal system.
The met ropoUs, once the uadi tional 'birthplaco of Pf'OQ!ess· ¡,
today, .n fact. the most beck'Ward and confused sector of Cap~al
in i\s ~c:t~l $tt~t•. ~\Ne is true to lll.JCh •n e•tent. thot Of"Mt islod
to WQrlder if ttte modem c ity tS nott.ng more than a Ptol*?m which
has not been sotved, or ef, enreatety, h l s nota hlstorcal phenome•
non wh.ch htl$ bre4!n obi« t~VQ!y supc~rsodlild.ll
Arct.z.oom's potnt was that ef the 1TietropoiJS etne~gedas the ~ysl·
cal ~nt or fot ttade, the univorsafity and totality of e&ectronic
media undid l'ts funetiOf"'·íhe mettoc>olis ceases to be & ·.,tace: to
become a 'condition' en f~t. it i s juat this condition ~fjch is m;X:Ie
to c.irculate IJuformly, 1tv~ Consumer Products, tn the social
phenomenon. The furure dtmen.ston of 1he me~ropoUs co~t~c•des
weth that of the "'""'kQt ,tf>(llf'32 tn oc.Nf wotd¡, Ut'I IVef~l acco¡¡;si­
biiJty to eonSt.Jmer goods obviates thé Mé:Jtkt~. theret>y making
obsolete the meuopois's concentrating func:tion
The metf'Qpl)fts. wh!ch concerned H1tberseuner so deeply, man•·
f ested 1uetf vl soalty .n the skvlene, w hkh. Atchlzoom ell.ploined,
$19~ M '"a diag(~m of the n:jtt.ll'al act!A'I"'U13l JOn w htch 1\as takén
the placo of Capital rtsclf. So the bourgoois metr opol•s remains

mau'lly a visual pl aoe. and lts e)(pet•enee re-tna..ns t.ed to thal type o f
CClf'T'I!NniCatiOn"33 In the11 own day, however, Arch• toom observed a
fundamental ITlJtatton •n capitat "the social organ •zation of latXIur
by means of Plannrng eliminates the Gl'llltv spaco in which Capital
expanded during hs growth Oefiod tn fact. no reahty ex•sts anv
k:>nger outside tht system its.elf thc ~e viwell'4tletl006hip wilh
reahtv loses ll"I'WI'tance as the d•stance between the subject and
the phenomenoneollapses. The eity no 1onget ·r~esen ts' the svs·
tem, but bocomes tho system.tself. programmed ond isotropic. ond
with•n •t thc vatious functtenS are conta•ned homogeneousty, Wtth-
out coo tradi ctiona."'lA l.klrke Tafuñ.. then, who mainteined e apec:ial
plaoe outs•de c.¡¡¡;>~talism for the revott.l\:ionary and the h •st onan,
Arthlzoom d•scerned, befort E rne~n M~ders 1972 book lo!e
CQ:P~rof• sm and neattv a cktcade pttOt to Fredrlc Ja"""son's 1983
&May, •Postmodemi sm,. or the Cultural Logte of une Cap~taliStn:
the total col onization of the world by capital and tho consequent
k:lssof the di5tlf'ICtiOfl between lnteriOf and exterior ls
_;/
Wtth the end o f a qualitat.ve dtstlnctlon between the rur al and
the urban tXIth C:•t'Y and architéCture c:éase to 1\aw repre~nta·
tlonaJ roles. The skylll'le is dead. as are areas of cOI'\OOntraoon and.
i mplicit ly, strucrures o f arry architect....al qual ity: 'In a ptogram•
rnzed soc.etY. the m&nagement of •nterests no longef needs to be
org~n,z;ed on tht spot where tr•de 1t to ,.kti pta.:.. Th• complete
penettatnhty and accesSibllity of thé temtorv does aw~ w1th the
termi~s city and pcrm1ts the organtz.ation of a progessive net·
work of oroanisms of control over the area~3fi lf capital no longer
necds to reoresem l tself toa non-capnah.s t rural externallty
tiYough t"e city, th81"1 the city, now cncompaNing the esrth, C-"
be ref•gured: pure programming of ·a social and physJCal reality
eompletely eont•nuous and vnd1f ferenuat ed.""l7
In placo of thQ concQntratod IY'lQtropolis. Atct.zoom roduced the
urban realmof No·Stop City toa question of Qvantity. lnitlal fy,No·
Stop Citv took the form of Homogeneous living Oíagrams, type·
wrl ter generated helds o# periocfs pU'lc~uated with a po1nt gnd of
. ..... .
XJ d"llt dlmons:uate tM qo~ant•tlt!W ong~ of No·Stop Cttv
S.•n.:.WI).Jid lator ask.. "Wh:.tt la • c•tv?"'b.. could NV thet a Clty is a
bttt1 f!tlf!!fY100metres, ora c~Ot'fNfiiY 40nwtres, etc. Theso
are quanhflable data mak•no up • clty• Archlzoom deemed tllese
drClwings too throtttf'W'Ig tO r•rd'l•tectt to publish 38
A$ NO""Stop útvdéYafoP8d. i1 ICOJ,red structure as anenchssly
rapeated f eld olg.g.t~ntJC stf\JCtUI'tl. th..mttves ntatly tm:tlus.
modrelvd on the supEm'lafket and lhl factorv FOt Arctuoom 111ese
were the Sli'Utt\.lf'IS of ptograrnm.ng. t.he natural Conseq.e'lCe ot
.,.._ong ICICIII orvantat0'11
-..,...,.....,~--andtl>e ....... ~
vftc:h•sthcn of P,og¡a~•lfNIO Bot... ~ze a soO.I...-.d dYvl
;cal real,ty COJTIIM:te1y contn..IOUI and 1.11cifferenuated No other
rC'al•tits ••ist. Tt. f.t<1ory end tlw wperm~I'Ut become tho 11pec•
ll"'l«! models of t.he iuturt citv op~~I'Nit urblon $tructures. poten·
tlelty ( mido:ss. v.hert hum_. functloM are arrangtef
l'iPOI"1taneously i.n e freo t~trd, t'l'lldt un.form by a system of metro•
t~ecl~t•Zit<ln and OO\lrroiCII'C:UI4ucn of lnformauon The 'natvrl!ll
and apont.-wous' bel.3nc• of 1-.gt\t tnd w ls aupMSaded lhe houM
btalmes a wet equ¡pped ~ ~ lf'ISide •t mtre tXlst n:) her·
~ nor S»bal f~\J!c~N ola~ nat~se:li
tnArc:hzoom's blg box. ~tenor cilm.lltswtre cerlected ttwough
~trt•foal igtlt and venblat.on ..n.ltlom,tleN conwnonicatiOn «H
~ ooss•ble lhrovgh .nform¡to()tl net wortc:J These $tructures·
• •tenof bound3tle:S &re f"NNItlv lllblllflt\', not prw8e9ed Jn bt?f wwy
W"' plan 9ranzi wou'd leter reftott on tho I)(O,.Ct ·
9v lntrodJcing the pnnclpro oltr t oflet.~~l ligtH-ng bnd ve~i bliOn on
an l,l'bi\n sc:ale. the No-StopCttv IVOodlld thecanrinus l fragmenta•
tlon of real ptoperty typlcal of U'.O!t!onal u1ban rnorphologo¡ tM
C•W bt<:a~ a eonl:inuo~.~t re•dltnt•al alrucn.•l't . de'YOid of g.-.pa,
and lNI'ehe of atehl!éc:turel ~ Bv th& inSt&llitJOftola """"'"
..... grid o.f Jifts, ·~ ve•t ~1$ theoretiC.-Jty :nfme whoM
OOI.I'IOIJot"es ~ ol no ~~"~l...._ ""~tollio'ef" c:o.*:t De lad o.a freotv
lf'l ~ wJth clfitttnete "'futo'aton Ot new foorms of .soe..a
aggr~.l.~
M-len Ard'lltOOm <Sd reot.,...t the Oktora of l'fo-Stop Ctrv. thty
often mtr'tly pl9<:ed mode's.., ai'T"IIfror boK, CftQling an trtdlttt,
bat~al reott•tion of one g.ant struetvre &ft« 8r"'thcr lnsldt. NC)-
Stop City sorvos as G klnd of retldtnl~I Buro Landschaft, ollowi~
the .nct.vl<.bW's fuU reallzat•on w•tl"'ln unerlv neutral spa~s Tht
freest anding s.tructt.r., and landle~ Mploved -,.,ithin No- Stop
C•tv at random irrtervals ensure thM one·s ICOI)t of v.siOf'l& ~
.zed toa cbcre.te wea of tht o-gantuan floorplate. Hcro'ing eWnt-
nMod lfChtecn.•·e·s r..,_.M*\UitliiCII\II role. An:::hi200m Pl'opoMS.
•the crobletn becxwnes thM d ti'Mng l'ftiii'Wnd from er<.htec~•
omomuch a it e a formal atn.tetura ~ l
tf laf\111 had eartler dtdwtd the death of arch.tecture.
A.rctuoom ct.d no tesa in tl'l.s t.tlttmenL However a eruoal difftr·
Gnce Otntrgg$ Tafun bel•eved the dtath v.-ould ~ punclutl •nd
t..nal vdlereas Atchlzoom saw doMh &-' & means of the d 1SC1pline's
orowth ~ o loter iMOI'V!C)W, OIOt\11 r.c:alled
At. the most vltat especta af moótrn c!.Ature run dlrectlv toward
thft VOtd.. to l'~ato tt••...,...
n fii'IQther dir'nensior\ to fret
t~e:s of thelr U.SOpi_NfV chitflt Y't'htn llrx* it e (8fWM ~
Matk Aotnko, l see a p!CtUfechssohing ...._01 s""9'*cd01'.1M'len 1
rttd Joyee·a Ulys.ses, 1 su wrlting d...ppeahng ll"'to thought.
W'htn 1~'"'on to John Caoo. 1~ mutiC diMI~>mino 1nt0 noicoe. All
thtt la oart of me. Bul archltecture n.. nevlf' confronted the
thomt of m.nagi.ng ltsown doa~ wht!t atlll r.,ining •l"ñle, n all
tht othtf tY.entleth-«ntury diSCtDIIOIS ht...e Ttws ls v.tw 1t has
IQid betwld . • 2
\)'ll ke Hll:ltrse..,.,'s fatal CCI't'D.bO'I \o rti)Mt d'e Hoc:i'lhausstack
P'OJIK"l Atdwoom. whch clinolwd n 1974,,........ rwp(cated No-
Stoo e 'Y. ,.., 6d thov or ar.nz, ,....a~gcoe~r ,....., <o,..;;,.,...
•dMiof.-chttctu"eand~&..waatif~ontheplatt
Tht Idea that tr. .-ctutect rs • PE!f'IOn wt'lo IXP'MM'I twrnstH ontv
thr-oogh t... ~ne .s &:bm•d tv Tod.,., induttry ~ tht rnetroPolis
r~lr• dlfferent CQntribut tOnS than the simple p&a¡n, wh1ch always
ptOti.IJ)potetll'\e qvest fOt a formal. f;gl.l'atlve solut•on to prob·
ltmt At tht ~ame tW"nlt, it mav al.a be thot tho ptobltrntdo no1
nttd to be 1esolved or re:presented, •t mav be more •mi)O(tant to
if'wttnt th..,. •J
ln&toad. atch.teco..e IS free to pursue entw grqect- mat Tafw·
~ not 01 IOIIIOuld not ~ the ~tnei5IX:Iety, lte1
ola..c.ng,_~ Thoo,_ -.-ect"t<;l<es
-logo<ol ~and..,.,..;colptoc.,... from-
lfd'ld~h.n but d!sdi!WlS the coof'e af tht dtKIC)I..,. ~• f01 Sranz:~.
thti IIChllect becomes W'IVSiueblt N a lOCMocl"bhC ..CO""CWdin&lOt
of humtn tond 1.chnte.l r•souro... • ab3ndonlng dw old role of "a
constrUC:lOf' of art1facts"once and for a~ . ",
Muchllke Freud•an therapy, No-Stop Cllly itft..-.d Hbothd~no·
ll't and cure Archlzoom named the probltm-th•t late caprtaliism
1'\Nno use f« lhe tradit101'181 b<lu'lded c•tv ll"'d Sl.bstJtutu lnstead
a btlric:, fin'lotlast f•ld be t1 the physic,. t""""' wogue or thegJobal
tetacommun.tatJons net\IIOtk- and altowed arc:htttcts to t.lflder·
otand'-togot>e,ond,. wortdd ~~~ ..,.... onc~ ....... -
•-olcodeslhitmat\slho--cono>tJOn Tlis
tDA rt d ....... gruttt ~· todlv tto-Sto9C.CV IS now e
fiCI • Qlot.hllt•On has spread tlle marbtl raacfl tO tht furthat
ondt of thl Earth, telec<nwn.Jn~catlOI'IS hes rt<beaiiV reconhgured
our notiOII'IS of spoce and thadtv.ce of tht Olg b-ao wotl entici·
pated l.n No·Stop City'slimitl&ss structurot-tt rqw Wlqv•tous. tn
e ltutbto. ~Uburbia, and city alilte 48 Ef"''ttrtcing P•OgtlifiWtllng over
8-.. . .
Ot00' 'm me¡¡ns that arthlte-cts netd to be w.Cing to let unpre·
dtctabte etfiCt$ teke ~ 'o"'lht4 f.rdng 'h"YI d hacklf'9 oodes. boch
d9ta' *"Ct p~cal W• c.an Me th:a •"*0'"0 ., works such ••
Fcn9" Off c-e Atch:tecrs ~ ltl'm.,... fWn Koolhaas's
. - ...... ,., Mob>Senan. and'.t. ........... wos
ftttUtO'\ .., wo1cs at d"e ~of l!lc:hitllC11.1'• aJCh as ._,.arte.
Shlpwcrt lktte_. Sound Garden Toollot. Uee,n voon·s Whote
No1~t Ught. 01 AUOCs W..-.dowt on tht World; u wel M n
tno ldnd ol lr<"oo' des.QO\ often ~~~. dOQio,ed bv f.nns such
••Lttwia.Taurvmeki ~wi s. Netl M OentWI Archhecu. ancl servo.
Much bli.e the recent publishing boon\ the curtttnt bu•kl•no boom is
•n ltf'\d tondition •s we cross the threthold towttd • world dotn·
nated by Vlrtuahtv and nmatenal c:ulture How wctutiCU trl'bace
thl• new terrltOfy a.nd the new tectlniQUel fOt tng.&gtf"'!g 1t deter·
trwlll •cher ate:hlwcn.re c:bslpetf't .n thl"l rnmetW\41 cenn..v ot
--doao:or>tralf_d_
"""
L T~cv...-.~a~~~jlllt¡edby l w<lt'SS8yS:8fl-t"'aa'd l~luW,. 'Attlittcl utot
i/r"'d T,....TóQtwUiOf\" Arditec~ oi'ICI Di~n IC.a!nbridoO- Mllu Tht tMT
Pr~tw., 1996). tiS•BO «''d ~ Koc*tllu, "'t,iell Plw\' ~ M. L. XL ~ ~:
M)fiii!Ce'IIIF'fess.1991!l 33~·350.
2. Two rccont di!aertólii!CII'Il'i t111i11 tn. ...,.f9111'1C• of the'5ol discOU"5otS ftl tM ¡¡,¡;41!1·
etrrt Jorg¡~ Ot...o<Paolot-. •-.ctllem: Tt.ori.6r'l~ tN Ñitl-AI'Of'll·~~ofir)IW
o(~lli~IW _, Ardlit.cUOIO•.coun•, lt•.S·I989
IC_.m~ Me•.:
tA l O.Sserutoon.()epwemet~tetAKhtteet..n . 20021eiQI!Iot'leS che de\'e.._
el ~Qiogoj. """-le m,> OM'I T/tle ~Cl(l(;le <>f l ht JMocMt Ere 1theca. N.Y;
Com.!t DitMrtiMJOI\ HistOI"(al Ard'f.t~ and ~Mm, 1094J~stioe1H
l M «Nrgonce of fot,...bl*n. Th•"óó•h o l th.otv"4 ~~ Out l!fWil)ally ¡.,.
MstwtiiOQf: Nl1y llir'U t~W~be tound tn An~ 27: ~ TI.ÁO~ ~
l.lou9Js; 19951Mld tn. tq~ k m..ch Ó6'V$&ed tn the f~ 1$Wt. .'lsM!mbiOpe <C L
"'-"''*"'
IA¡:orírlOOQ.
3 \A'ICP18e.:lo..1Mfrt nti«Jo'' FlrM lO me~Mol:tltmtY."In The
lftNe Ht!w l'Alrló D/ Yl!:w'r.: (Ciwlbridgt. UK. Poiot'/ Pt-eu. 2000117·3!1i. ()n tht
Ch*"'e I)O$fd t7y d'lis ,....,.. t.,._ lO arthitett\lre ' " my peir of ortk:le• in lo;:
"'nto Thlrog Afttt' Ar1ot'*"' log 3, S..,c..~. 2004, ..--el "Prllda ;1nd lfl• Ple-.,e
~: t.og e, lortl'c0flll"9.
>t. Manu~ Cesu-ls. .,.,. ~ of FIOwS: In file Rlse o( lile NfotWOrk S~, sec·
oncledciOI'\ !Ntw York 8\ortcilcwel~ 2001.1. •06·•.59
S S..F'-'IQ;tyO $col\. ~~...,Pri.on.ro(lf~t~U..'O«otHJr 106. F.U
20M, 7&--101. lfl lt.setf a r.,t\11\ tKPkiltlng the 'MI!II: d !upersh.db, ~cott"s I S511V
thooogh(f\.MyetltJQUe$ tt-.1 more I'JfOCJiematiC rtttl'l'll to t!l& 1960s"' c.ontí!I'I"'CCI'
rwy •rc;lit~wll~
G.Mllrll. ~ ·~~~ F -; G.r.vlloom -4. Solmntt 2001, 82•122.
7 S... tor ·~ Ch-'et Jlnokl. At'(:tllt~'""' lOOO Prfdlc.e,~or~t, Oltd
MI!'~.(Nt-NYct1cPI-~.1971).
9 Mal Fotttr, ..,.ltt.Jt't Nto lt!OoJt tt\tl f'tto.AveM-G.,dl'?' OctGÓt<' 7011wti.I'M
19i41. 7
9 . A !ll.ltdnct upb~Lott of th..s tt.-astlon on:l h5 o:~nsequet'lefl for M-se can
O. fovnd" o..4d Hr~v. ~;,OM FOO"ditm to At!6ble Ateo.mJietion DIYid H~.
Th• C00"'6ti~o(Pot't~y .t.n Enquiry illtot.._ ~o( C'l.fturafC'Mno•.
(CcitfCitld¡}tl, Maln.. 6esil Obc:..--11,.1989).1 -41 ·ln.
10 S.. Thotnil6 ~itlk. TheC~t of Coot 9u&M~Ctlt~n. Col..ntft'CUIW(t.
or,dthe ~&• rtf~ e~"" (Cn.c¡qo \..lrwwtsitvof ~Pr.ts. 19a71
11. Thit ooti'MPCI"\.,_ of pl~onll~ •lld...,.•m'oW~l F.otdilt ~..,
be!!.' be .-pa.lntd bt tl'loe di~W~Ctoon t~t Gilt• Del'a~tlt """'" In hit brltf MPY
"Po~iot Cl'l Societies of Coo-ctd: Oeleuze beqkls by recoul'lllng Fcuca~lt"s lt!IO'
f"' of ~ ditciotl,.,.,. I'I'IOC»mitr fwN:tiOIWIO tiY~ tflelo~Wet. tJ/otlN<i •I'Woro~
'"'"'-• " " ' - p.lt¡)Qie ~ 'O Conc.ntrlll. to d~t~IA. ¡., IPIOI: to O>"Óet Ir! tlffte:"
Orelotune otlse!'IH IN! irCtUs.onql'f COO'IttOI I$ produc:ed not ltln)~ 11'11 ~
f<t'o'llllid bv ~9utM.biA "*lher' tlvougll&n ~'11'. . . . S~tricsot progrolllmf'd
I'!'W.Ihoti- t-irio h fcrmof 1 ·-f.cf~c.-t tM wil!cOI"'\i-!UOtJ.ryc~
fto~~t ~---.~ t.o~fiOI!I'M:' In lfle soc;.tyof COI'IIIO\.por.ytr •not lio.edb<lt ••"'*
IS ttoe vodl.l«of 'ultt..apld ,ree-bt..,fOtm~ ~ ~' lhus,II'I~O' ~!!ki'l!
..,.~ to corlom lo a P'"9'estillblist'!td hi•arcttt. tM oori'J(InClGn now :r..:f!Kls
tl>ltft'l ~ ldlntiFr will't, tAd _.,.,.,, ti\-~ flo.,. lf Fco-6.1 ditciipl....,.y -»e-
ty perte«M tht l!!tc~ ,.gl111• of c»c_.W... flrri<lg to ~ti wo.U., l!n the
fiCtOJY IIQ: cogs Wl a m,u f1lne, ti• spoo.lized procb::t of plans. ~-.n theonc.'
Po$\ ~ toc:oe(y of COI'II10II OfMI'fll te in ttoe ~imoe of lhe OCin"'O..ter, vwtto its int'i·
note fladt:Mlrty, run b't P"l9'"'' e~ el ...... fi'Odlf'Gblt ~oda. ,A,.o'ld ¡f, ;n the
holrwdlltoll dhiCI!IINty .OCS.~. 11\e PMMt6lon ollfl•I)Qrl dtt..,.._,.. who I"'M
oeWH. as D!ff"..~U ~ws. In tht toOel)' of control. DOWet disstnw!lltes insldi·
01.1sl'r thrwlflout so t~ tY91Wnt ie both rNstet lt'ld st~
12.o- .Spe(l ol tht •r.4i ·trdoi ~~IJ'"' ITI9'ol-rol oftl-. ..t. 18601 lst;:'-t..d
b't SoMot'IStdlef 1'1 'Orco O.v Revlaot«C'an euw ~ ~ e:oeclelllnue
eci1..:l bv G110f911 Oodd:'ó •nd myMI( 19&6·Forty ~ Af;er. Joumd o(
~(.C:1~ (du<oliOr'l ff-lbt'u&ry l006i. l'Qium. Si. rn.nbtw 3. 5·1&.
13.itotlll't L Godd.. lln=l Beme!d ~ ~ FII'CII Aeoolt A ~o!Ecl.lc:otoon
Sporuu:nd ~ ~AINr'.lccmMstíl\l~f 01J\~ifCU. IPI-Inc«on ~,.t~;....,.lty:
~t96n
14 8y 11'11 ltte 19eo.. Archlgr•ll'l .... QUite I,II'II)OC)o.lllt. er. ~lit .,••••
'Jwdli!f'WI'I'"... ~ .,n...-1..¡ - 'l,ltoey ....... OVtlr~t NPI'OPf_.. t.ft llfttelleeW•
.!lfv ...e ~ them.' ln Lleven De Cuter lfld 1-Qde ~efto 'The l!:.uxlus
M.)(tllf'f,' M.,-ttl van $c.hilill: ;lt'I(IQuW M~ blf IAOOI<t Af<:IUCect\AIUI
Ptvo«''t;o,. tgs,o. 76 l)ol~· Pr.tt-l 20~ 268 SM -'ftO t.l•t!n ~·(11
meiM'Ictlolv kln!Ont tor Are""' .m. 'VIe Shal l'tOt 8ull6rue \'k:t(.,.¡I'Sl~ Abtle(:
Are.~ .,o ~ Aecr~ frOIW'I Te<:Mologt'"' 0J)C)OSI'tlons 71\'flr'lter. l 9 "J'&l. 2S·
35. rtd "-tlll' EiMmw"~'$ biting tonder~W~.Cion of Atdl911m ñ hs W'lll'Oduttiorl to
Plloofe('t pleoa. '/la tN Moclerft I d _ , dile! ,¡o¡ 1939. 10 too dl:l thl• 1110-fUOIC ·
tiO!I&Iism elNC.IIigr&m de i'l 1968. 'r'J"-t remahs ls tlwjoylt<n dem\.r¡oe .arel the
cl¡rtc ~ of t-#!fl El"9otl'lwl¡-t;nwb'Jea"'
t$ M~M~-~..,.;, "TOw~• Oi(Q¡eoi Arcl'vtiteC...... Idlofot¡wtC~onol
Uanu.-v-Acr• 1969l reor~ted 11'1 íl M~ Hay~~o. e:l, Archk«tl.l'e
Theorr $inc.4' lHB~c:t;e.M-..: UlTPres$..19911.2:8
16 s.. u.,r,.do Roful'\ Ard'WtKiiN• QndvaoPrr ~e" ore~ CQPito'~
O.WIQomCit'lt,.IC.!t"b~, M.-: IA.I T. P! fM.197SJ._
17. S.. MiWifnllfo T:llurl ·oellgn tnet TldYiotDgteal ~· h El'f'llo Mlba:, ed..
ffO'V: file Nerr Oomucic l.orl~. (New VOrtt: M.l-..m oll.fodem M. 1972L
388. .lito. Andru Br'Mlllft~~~o.tllo..Áhl'dl •nd O"lt\tllt ~-. Mcho
Bron~:~.~"•: (4itiontdoeV<w. 1~7t, 59 Orottlt lttlltniCAI'Ielntht . .~
1960~ ~ U'lii: ~bv~ry-Lwlobsl'nget ~In 196& Fottv 'let:YsM~JA.f.
(Februllry 2006l......, 59, nutnber 3.2:&-39.
J8 S.. 11to IAtlrt J1cbon Tht ~ot. Docodoto( ~ RIM!M~ ~
il'ti.Odor\ 199el1S7 161.
19 0n the SOIJ'le in Aort!'('t> In tht t'Nd•l9&0Ut'ld the O~'S ofAfi:Mf'ttufO
Rodicoo'e- Ci«m~no c• ..,: inAAtoaw, ftMr', Tht Hrio Dromestic: l.onl:f-..con. and
P.ttr l..-.g. 'S..icidll o..;,..·anPM• ~ Md 'ltilliwn tMnlling. ~tudio.
Sk.•-.
Uit Vt-:it ii!CYt Ob:it«• tMI.,_, 2003131•52 ttwtla&• null'lbf!l' 01 the
e5$1VS prodl.oced ffl' -..:tt'l Schltik .llrd M~ &h Utopcr Sal"dtr WoMrtm...., 1"1'11
CX-~nt Wi,.ii!Q o f a $tat, or tto. HOrl'OI' oí tM RNil" 146•1 55: Mdrn tii'Ml.li
"HotetO!l lto·StGPCity. A.rclwoo,.A,eooo~t.. t969 72~ Ln 182;Adolfo
rc.t.lltnl, 'How GtNl N(tllleeti.Q Stll W..• In 1 se&.. S..O.r.cvdlo fncl ft.sdlc.tl
Aft.tlitf'ct"to. Ten Yea-s Or\' 185-190. &'{111-li takn pein$ «>noteV'oat
lorcNt•ttl.lfO RolicM- noc IIIOfiOI,tl'l< but r11ttw 'C«nPPSotd of dW... indlvid-
IMill wM 11'1 1itM pte(klc.d C~1ely dilfffMt tMIA!Il.• &~ 'N(Iil. . 0t1 Ho-
&00 Clt>l~ 111 8•-¡l'lll c.ltM ~ lttf'ruenc:~t.~r t""'pf~cta ,.._ W ellof<ron
Co~ "Cr-.:.ncf~arn-v.t.oso p lans rel)lcol*l mo ~t• SV$1.,., tllet regim0!"11:·
i\-•• _.,
ed ~lb\ .acirtt..,. .,.,;~~uc lhoWitoO hoo<ol 10 OOo'fr'(O""f ~~ ~ ,....1., pi- '
tor A1¡1.,..1t\tt jul<liii)ONd h hlttor'lc: Arlb KMbtt'l•l'ld ~ E"ropun 1)111,..
l'ling-*'OUl offwt,g <lnf tonJ~ ol medla!IOtl." 'Not" onNo-StOPO.tY.' 179
20 Andt·.eBr:lrvi. rhe 1-fot Howe: rtolion HmY Wo.-e QH,gn, ICambridg¡e. Mus
MIT Pte... 196•). 5A
2:1.1bd.
22.1bd. 55.
23 U)ld,
24 tbd. 58•60.
25 Otl tht dlffet•"'CKbetwNnA!tro:oo,. eond ~st~ Sote Peu-1 l.w'lg.
~lda1De$W.s.; In Lilng .-..::1 ~ing, $.cler$..-uc:tlo t.if• w.movt Oc!Jecu,
44-48
26 Tllurt ·oe..W" and' T.clor!oloflc•l UtCC*: in~ .a. tt~: r1w ffe-w
Oome.t.lc tol'ld~. 3~·395.
Z7. Brarvi c!oe5 IT!4'ntio" T..tu<t d e31h of .-dlittaure i!l Th.t Ho( ~"'· 73
..__,..
29 CtfMt, 'R.6e11Archlt~r.. -.n AI'I'f:IMz., ~.ltofy- Jlle H... Oom..fie
29. Brarvl, rtw Hot House . 76.
30 t< M;cN!el Kovt. MQdem!¡morl(l rile 1\l&tl!l.l'nOniSt $cÁ)Jfel TJ.e AI(hitt>«~
ot Hco,-.l.f"YII!" Ofld L¡,oO\Iri!J Hitl-i~~tC~r tc.-tlrid¡¡., ~·¡ Mil PJ-, 19921,
178-183.
31 A~lli:zoom A$$0Coit.-.. "'No•Stco Clty, -:oeooal Pirkil't$ Cltnitle WlwEwW
Sis,ttm"Ooo:n-4 ·~ l.!;vch 1971.53
32.lbd.
33 lbcl. ,..,
34. !bd. s.s.
3& ~. ~ tll mv if'Yll)uiJ. . • tl'oil-tor'iar\.1"'""rt,...... amcurnpeled lo
_..¡gg" t th tt lhnll ...ct Aroholoom.,.. tt* toMe the ~.-b'oo'lt ol Tlf"*"• pe~~l
bOn bec61J5e ltley ~tW'Id t'-salws eo De w r.hil'lltle S'/Slell\ rot »1 »crlo4-
l~ oo-'ltO!Ah(le tht> sy$:tetA.
36 lbid~ S3.
31. Ar<!Nzoom Ñ!IOdit t ' "No•Stop C11y; 55
38. Woerttn8f\ •ttvOo&UI'Il W!'*-"9 ola Stk« ftHOfJ« e lttte Ru1," 153.
39 Arct'izoomA$soc¡;¡tcs, "No·Stoo Cl;y; 55
.t.Oe••,..;.
n..HtM How.. 70
•l.Art¡ho.z:oomA&Neilt.tS. "No·Stop City; 5&
~2. Brarvl tnttnl-ed In lklrio;lw« and ~D. -A9-!SO
.C3 8ral\l:it irt&rkNordte..-.::1 Moroat Arori't11 6r:v.:tñ 51.
•• 8...1VI, Jhtloloc Homl, 76,
•!l. lbid, 75-78.
46. ()ft tht> 1.1b<luity of the biO bolc, Sé! Pe~ Go~ger. •Th!! Maiii'IQ ol
t.t:omatt.lll'\· Meawoli5. M.ardt. 2001. J36-J39, J 79
Darwinian Regulating
Lines: Tethers, Eddies
and Reverberations
by Ron Witte
Program and form ha'lle become esuanged of hne They acpear
again an-d again (atthough never togethef) as entang1ed adver•
sal'\.ils wl'whng th~t ~ claims upon architectvre's progress
Kr'IOWtng futl wel th&t progr.vn ttnd form art slmilarly and &•~h& ·
Mously imolicated u\wh3t "1e produce. ar<::tutécts néVerthe!éss
seem •nore a.nd more ~nclin.ed tooblrterate one w ith lhe ot.her-a
simplifyi~ bvt sttJtifying strategy
The probtemauc espects of thls tendenc:y ate self·evldent, as
il$ n'll)ny hyOOCJISI'It Af'ty progr&m pa.rtiNI'l WOr th tu-& Or her
fjr(:e
sah •s 111vanably a know.,g (lf clandest•nt>J formal•st, and any
form crusader can be counted on to assure (e-ven i f quletlyl
architoctlJre's programmatic llfo What is at stake, then, isn't
why arch•tects gravita ce toward this program/fOfm polaf'lty but
rather why wo voarn for auch d id.Ktic goodlbad inevitabllity
Whether pursued as a polemicist s tec:hntque or as paft of a
mOte earnest beltef·set, u soems that architects have dectded
tflat tht$ •$ a z:ero-sum game. that e ith(,l" the Pfogtai"''W"flat ic or
tM formal projtct can bé accé'&ratéd-atld only tha one at lh.e
o:xponso of tho other
For ww, the San Jose State Museum of Alt. and Oes1gn IMA•OJ
bog;.)n w1then inter~t incre-J~ • l'nOft= pi'Odvcttvc entangf6mcnt
of prograrn and form. lf ptogram and formhave been on opposed
Gldoo of atc:l'litocture·, leadíng edge for too long, 01.1 ant>lti Oflls to
e:xploit the mutual provocations of form and program that aro, in
our vlew, archatecture's prlmary catalyst
These prcvocations. frtlerently dynamic, if not volatile. prompted
us to explore a system of Oarwmian RefJJi atr~g L1cr~s We evolved
thedellll.tlonol a ·regulat.ng line" .nsevera! ~.ey wa-;os. Flr:st. atta·
d•t tO"''al rtoulat'ng line is by deflnitiOf'l a ruling dtvtc•. a $tatic
determn&nt of &n optimized ooMion '" space. emanattng from
narrowly defined rule··&et (propa~hooel, rhythmic, etc}. In the
MA•D, the regulatlng lr~e 1tself lssubJec-t to r eloc.atiOI'\ refWlement.
and r edtGI'IIt iOI\ thcr o i s no ••'lQulat ly lde.ahztd gtotneuy of or•·
gin/conctuslon for the re-gu!3ting svstem- no golden sect1on, no
platonic sdid. no rhythmic epi tome, etc.ln !lhon. there is no impor·
3t..ve to migrate th•s line (and the archttectlJ"C held •n •ts orbitl
tOi'Ytttd an over&tthing geometric petfecbon, tt\atebd. its OJXi.n'UII
state ''a product of the compound modulations of s ite, t echnol·
ogy. forrn. program, and ckculatton.
A second way in which conventiooal regutatJng linos haw boen
mocMied is that here thev ere instig&tOfsof new alignments and
ur"'fOt'es&fJn rul ation$1-upt¡ along their loop•ng tntjectories.
Acknowledg119 cootemporary architecture's complex technical
and spa11al comPOStt.iOt'l. these • nes gather the entlre l!'rrtrv ol the
bullding's ~bcol'l"'p0nont!J-f"n::t$ña t stNCture. opt1ts, ~II"'Qlllt.
tllYII'OI'Ir'ntntal svst~. &tc.- into a c~!heñSN& syS1&m vvho:Se
rich density offers unexpected perceptu-al. «ganizetional. and
technical poss1bilrt.tes
Thlrd. the Unes hete are hlerereh•ealy eg•le •n thetr seleehve
~sis of both -local' and"to1ar aspects of the ~nld ng A srn.a.ll
coat Check area •s more legible, formal y speaklng, for example.
than the f3t' largar thoator that .. $et\le$;. the m~ gallcry ls vei'od
by a much srne.Uer foyer that leads i.nto h. lo partiCUiat, OU' ioterest
lios in thooo are<Js that act <JS forcgrourd t;pace$ for the build ing's
largest spaces (t:he ga!ler•as. audi toruxn, and courtyard) These
smalku spaces-prograrnmattc 'eddles~-acquiro s.ign!llcant per·
formanoe/figurol d""sities that residewittin and among the laro-
tT\USel.r'n flt'ICt•ons
T~an together. these moc:Hfications significantly transform tho
"tdeal" deployment of the museum's org~;~n izationa l system
Rep.r'Jsentahonel e~~:(t(:lltude ~& s~l &nted by svnthel< legibiJ•tY
G80mttf1C cer ta1l"'ty y1elds to sp;U1al opt•mizat•on Potential ta\es
pc-eccdencé ~r '1!)01. In Shewt, thls Dai'W'I"'Iiafl approach rel)lac&s
a collect10n of regulatioos (and the discipline thai they produce) by
a svstem of tethers (and the ~ttJI"isms that they engenóer) as
lht 9CJV&rnn'lg ttr\ic.t._.e for the muMom
Formally ~ oriJM~utionlllfy, the muswm ls comprised of s.quences of 1~ aggre·
getMI, and eubdt'lided regions. Accordingty, '"- eligrwnem:s set in p~ by the regulating
sys-tem-t~ Oerwinien Reguleting Un..-crNte th,... kinds of ep.etiel reletionehiP':
Mt.. subMt.. lt'ld eupereats.

•ero.•
SETS aretutf.c. rltletlont-noor.cellftQ. Md weU-tl\tt l~lbe • slhQie ~~gu,..l .-.glon
otherwtM dlttlnct rooms. A' tha e~ttrv to tht northwtst stelr, for •n"''*· a
c.tlr.a/.offlt mtem 1\ov«sov.r the ~. tl'lat *flnt tN •U~~~~rw•y lnt•rlor. tiM •rt..
.,..tnw
ñor, and tl'le eoudltoriW'ft, FuftCtlow\llly ditbftC:t, tMM speceot .,.. nonethtle• drawn into
OM vie the au~posltion of ,,... owl'hNd f,gw.. Simileriy, at tM north f~.O.
of tM uf6. the Root wrfeca llpe .ctou the gr.und. projtlctine tl'le -ting.,... of the
uf' tfw-outh tt.. f~ade end into tt. denMiy trefftcked peth• rounclint the building et the
northea•t ccwn.r of tt. sfta.
SUBSETS.,... room• withln larv- rooms, "tabllthtd bvthelmprintlng of metetiel end
volumetric diff..-.nca in calllnt• and floot'lln Ptrticu._, The tudltoriUI'I't hM a eubMt epec.
thlot c,.•t•• • tmellet • • , . .til'll .,. . for more ...,.lmeta ewnta.ln tl'liot C.M, tt.. ~Mt
lt "tlobllthed p..n&.lly ln tN ~lllf'IG (by • cl'l_,.,.lft Rehtini.!Mtet"lal. ..- v~•• anct
partleltyln the fiOOt lby a changeln tM INiterlel of t.....u . . et OM and), Thl• moclir.eation
of tl'le sta.,. crNt" both • "subMt"' ...mgarN enc1 a ....,. ,.141\JOMNp wfth d'le 01.1tdoor
stageln the c01.1rtyard.
SUPERSETS era &.rger Kale relstione thet colec-t minor f;gurN (ttw.a minimuml in tN
buildi.ne. Th..-. ,,. ttw. . supersat r9-1,.. on the •ound floor. et the ""'" antry (creetlne •
l.,ibla tl'lrougl'l•ps ..a.ge tre.,.,elng tl'le bulldl"''l from north to MVUü at ttM Nat...-nedge of
the rnUNUm lllnklng the bondKeplng. tha naw bulkflng. and the •x.stlne bl.llk:llnt); end at tha
brMXSWMY lconnectlng the w.fltwey •101'19 the bulld1ng'snonhem f~lld•to d'l• courtvwd._
Sup.I'Mtt .,. •lw.-ys flrtkut.t.cl uslng tha fui spe«rlll'!'l of wall. e.Jn...,. •ncl ftoor ...,rfae"
•ncl thay we •lweyseompr!Md of httet09""""' -..bfltw.._
l \ r \

9 '
o' \ J l ¿::3
PRAXIS 8

p l.ll!Ul

......,.
AOOF
SECTION S

1 AllCHivt S CUAHAAE"A
Z «.ITCHEN 1 GAAP!.CS
) RE:PlACEMfNT Sf>ACE. ISTUOIO 7 C:ONtE.RENCE. ROOU
• OI~TY ARtA AES.OENCEA

......,.
F\.OOf\3

9 RfiiU.cfMl~l SPA.C:f_ 13 lAAGI: GAUERY

10 Sf.Mll Go\UERY t• TEAAACE
11 MEOII.M GALI.EAY 15 IREE1fWAY
12 GAUEAY STCIRAOE ti ORFNTAllOIN AAEA

t7 EHTRY~Y'
,a SMAU. GALLEAY
19 AIJOITOfll~
20 G4UEAYEOOtPIAFNT
Loops & Eddiots/ FI~U(es & Boxes
Eachof me ll'Useum·s floas lsorgar.z.ed aroond a generatlve toop. Ttlo ~'*" op.ee.e"'U..-
... r~Nto""hto tl•~
ing tether that synthesizes s.te, l)(og-am, fotn'\ cifeul.:.tiOt\ •nd
technlcal relatiO'lst\.ps These ted'lcrs atign a ~of arct-wu~ctLral
t,...
Milo,. •• • ...... ..,. Ttlo - •
lowt,......, ............. ""V

--..
ol-lo tM,.,.._ . , , . _
ovtrlaps, intortoOC:tiont', cf~cta. ond tillf'19C"t& Eachine was tnitially ~-.-!MI......,..__
.,._. r;.-r.c~~ ....... ....,...,..

-
tallored to the programmahc parameters of each floc:r- the grol.l"ld
...,.............
........ - ...Cih. t_l_bor
.-..
Ooor t-S govemed by Sl.te relattOnshlps, the second b v the prlmary
...........,"-
~

gal ery func tions, the third by its teadling and second~ry ~al lery todollo. . . . : S.-ftoot
roles. and the fo...-th 1:1,> tts prlmanty admlt"i:Stratl\'e ¡:)(Ogram. Once
each Aoor's primery relationslips were established, tho foLr loops .,.,..........,_.....
fMóneo.,. bcm.-1 $~

were overlaid and reflned to produce a second set of secttonal

oppettunit les, most S.lgntfieanttv those a3socioted wtth dooble·
he.ght soa<:es and $'\rUCturaA, mechanicaLand egress systems
The larger spaccs in the tT'IUSéUM have been slbJect to a conttn·
ual refrain from the client namely that they be "floxible,"•neutral,'
and/or e-ven "ur.versal" Cterms that lnvanably lfY'C)OSe the "nonfig·
wal" on •ehitoeture) In response, we determined that the smal!er
 PRo\ 1115 1

• • •1

,. , ,
1

- -
~

D / / '

FlOOR 2 (+ 14.0')
eddy Sp&ee$-fOyt¡r$, e~reol& t ,on node$, reeeption areas. set"viee
coun;ers, etc -coufd cOITl)nse a &et o' ~ho, rones"' •n the museUTI
The SIZe of these smaller spaoes (generally no more than a few
h.lndftd GQ ft) ~S thtm d'ltlPOtSibllity of 9f0Qittlr f•~rQIItgíbllíty
Wlthll\thé contEtxl of the overall build•ng (40.000 sq ft) M ore
importantly, thase smal spaces can signal tho prosenc;e of larger
program areas v1id'10ut obligatin.g tho$e l aroe sp.aces to become
me
a.~e~ly spec1fle. In t,..s way. seemngly mlnot eddy spttees htt>~e
ovolvod intoprim~ry f.go.ntloo torthttnu$1Nt'n
As these eddy spaces become mOte f.gl..l'aUy explicit. thetr tela·
tionship lo the musol.ITI's s.uperstructure is eontinually ro fined to
ensure lheir integration withlfl the ovetarch.ng sys(em of Oaf'WW"lian
hnes Ovr e m s to cre4te a synthet< wtde th&tholds ntenstffed M
wel as aerated poc\ets of pr~m, foriT\ andlor tecl-ndogv Thus..
the loops crodxegreater and tesser íntenslticataonsof legibl.t.ty, but
always do so witi'WI a single organizational svstom The pro-gallacy
soace on the second floor. for e:xample, ls rnade more leg•ble. more
def.nrtive in term s el •ts pro&Cnce.. but •t rcmains prograrrmot..ieelly
Sl.b:lrd1nate even whle formally cbn:nant
These intensiftCdJecrated modvlaiJons of thc pl ans promptod
another •mcJOrtent evo(utiOf'l in the svstem of regulat i'lg lines
lntens.hc:atlons are ac:hleved nol onl y wlth adjacencles. bvt also
thrOU$tl v41rious forms or suporposltion: over1aps.. internetions.
and set/subset relat iOnships Ae'ations .ve created with spattal
d•standog.offsets, gaps, ancl tangont s. Whethef in thedllectlon ot
intensrlication or aer¡ttOf\ theH opttations compel wal s. Roors.
&nd ce•llngs to be dep'oyed In w(lyS th& t ~re both mOte extreme
and moro subUo than perm•tted by s•mpte al•gnments To explcut
U'ltse spattal alternatJves. we evol ved the régulat•ng lmes by
adding e second set of notations to thcm-shora subsegment s
that paraUel each ongtnal looprng t ether These subsegments
st rueture ttle aUgnments, van&tions. intOt\Slt ics. &nd l'licrereh.cs
among programs and forms tiToughoiA the b.Jildrlg
Thls second laver of organ•z•ng segments compounds the rela·
bOn5hiPs that wecanost3br.'Sh arnong spac~M: :~nd, moro gonerall y,
prov•des an altern.at•ve to oversimot•sttc cla•ms on contii'\Uity. lt
ena~ a compound wholoness prcdicatod on the agw-c:gationof
relahonstups that are tethered to the loop line (tethered through
 . ......
• •

en

-...
FlOOR 3 1•28

.......,..............
Tht.,..fiMr•~--

....
....
_lfoltit.,_.............
.,.._,.,ta,N-M
.~....., ~

..,. ,.,.. ~

..-~~

"-r•lilllllolt._ llltft ........

'""'""
t ............
_ . .""'-"'ti
.... .. ~
...,.~

................... "'-,..,
NCOO!d ..........,

......................w,
 -.........-u.... . _. .
n,.......,.,fi_••II'II<M• ...._.
""--~1<!· .....
the opO:I'abOneof offsets, laps., sl"d t&f'191nttdetcr•bodobove). The P'nti.n ...._."' oi An a. o..~r. s~ Jo..
•c-s-u•..-""..u'"lr!

--
St•t• Unl~r•t't 1LotiM"'" S... JH.,
buoldlng's oroductrve syntheses ate enabltd not through the repre·
C.ator·/ ~ TM III lbtWilt•, Swt'!

-
Jol\ot......,
tf>t~. . .- · . , ,...
ttntlt~CNI trope of contft.utytthe contlnuoutllne, aurf&tee etc t
but rtthtr dvough the dynam.c conMQUtf'IC'tl-~ht ~t•a1 1aps , Wbt~ tAictiHI Plpw, Oowr t..t.
..., Woe. .a-.:~ s-t Cllwtt t.t...,..
..__lid.../
..........
~--~ Sttt.~.. , kelc.t

.....
Mdrl\•be-r•tiiCW'IS-Ofthe~lsystem
.... o.-~ !Jiesdrow . _..... progtal'>, '"'"'· -~ c:.u.a. - - .....,.._.,.
and tec:ho oology U.oonng arch~t-a Q11n0"a •t statiiS. thev ,............, ..._.....,
IV"tht•z• ll'ld ecce ente the tetat•ona.hopa of et>d'l•tiCtU'e·s .....,........,._
tvemruds to one ancxhtr In the San Jote St.ett ._,U54!Ut"'Tl of Arr.
anct Ottq\ this S'(S(em fosters a tota11ty, a'bfttt a totahty teen'llng
W•lh the tutctPt•bll•ties and potentillt t.e10n whoch erehlttc:ture
ttwlvet t '• •· the Darw1rwan R~lat.ng Llnts Of'QII"lZt a complex
buolding end tite, auunng th8t the muMUm la f•H«f W1th lile ever•
chang.no c-adoncH of control and llbettt•on that are mtnns1e to
vibrant erehitott urt.
 PRAX IS 8 Wlttii!'DIJWirWn~tingu.-.. 101

• • • •

FLOOA • (+46.0')
JIIA4XII &

Notes on the
Adaptive Re-use
of Program
John McMorrough
-F.-om the anbQI.Ie (a 'M)t"ld ol form1 to thc p.-ogtllm ta bcal frag:ment of 8 social pattet"'nk this suggests a s:-Ning in t:he ardlitect's osyeho-
log¡caJ ori~tatJOnalmost too violent to be cred•tabte. -Jol'n SI.I'YW'ner$01"1, "The C-ase for a lheory of ModernArchltecture" (1957)

You begin with a program. lt is the first thing you are given to start a proj-
ect in school and the thing you wait on from a client in practice. Program
gives license to action: to realize and to organize. In all its definitions the
agency of program is implied, from radio or television programming, to pro-
gram as a series of social services. to program as the coded instructions
that enable a machine to function. For architecture, the program is the
"brief;' the designation of that which is to be designed, and the tabulation
of quantities constituting the project, the descriptive capacity of which
ranges from the terse "build me a house" to the expansive multivolume
specifications of a complex institution. In this sense program init iates the
project's beginning (in time) and initial identit y (in character). However,
there is a downside to the agency of program: it defines, but it also limits.
This limitation is registered not only in the nominalism of the brief-house,
museum, hospital-but also, within the very action, program implies to
arrange, and at times, in excess. Consider, for example, the difference
between a program of music and programmatic music, one is an arrange-
ment of pieces, the other an over-arrangement of parts. Program is there-
fore, constitution and over-proscription; it alternates between an
evocation of arrangement and a surplus of such arrangements.
,....,"'*tla.o-•w.....,. . tlt.....-
c"" "'- • lNl'·l nt
~-~u~. o..""""''"'

·-,...,.,_.•t-Aiot,_&O'•SO',.._
·-flc•........
AWl*lr, G~..,~11te
..,_,, lfht.IW.... .,.,. • • ......_ ~ ,_
tta:t
--_.yio!..t•ll..e..... ,,_.._
e.M.o... 1170
................., """'Yiflt:o ......e.....
'-"'--~'........,1 ...
'-'I P1941 ""'-r A~"'...,.
1Aad..:.... l9l'O

...
.._
PRA XI $ 8
l f program ~ni11ates the lfldlw:klal •chitectural projeet, wtlat is the
tnfluenee of progr-am on the l)f'OJeet of ar<:hrteeture? l f we ~e pro·
grarn not as a QenétiC descJnatu::n of use. but as a SQectfic conc:ept
wilhrn archltectur eS developmenl, a useful f ramework tS John
Summerson'g 1957 íhe Case fOfa Theory of Modom Arc-hitec·
ture," rnwhlch he dast.n"-'lshed programas the novel u'W'W)Vatlon ol
modernism After r eject•ng e $0flltt ol plttvtible bvt intvfficictnt
coheroncJEo~t to ~xpl am thé emergenoe ot modern arcfitecture, sl.Ch
as geometty and blolog¡cal metaphors. he carne to the conclusiOf'l
that such architocture is bnod not on a figur~tiw idea but on •
SOCial one, and therein establistled proo-amas lhat whid'l was ~V
distinct in the moóem. Orawing on the proliferation of orrange~
ments and amb1tions which charaocteriZed the period. Summerson
conc:Lded. ·u •S only tn the last een wry or so that program ha$
(::(li$9<1 to be evak.Jated merely qua!'llitatiWiy and hól$ COI'I"'e to W
1 architecture detineate$ it$elf-how the promtse and absence of a
L .......
evaluated Qvahtatively ThtS todo wtth the fact that program has
bec:ome tnc)re tomplex. more c....,.lleng•ng. end thete fore more sus·
cepbble toQua'ttatrve generar.u t>Ons and evaluattOnS."t Thts com-
pl ex•ty, •t shoul d be stressed. is not an tndMdual instance of
ltltri cato fOfm or arra~omont, aod moro one of an incroasingly
dense netwOtk of soclat urban. and lnstltutJOn.al oonf1g...-at ions.a
Wh.&t thi s meons ftl' the project of arct'wtecl\lrt i$ qlite ~rticvlbr,
namely, that moc:!Qm archrtecture ts based on a nonforrnalpnnc•ole,
and r.sotat as the E!f'rbodlme..-ls nonformal, modernlsrn ls "mlsStng
an ~rchitect1.1ral h•nguage," and t~.~nhctrmore. S\lmmor$0n po$itS
'lhat 1t isqutlé pOSSible that the n-.ssing &an\)Jag& wiH remall"' miSS·
W'!g" lh t~s sonso program provides dofinition, not oriy ot the I&Vel
of lx.olding. but oloo ot the IM of tl>e <iscou""'of modem orchrtec-
(ure ~ Progr$m, $ncl wrth lt rnodern &rchitecturt, is ...-.codeable,
re~stant to spec;¡ftc:ooffespondeocas to form, ar'ld, 1t .s not Ul'likelv.
Sutrmerson conclude.s., that it wlll conttnue as wc:h. Althou¡tl
Sunmorson latClr drops tl"is pooitionW'! ftNO' of more ttaditional dof·
.nitlons, the ar-gvment here offets an tntrlgu¡ng premse. that pro-
gram is the modal of coherence and thCl underpinning referent for
the development of arc::hitect\M'e 1n the tast tentliY.
So then tet us set as.de for the moment those factors that seem
to hwve more credit~lity tn tho doflnlt•on of ¡;¡rehtto~l.l'e's dlsc¡ph·
nary competenc•es, soch as spa.ce. fOfm, geornevv 01 conMruc·
tion, andaccept programas tOO primary inst igatorof the project of
arcl'wtecture. notas a stable edihce but one cons:tandy underg01ng
a kind of adapt•ve re·vse Alre&dv &nerehitecturel ttnd program·
mat•c ter m, ada;>tflle re·use describes the aherahon of a ijiven
structure frocnone use to accommodale anolhet fot whk:h it wa.s
not or..glnalty dos•gned, St.Jch as the rehobilitation of tht industrial
k>ft to resldentl81 purposes or convers;on of the warehouse to the
m useum PTogram here shoul d be undoerstood es a conc&ptual
strucn.-e, nhabited and renovated bynumerous archtectu'es and
the1t attendant tdeolog~ts.. What l oUows lsa set of notes on what a
historv of the adoptive re·use& of progtam m.ght enta1l how d'lt
notion of program·.s instrurnentality ls u.sed and r&-u.sed, affltmed
and rejectcd, through a series ol containment atratogies bv wl'*::tl
progremmatic eode • -nened tt,self" motlvatOt of erchitectur•l
de...elopment throughout the twvnt1eth canturv
The Function of Program
"form Foilows Fmct tOn" is elearly the best ~ eQUatiOn of use
and aceorrmodation. That the program, labc:l ed •func::tion," was an
importan\ cons,deration 1n the formulations of rnodern architec·
tl.l'e •S c~ar, even if the actual c:orntn.tment to the concept ls not
a lways an actual concern of the por10d. • <V~d while lt ls Vlr tu.ally
axiO«\atcc that ptogramff...-.ctton lnfhJenc:es the organ,zatlon of
bLilding, the attemota to rend« that relation eJ~Piicit have for the
most part been mixed In searc::rnng the arch!Yes of modern archl·
tecture. one covld ~reelv do better to i1to3trate the correspon·
dence between func::tion aOO 1ts formal evidente than Me1n1kov's
Rusakov Oub of 1927. As the rake ol the audlt0f1um penetrates
tho primary enclosing II'OLme of the building envel opo, one seos
the ttrepressb'llty of the progtanmaoc flgll'e In such a clear"<:ut
refationship is the ideol embodJmcnt of program. in which the inte·
gration ol programmatic source is d1rectly and l-eglbty made marw·
fest on the form ot the bulkUng. Though other ex.amp!es of sudl
~-. ..... v.~~,.....
H......... $11.U..~ ..._l. lfl2·»
~lt'Tll
..... fltftAHo--.~.,..
~w ... c....•. r.t._••_,,
1174
fi'I1IHIII"tht:._....,v_~,..,.;...,..

F_..IIH·.f~-. .........""'-',
,._...,_.,.1N1'
....,,.t..-E'....._........ ..
H'"""'~ c.-tkYt. 1e70
P RA IIIS 8
eorrespondenc:es e.~ust. thls type of mot1vated clanty •s the eXJ;ep·
bon ratner t.ha"'' the rule, and the relation of pJogram to fOtm frCt·
QVCfllly assumes mor e mediated e,;I)'EI'SS•ons,
lf ~sol.lte correspon6ence •S o rt~~c ideal. thcn atte.ntion $hOUid
be plaoed on 1he aiternatives, whose r a1"9e of programmatic: mani·
fes·tations can be charactemed by tv.o oppos•ng $tr8t(!91es On
O"'IC! hand 1s the avoid<r~ce of programmauc &AptO'!:Siion w•than~t•
accommodatte>n. where ptogram JS cootaioed, but not expfessed.
Onc :;vchoK!JmPie ,,. the~kof Mioo wnder Roho, which plocesa
lrn•t on the con'i~·~ lfrl)etusof program. USII"lQ ~~~da scal.ar
modeJ of aecomnoctatlon·un•versal sp&ce iS m&de tunctiOt'l&lly dis·
t•nct throu\Yl diHoroNCiauonof tho si7ti Wtth:n tht vo'..lme On the
othcr hand 1S an .nterest •n ll"''t~nse éxpresstons ol program.. but 1f
direct progrommatic manifettotiOf'la aro rolotively SJCarce, the diff i·
culty •s •n f1ndmg enou!f¡ funwonal corres.pondence to generate
lhe deSrteóintensity of e.ot,presstOI\ One me8nsof dealingw•th thi.s
diltf'IYl'\a 15 tVldtOCtd in tha 'N()r\ of Le Corbus1e1, where program·
I'Mt•C eh'!n'lénlsare transposed frorn one cont'ext to BOOther, SI..ICh
e~les app&at' tiYoughout hls wotk ono notabl• t'!~>rr'IVnt ~~ng
the ramp Origlnallv appeanng In h•s des•gn of a sl~tcti'lou'Se.
tho rarnp was usad tomovecattte to the top of thebuilding. whcro
!)'Wv'!lyfed t~ ;nmals thtou~ the vanous stagesof thef' \11\lisec:·
t.on.s On!v slbseque.nl Jy dJd lt emerge in other iess omlflous bu1ld•
ings as th~ key fo3tur~ of thi promenade arch•te<:tur'a!o What
orlgl.n&lly led eows to slaughter later led weekencllng Pat•S&aM to
the piano nobile of their vacation homos. fn thiscase the interest in
the forrrnouve value of functional arrangements is so great as t.o
supersede the lm ts of the speclos.
Thls ranoe of t~epress•Of) $hOUklllOt bé tak.en as definit•ve, as
one Cbn cett&•ntv ir'nt!QIIWJ othCr' v.?lll'l3tions. but•l mak.es t01 a basre
demarca11on o~ conceptual posibons that faUout of the versions of
use and tts accommodat•ons-the speelfte. the general. and the
altcrnato. The dcvolopment ol the$e stratoglei of J)rogr amm.)tit
cortail'l'n&r-t ~n st•l bé Seén to cont•nue. to very drffer ent ends. 1n
thc dovelopmenl s olt.M radical experwnentatlonof the 1960s. lf
the f irst set of classic modern exarrtples .... as conoorncd with tho
rather exaet corre,atron.s of spee1ftc form t'O spee,f•c programs.
t.hi$t ~ll3t'I'"C>IU ar~ mor• conc~nt<f with the oper1 p i•IYW'Ig of 1he
cont •OQént The plle\lmatlc volumes ot Ant Fatm, the inc:lined
piones of Pal.l Virilio and Claudo P•entS Obllque F uncliol\ and the
eontinuous e•panse of Supersrudio all make t"lleircoordinat•ons
not to ~fied &et NitieS. bot to&et•v•tv in gcnomt However. they
sti11 operate w i th-W'I the same genetal frameworil;; they are still \f'Clr•
s•ons of the exact. the aporotlmi:lte. and the ahernat•ve. noY~·
oppliod to dif ferl)ftt onds. ,., a.ach instanco tl'l!ts" txamplos all look
to the geomeuicfformal as thc zonc of controt Ot freedom. In lhat
sene.e, lookingbact< to s~on·s deSCllptionofmocb'nlsm's/pro·
Vólm's misSing language, eaeheffOft is ruts way trwog to establis.h
a formal g1at'I'W'I\alr ol U:Se. aoo In that sen&e eachatU!n'Qts tocon·
shtutt that ..mi s.,.'. g langu~t • nre cod.ng of tht uncodeable Na
obv!()JS d1ff•cu•t•esaoo ttoders all amU'I'lPtS lOmake such dlrect
oorrc!-ation bch'IOOn uso and .x:commodatJon problemabe.
Agamst Program
When 3 ~nldflQ does 1'101 perform to $~o~peetat•on ,, ,, e.au&e for
oonccrn. Such problet'l'ls canrange trom th& in<:Orl'..e~ oi poor
vent ilation to the catastrophe of COITIP!ete coll apso Whilo many
probtems, st.Xh as strvctural or mechan•cal shoftOOtn.('IQS. can be
fOJentictfly tt8ettd to lhcir t.ch.nical ori911"1$. thos.e is~ue' which
anse in rel al JOn to thearr angementsof use aremoreelusNe. When
the needs of the user can nolonger be aecorrmodated over t.me,
the building i.s rcnderod Ob$0leto.6 but when tho timo fr.:ame of
obeofescence as exceedlngty bfíef. s...ch that 11"'1\ti&l use C8t'lnot be
aocommod~t ed a t 811, lhis condi tion mav be eategor ized as pro-
grammat•C fadure. One suct'l i!\famous•rnagéof farlur e IS the demo-
liUon ol Yamasak1's award-willi'Wig PruitHgoe ho~Alng block •n St.
l..ouis.:' dcstroyQd in 1972 dueto its a$'$Url'led prog(atY'IIl\atic t;ul-
•nos. In such MuatiO~ atCt'itect...-e ri.W"'st.pagounst such ttings as
poti tics. sociologv, etc, things that it is a part of but not necessar·
•lyv...th•n the domain of, a.nd rn 'that confrontauon l t l s bested,•
Progratl'W'I"'.::hC fe.lur'G br!ngs the doff•culty of 8t'Ch•tteture't ogency
•nto clearest focus-- what arch•tectur'Q has been least t<)Jipped to
f"ce. the inhe>bitotion of the soci al ~ftet the reohzabon of the
sd'!ernaric, becorne9 its largest ts.sue,
Reacvon to the spectet of progranv"l\l)trC fall(..lr e
has taken two
pNmary forma On t ho hvman•tari•rJbchavioris.t &ide, effort s to
a•..-.>d progr-ammaoc fa tl ure have g•Yén use lo user·group surveys
aa w.sh-liata for plflml'lg. fonowed as ql.llcld y as posslble by lhe
POSt·occuoancy ev~lua tfOO. This agpro¡¡c:h romov"' all senu of
proJectlve t~gency from deSign end re..'eg.ates the conSideratiOn of
the bu1lt enVIrorvnen1 to li ttl e more thM~ a minor industtv of svs•
tematlc preémpttve regreL On t.hé arctutectural side, the tlveat of
progrommotk failure. and with it the exl\au$tlon of lhe funchor\811·
ist parad•om. was m~fcst w•tt'lirl tht •autOr'lornous:· al'et'utectute
of tt'lc 1970s. when the i l"'$tri.A'T'Ientalityofprogram~s hcld., the
highest degree of susc:Hcion Representative architect s such &<J
Peter Elsenman, Robert Ventur• and Denrse Soott BrO\.,.n. andAido
Rossi. csn be understood separatolv by Ute1r s tr~tQglc.1111Y ;w~•Ct.~·
lated poshioos 1n res1.stance to ptogramma1ic detel'm•naey of
•r<;hrtectv~l form. Eisonm!W'I'a \lo'Ofk io porhops. the most obviously
counterprogram In his essay ..Post·FtA"lctionatism; he cites the
fOtrNfurct.ton pa#lnges a cont.nuat•on or areh&ie hl,.l't'\llr'\i& \l'iews.
Ont$ that havt bten SUJ)trUtdtd ,, all vQrlll:lonlll: of modernism
txcept atch,t&eture: 'Funct•onallism. no matter what •ts pretense,
continued the ideaTist arrbi tion of ereating arehitectile as a kind of
e~hically constit uted form grv-.ng.o9 The devaiuation of fvncoo.n
~l1ed by the UtJe 1lj not comple te, tetñer •l tS lft usvrp&tion of ~
gr amas lf"'StlljJator of arehltf'Cture- tt tS accornmodated, rather
lhan é.xpté:Sst!d or consllluted For Venturl and Scott Brovm the
reaction to su eh a condi tion of impossibifl ty-to fu11v accommo·
date the programmat•c wit hln arch•tecture a1onc. or for arcflltec-
ture to btt formttd by progrum-i5 to resOtt t o an omolioralivo
supplttmont in the form ot overt strategies of s1gni ficanon, bv
II'ISCtlbing t he funct1onal relatlons of lhe buUdtng onto the
building lO In their f amous COfl'l)arison of l ho Shid vs tht Ouck,
the dlfference between the two not onty 1llustrates the semanuc
efficieodes of thlt sign. the 'decorated shed: but elso tha corr&
spondl'lg muteness of program. the ''duck " 1t In the worlc ol Ro.ssJ
the abs.ence of program ls reg.ljtered .n the continu:ng presenee of
form A$ Ro"' statt$1:. "F...-.etion alone tS inwff•c.onl t()exp&ain !he
continvlty of utb&n artif&ets; if lhe otig11"1 of thé l 'N)Oiogv of an
urban artJfKt is Stmply func t1on, tM harcfv account9 for the pho-
nomenon ol s urvwal: u Form is reta1ned htstoncally even as the
.._itiating evoent!l are lost .
 Each m a different way. these thre-e examples lnoculated
orchitecture agalntt the lnfeelions of prograrn 8nd sought to
rQidtf.n~ the tefms of !he atchitettural. expu-ng1ng the dtfflculties
of pt"ogram In order to make a grounded claim tor archltech.rral
c:ompetency that avotded the contingenetos of proor:~m-that
me$Sy amalgam of aUowance, '''~'~DOS1tl0f'\, a.nd beh8VIOt. That •s.
thoy r•fr~mt tho archtt•ctvral project from a eervi ce (gtive the
cltents what théy want) to some11'ung that has ils own
aLrtonomous log.cs- meanlngfv l regardle ss of profe$S.ional eir·
tum$tance. While this apprex~dl has: the btoef tt of citar- tntQtnal
cons•stencies, ,ts cl&ritv of dehnition and domcllnl s at t.he cost of
rel-at•onal value and the worldly conatruction that como o long
w•th ptogtam The .,rchite(;Wrel histonan and theorlst Manfredo
Tofurl has r oforrcd to t.l'lls wi l.hdr~ol•n ter-ms of the profieiet'IC:i~
and eJ«;esses of the boudoll'. pleasurablt but tooffQCtual.!.3 Thé en·
tique at tht.s point tS as establtshed as the wor1<. disc::ussed here,
howewr. adding to its conc!usion it is cloar f rom our currom ..ra.n-
tage polnt that satd w ~thdrew~ was not Or'lly an enabling lirn.ta·
t1on, but w-&a trufy a limit. end moreover ea oh projec.t is as woll
tonst•tuted by program tn its reJectton of pl'ogram· it i s regi s·
teted bv its absence, ~muchas lt s presence
Reptogrammi.ng
At tho moment of its apparent exhaustion in the 1970s, program
r éturns, most otwJOusly ma111fest •n the bln.,ry stars of Bernard
Tocn..ml and Rom Koolt'\tiM, who eaeh in his way r6S61. tho prOgram·
matiC: are~ of tJ •t•c.::.lmterest. In the.. p-arai!E>J development thev
J.JfflP the nul from one theoreuc:al Lrack to anot her, from
linguisticlformal to institutional/organtz.ational pteoccupattOf'l$,
\\'hUe 1.he conste«atu)n of progrero's reemergenc:e is mult,fokt. in •ts
p~hC•Pants, motiVI.IttOnS. ..,d tot.rcos, one influence fl particular
war-tants speafk atLMllon: Jerernv Bentham's Panopticon t17871
lt:5 infllence makes perfect sense, the model progam. •' one ls
ntorosted in prot)'am as th" exerCI$0 of control. woutd of course be
the p rtson. a.nd the ~ nO()ttcon rs the onson par excenence.
N~ere et&e .,..tO.Jid 1he coordin3tion of prescription and action bo
qu•te so ti~t as 51$Velll.ance tS orches:ttated In Ule servlce of ooo-
trol. The relevooce or 8oM.ham'' PanopbcM was not Ol"lly its en:l'i·
tectural claritv (tho 3(r~nt of Pefil)her"al ctlls arwnd oe.-.ral
watchtov~ in whieh the implia~tion of obsetvatron eS of more slg-
n.f,cance than the act itselfl. but its abiity to frame a widGr Wltornt
lflthe tnst•tutlonet '" general. Mld'lel Foueeult's reacling ol the
PtrlOpttcon .,-.d •xamjnbtion of the irt5titvtional effects ol power
al so setv&d the recons•deration of archrtecture as embocllment of
the iostitutional. and thereln. the ptogramrnotlc 14
Wh~ emerges in thewakG of mis M"'StltvtiOI'\il ~ntetest •s the dia-
9ram To qvote from Oeleuzc on Foueault's ttading of the
Pai'\Opti eon, ~ form (here) can have two meanings· it forms and
Of'gantzes matter, or it forms and f rllaliz.es tunctl ons and gives
them aim.~tsTha two re~ingt mor-k tht di st,netions bor-ne out in
the develoornetlt of advanced architectl.ral work in the late twent~
oth·century: those interested in pr(9'atn as a lord of 1nf01mattan
to be deployed and those +nterested in programas sourc. material
for t.he formatlon of new archltectvrel boc:Ues 1 e On <~ne hand,
form/d!agr.:.m/pfo.gr:am ita. deti{J"'81ion of g•n•ral erfect. on the
othet. rt •s used to oenerate SpéCrf1e é.ntrttés. What 1111tes both
<~pproochos is the use ol abstracuon as a means of ttans1ating the
d 1fficulrv ot the programmauc equaticmand instead p!acing the
rclation of these intoe graphcal ana!y&s. Thls graphical substantl•
ation renders program rootteabfe suscept ible lO archltectur;~l
forms of mon•puf&tliOn. svch thot tN oved&p, the fokl. and eom-
pr•u•on become programmat•c fold, prograrnmatic overlap. and
program4'natlc compressaon. Rather than acltons operatlng on
activitv itself, it ison tho reprosentations of tho program thol thc
work IS done 11
The t~Veeess ol the diagrttm es itsemphaSI' of po&tioni.n relati on
lO use. Here programno longer states i dentity(to be affirmed or
negated) but rarher an tmer act•on of the parts. as the diagram
serves 10 sida StOP thG tti'IC)O$M of form 11ncf it s Sl{J"'tfication that
marked pr@\'t()IJ$ atternpts at pt~hceor-respondence lf the
progranvnotic return of the 1970s wa_, born in the prison. rt ends
tn the librarv Specificafly. OtoAA's Seatt'e Pvbfic Wbrary as it
embodles a medl&tlf'lg posl oon 1n regerd to the t~ rotementioned
óual~ 'm of tr"'fOfmQt\100 and formation. whereas thi! projects of
tnformation and forma(ton bolh sttess the c;:.lose pro:~~:lmityof the
init iotion and execullon of 1he1r programrt~atle di~tgrbm• 18 Tho
Se.&ttJe f\bic l ibr&ry oHQf'S a model of the e~t aec:ommodation
of .!lQpr())(imete reletrons ondean be seen torepresent the eufr'R.na·
tionof a l1ne of investigation of how the abstraction of orogram
beeomes man1fest 1n bulld11g.! t
Programma
Wh<~t unites the various e\IOCations of pmgram. from early mod·
emism with Melnikov.l.e Corbu$ier, and Mies lfe..,.ctamly), to th•
behavlor1at. tdeologles of American soei&l hous.ng, to the
Situat10f'lisl mfluence on archit~cts (Arc.hizoom. Superstudio) i-s
that they allvtewed progtam asan mstrument of -soc•el ttansfor·
matJOn, differmg only in their skepticism of lf"'S.tttutlonol doflnlt.on:s
of the program However in the adaptiv9 reuse of PfOQI'atn th& Idea
l s not to set out e .sehemete of progrem as me social vel'$uS the
geometric as formal. but nnher to delinea te the difftculties of
enactang program, to re.Bd the dlfflci.Attes of program'sconctetlza·
tion. r.:.ther than ht; tn tenuon&lity tnd UPtr3bon,20 lf the tmpliea·
t iOns of orog:ram f01 buUd•ng s'*ms hké an aporia. contirw.ung to
spin in e fcocfb,c.kloop of ottcmpting to&Jtuate the sign1ficatJon ot
progr am. wrth all th.e $1ipperiness that question$ of signifk.ati on
bring, fts unpbca~~ens for •ehlteetvral thov!frt rema¡n &etivt.
Cedrlc Pr'ie:G once famously COt'ICiuded an eJttended interview with
prospe--c-tive dients for a house w1th the dl(lgnos•s that what the
cliont needed was nota ho!J$e, but a dNorce. Tht r~al eotd.Jslon of
progréll'll mi~ be to a'<(lid (he CJAStion of burldings ahogelher. n
The Que:stion 18 whether progrern will oontinue asan •mpett.l5 of
arehitectural developmer'lt Oespite the 0\lttrt interest in pc'ogram
over me Jast thirty years,. the rnost recent ln t enslty of l ts deveJop·
ment now seoms likG its opothoosia, u arc hhtc-turt ap~~rt l o
heve re·reestabllshed tts focus on new vers•ons of okl terrains-
l'l'lo1teriality. advanced geometry. green architoct..-e-each contln·
uing tñe long trajectories of architectvral doV91oprnent HowQver
as .,-gued here. oven.interest is not the k.ey toprogrem'spervasiwe
tnfluenot Surwytng the ins and ovts of arcñitectural di9COUI'se, i t
may be lhal program tSJUSt that. both at.-Yays tn and a!ways out.
~In," os a roourrent refrain of proó.Jction in Ita affir-rnation or rojee·
t ion. and "out" because of its seemlng externaltt.es of the dtfntioo
of the es.somed comcetenciu of arehitecture. Jf pro{J'em is not e
PRAX I S 8

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....,
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......'-":UNM....Ier,
..,.....c..r.l~ .....,..
-H.thwl....._ t.M

,.....,....,n..........
...... Wt:MVMTV .....

Qwl~....... ltM

..._. riglot¡ ..... l<eolh... l OMA.

~ Pllblle Utlnry.lOOA
lo&n9J&9f!. nor e'Vf!nlhe PfOO'IM of one, tl remai f"tS con:.nuolly rele·
van; m itw p•ovocahons The futur o of program is to contil'kle as
wu!sotvable antit'TIOny of t:he form/funttionantagonlsm. Comlng
out of ana in o se.'\Se reject.ng the preVlOI.It mod,.t• óf ttther utter
OC>ef\'leSS or vtter c losure of progranmabC thought. the foUowu1Q
point$ b$$0rl the ~a!ltiesol PfOQI am In itsrcoceurrenc.s. s&tbb·
hsn«"~g those f::~::ton¡: o: mosi l7e5$ing c:oncem to program's ne:r:t
adapt~~~& ce-use.
• Program is that which comes be!Ofe(bvw3Y o f progtamr'nlng) ancl
aftet las In post·occupancv evaluation$l l ne arctil&ctutal act.
Bec..ooo of rts potl*1t()nS w thul :1 projocl. Pf09f3m i a an o.ICtra·
archctecmraJ @ndeavor
.. Fcom tt$pos.tlon o' relat ivo oxtcrl()l'ity. programm&kes probSem·
at•c tho confin.es of t t>e arc."''itectural p·oJ&Ct Coming befor<l
andfor after. orogram ls not part ol the properlv <wct'utectural-
not po.rt ol the ~gument$ of thtlrred-uetbly nr chit ectlTal 1:h.1t
e:CY~ oe cla:tmed bv other' d•scourses. such as form or tectomcs
- VVhUe progrsmqueshons that wh1ch isessentiali-y 4"chitectvr.._l. it
also oi)Q"f¡ a new p lane of c:ompar ison between the seemlngly
ms...-mountabtc d.vision between ..c:orporate~ and -avant·garde"
practices Programcomects the po:;S~bl ,ty of control (tho t ise of
sce-; he expenlse 1n c01d1guraooos of the COfporate model) &nd
the I"''QO$$•btl ty of cort rot {tho critc&l delimitation& of p rogr-.:wn
and the tberatory promse o" a<Minced proOJct•orJ.
- 1t rS 1n the objeetive of sociel celibretions ene! the • ltlPOSSibtlt~yol
that objOC1P•'O's realiza1:ion tha.t program contmuesas 1)(0\.'0CD·
tiO.fl As program insc:r•be$ t he llm•tS ol arcMectural agency 1t
a lso supersedes ~hem 1nd $41ofVU then to opcrate 89 both an
asprrat•on tan entlty to be OOflStr\lcted) and hs trrticalmverslon
lthe conti nua! doleyof the constructed entitiu' comp!ahon, a
í>:>SS.ibllrtv alwavs JUS\ out of read•)
- To COI\tlf'lve to opera te on program i:s to wO"k on tho i.m!ts o f
architectllea~nterfacew• th tho '11()11d loaocept thedemandsof
progr am on its own te1ms i s to aUow for an arc:hltectvr e (as 1::t
pnl,ect, both &9 individu.ll nstance and d•&eipli~ry coll .ct• v~d
that enocts thc ooss,blllties ol itsown withtTawal
"""
1 JoM !N'nmetecn. ""The CiH for 01 Th9orv of M~n Atdtfltc•ure•
(19571. ,.l)rin'.-d .,_ A.rctlitoccc..rol' ~ 1Q,3-1Q68. A OocurNnt•v
Anthoklgy, ed.t@d by Joan OdcMan w\th the eolabor•Uonot Ec:t~d Elgen
lt*w Y«k: C11ml» 8ook9 of Archlt~t\ll'tiR4zoll. 1993l: 227·2.36.
2 As Bornan:f Ttcl-vni dncr'ibn in ·Ar~1 .C'h.ll"• •f'ld L1mrt1: •tne ~lu·
tic>Nr'fV"Qt*of the fut~ris< ancl constn.ctiYitt ovanl1JIII!'dn joi.-.d ttKieeof
e.arty N~t~h-eentury utoplfln soclallhlrllttf"• to cr~ t• NW pragr.wns.
~ CondonMrs.' c;o~m:Yn.al kit~ WOfke~· chbi. theaw-s. factOtoes..
or eve" ..,..ltHdtlabilatoon eccomoanitd o .,..,..,;aon o1 soa.r ~familv
tlf'l.leture. In e fre(J.IenW ~• ,.,.,.....,. w-chaoecuewu m ..m toboth
refiKt ~ mold ttw 0elety tocomt.~&tnard behl.l'nl. Arctlft~cnre Qltd
~liMICarrrbr'iOgoe- MITPress, 19961~ 11 ~
3 . For ltt\eq:~anchd treo1m.¡,t of tho l'ittorietl itlt•llt<:tlAI cont•-.;t for
~¡on& 'Tht CNe for a Theol'y of ModttnAtC't!iteewre: e.ee Antf'lonv
V~le(s "'Tow8t'Ch a fheorv of At<:Ñtectura' Program... OCT06ER 1 06 CFatl
2000)-59·7A
4 For more on ther<MI'oel.-«lve c:l•ltyof tM form folioo1s func:tion eq1.111•
tlan llnd the lnebllltyot tM tomwJI&tlon tode$CI'ibe tl\t ..-réllt~ onlu 11$-
tlal lltter.l~ if!t ~ chaoter en 'Furttb\' ftomA~I81"1 Fortv"s Ylords ond
&iktlf1i1_..1l ~butorr o( M::uMm lvthitect....-• IHtw VQ!tt. fN!!1'ft &-
~. lnc., 2000).
~. For tN dr<tW\ng$ ol Le Corb.ls..-«"t two d.!~ tor elaughter~ aee
!.e Cort11.otiet' A~ 'otlt..me 1 Eorly btJJ~s ond ()roject$ 1912·1923
(Ntw Vot\· G•land Publiahlf'S, PO!risl Le C«~ ~tiel\ 1982)
6 . SH O~el M, Abrl!l'Non's. "'bsooesoenoe: Not•s t~ a History;
PRAXIS: Jcumol of l'f.rifh'lg • 8ulfdlnQ !S: Aronltec.t\n ~&r C~iuoli$ml:
106·112.
7.0ne c.,- Pn,.;u •l!l(l•·• db llutúon •• the r.curr~t im.ge of drarnatic
pro;,-at~~mMit. hoii!.W'e, lt appear$ ;n GocU~ ReQ9iO'f film Koy•l'li~~o:a•ttl as a
stow-motlon ool;apee. and In C'holrles Jl:lnek$' fht lo~ ot Pbst·Modem
ArcNt..rn-IL.Gndo,... Ac-ad~ EdiUont. lG77) to introduoe the ch;J~:~tw
"The 0.1thof ModsmArcNt.ect¡..-e•
a For I'IICfe detalled sumM~ty on tht fat• of Pr..,.tt-lgoe tG thenr,'tlad
k:lr.;es. o! its dosCf'Uction see Ka.Utarlne ( i Brlstofs 11'1e Pn.M;t_,goe ~h.· in
.J4vmolo{ Archit.cturofEducot'ion, vot u no.3(M..,. \991)·162•171.
9 . Petet EIMnmll'\. '"Poat··F~iOI\II!tl'!\" 1t1 Eot$t'IIIICWl lnsad• CUL S.lected
~itlfi9S. 1963· 1988 (Newtbrver•, Ye!i!UtllverSill' Press.. 2004t M .
l O. Robert VMturi ancl Oenlse Scott Bror-vn. W'f and Ordinary Ardll:eecl.l'e
ot theOecot-ated Si'Md, Pllrt 1; if'Ardlit«i~o~,.. Fol\lm 11071): 64·67
1 1 The roed~ IWCNI.ecture of d..cb, dii'IOMIIt.. MddotM.• ;, oft..,
refetrfodtoas -ptOgrat'I!ITICIUt ar<hiltc'h'e." at iceost., the case oi pop..Qr
Q.~~Wnl swdie;. For mcY•on th& l)rogr&Mmattt arcMecwre of ~ $99
JM H~ CcilifQtnlc Crozyattds.yot'l(t RoociNde V~ar
Archíteet~ CS.., FraoeiiiCO: Cfv<on.c" Oookt. 2001): 11.8.
12. Alelo ~,.. 1he ArctQctln r:J thrl Ot.y tCarl'tlrdge: Mtf Pren. 1982); eo.
13. Man~edo faf11i. '\..An:li\tctwr"f CS.r." Bol..doir- The LI9J• rJ
Ctltoelsm IMid the Cñtloi-.-nof l..o'9'Ct110:~titiON 3 (1~14). teprlntld ln
Oppo.s¡-tlons Reockr. ect.ted by K MlchMI Hbrs{Nr,. YOr'k: Prlnoet on
Atchilt<:tur#ll Press. 1998): 291·31&.
l 4. Miche>IFCII.ICNt. ~ ondPt.r~Sh- 7ha 8W'tho( thePr:ieon!Ntw
Yort., PenthtOI"I Booka. 1Q77 lolig!N!p.blic:•tlon In Frenc:h. 1975o)l
15. Oiles Deteuze, 'A~· Cartogral)tler(Oiedclllne and Pl,¡n;s;h)"ln F40Coull
!Mimeapolis: l.lniwrsitv ~ Minnr~a Press.1988 (crig•nel o\bhcadon 11'1
Ffond!, 19661)- 33.
1 $, The ¡:tvaslng a ft~ .e.ffrev Klpnie.. tM ~ing of ti'M teiWI ..._,,. O$ my
OWI\ .Jeffrev Kll)r'lls. 1owards a NtJw AtcHtect...-.: Folditlg onArdlftectute.
ed. Greg Lyrn (london:~v Editi0ns. 1993): 4 1·A9
17, In tM ...,.. rhaprogrammotk - k on tJw dii!Vl'm G Mel( Pelll Olf h
larger tfaje(-tcw-y- o! tlle late twlf'«iett'l-e.,.wrv ~ •••llldlls ... !.tt-.nge
;J5~agt ol ful"'!!''ufas, tartoons and die"8fl'l6 both abstract...-.::1 ~onc:r.te.
Pote•• rA thla colltction 110me~nn •rw simoly 'fo~d' ~~J~d 04!'1tf t#nlrf·aMist·
od or tNI"'iolkted. e !*t'-1litt of IN•Itwltible cenan lncllldH t"" n¡,...
lj;QI,are and the Ptlnopt.ocOI\ tt'oe domino and \he sk~. d'lt f-.cai'Wts-
.-.:1 dlJCk/sl'led. 'Che paf'é11"tQi6-critiCa1 cf<lg¡m and the rotd. dant.enotatlon
ancf cinomatic stcryboirds. m~t•N~I bodies .nd bedleb" rnecHn¡.s:" The
q¡¡~ il f~ A.E. Sollld. 1he Dlagrams of Mattar.AAY23 (199-0l; Ol3.
18.1ntN! lnterKt ~ f\AI dlscJo~SU""e t iKt'tlit to YloOfkl~~g onthe e&rllest l)hes-
uof tt'lis proif« in thl CiiPKitvof res~rct.er. al\ill'fZ"'' me hi~ory of
libr..-s ii'l Qei'l., .. " wt'l • ttle SPt. Pf'OCP'..., brWf &pecificaly
19.lhe onglnal oontellt fcr ÚWM root•• ...,., ti'M "f.p\or"'g Ptogr.wn• eor-r
fetence org;)ntted by Jeffu:v Kiprds and held at the <>No Sta te UnNersttv ln
th& faH of 2004. Th• monvatlon fOf the .:onfaflii"ICe steiTI'Tleddifttee~ from
Klpn!.- reoction to the S..tt!e PIAlk LP.wv end tNt ~ ~ th4t
tooue of l'l'llidl of the dlscuulon. tn that lght, 1'NCUid deftr tottw .,...,..ti•
uonQI mv felkrw pat!e-'i!t ~v\8 Lavll\ ~ througl'la &EWiet ol ~
~~" was abl<t to<lemonwo.:• thedoeg:rto to wSc:h ~ l)rO(Ir*"' dl8·
grlllm dominetot the eoroe.pt\.111 if'N9' CJf eh• pro,ltc:t. virtu-'IY to ttMo e~~elu•
sliQnQI other loglc:s. lnlllyposttJOI"'IIM!I!Ad ~ wltl'll.lilrinintht MSel"l:on.
buldiffer wlth het asto tne conciU$iOI'\ arel rather aMert tha' lslt ~ Off!!·
t iulv t,..
owrdtttr.,iMd/Uflót1dttetl"'''o ntd at•t• o f tlw diagram in
tion to Uwl flnllhed wort. Whllt m.lul• tlw pro;e<1 to ~~,.a;rq-.. it ~·
'*
dlec~ttO!Iof trend$ tOWMd the ccntntiZIItion ol the P'(l9'6ml'ft8tie.
.zo. W!ile me fo::us of UW!Se n(l(eCJ; has breen on lile tCJTW:io-1 botw•n the
¡:,rQWOCiotlon d ¡:,rogram 01nd ita rNiir.ltio-1 within arditec1u'* fet'l'l\ ~
r~~tn~~ll'\ ocNr ~ thelt c:ould be «J))'or.d lrl• specltll61h5t«v af Pfevllm.
~ther tNin the•cret ~eKPIIIredhefe.A/!f&ttetfll)' to gtvf a~Ofi"4J'~
~Noi thedewelopmelltof~~inthe•~fif!Adof
•di1.c:wr. WC)I,jcfnMd to irdudtt notonlytha .........,1.. ...-..cty~
-.ctl a$, !\.lt...-t •nd con!ltructNist avant-gardesand,...~ \llCJPI­
_..thlnk!rs. bJt Wtl!am Pena's orog~ wor'l ;r. CRS, an:ll'hem.IL~OI
projtct soecif,c CO"'f)Ofate practiCI't. &1'1"101'19 Meon, othera.
21 FO' the t10utc.t of lt!e Prica ~ta, n Wltl •• • ~ll of r·e c.nt
ardllteetural projeets that lleve forgon~ th•l!I*"'Ptlonof bulldl, . alto•
gether w. llka & AndreM Fhb¡s"~ogrMitl'llng Ard'lltect\l"e-lnAtdlls
!vol 20lNolurnt (•~ &-21
PR 4 XIS 1 WOfll( : Pro¡Jram Primor 111

Program Primer v 1.0

A Manual for Architects
Brought to you by Dan Wood and Amale Andraos of WORK

lntroduction: About the Primer

Program is back! After years of postmodern whimsy, paper architecture, blobs,
and countless other formalist tendencies, we have come full circle back to good
old form tha t originates in functi on. Or have we? In buildings such as the
Seattle Public Library a new, broader definition of "function" has given rise toan
unbelievable array of spatial configurations and forma l expressions. This more
inclusive definition of the architectural program encompasses ecological con-
cerns, cross-disciplinary coll aborat ions, new technologies and virtual spaces,
exploitation of the t emporal and seasonal, and any number of combinations,
j uxtapositions, manipulations, and reinvent ions of t he simple list of spaces and
areas that heretofore bore it s name.

Many architects t oday are interested in incorporat ing this new approach int o
their designs, but are unsure about how to do it. After years of toiling away on
napkin sketches and t hen looking for inspiration in the beaut iful crumple of t he
rejec ts, it is understandably difficult to set aside your self- image asan ortiste
and start designing by Excel. This Primer will help you get started with a simple
series of exercises and examples designed to open up your mind to the new pos-
sibilities for creative expression through programmatic exploration. In no time,
you will f ind yourself doodling diagrams and graphs and- hopefully- creating
the next generation of masterworks that combine both programmatic variation
and formal elegance.

How this Primer is organized:

• Program Basics
+ Program Exercises
+ Beyond Architectural Tools
+Ten Changes You Can Expect from Program
,... ----- ~ - --------------------------,
1
1
' 1
1
Program Basics
1. The Doflnltlon of PTovrom • Critle-al o¡ttance Maintain1ng tha energy and d !eipline
The ttod t.,.,., do~r>tJon of !he progrnm os "the formal. requ•red to ,...mag.ne, reu'Mint. and rec:omblt'le elements
wr•tten instruc:tions from the ct.'\t to the an:hitact. setting of tt. ctoent·s program. no matter ' - detaoled. borong.
OUt !he, oocessary reQJOr.....,ts for 1 buoldo~· Fu cu pu-· or c0f!'9e1o the o:loo:ument they hond you _ , .
- ·we are onterested one.pendong thatdofontJon to • R-. ol Motlon Finding potont081ty .,._.,~ aopoco:s
onct..de the informal ond the ..,...,uen M well as altemate of a PfOl'ICt unaddressed "'the cl<~t~t a off oCial program
..,....,..a~·~·· fTom moc:Nncal ond structural ond me!<·~ tlwn onteg-al to the PfotOCt
ang1nee<s to artostS. tect-nology expens. eonsultams. • Flow The obi11ty toqutt-ldy sw•tch back end forth
euU->ors, usets, buldero. ond-most "'1)0rtantly-the bot_, tt. quantotatl\ll! aspects of a proorom and the
orchotoct By thinko~ croat.,.ly lbout cortain perfo<motive qualotatovt ones. odentofyi~ and londlng the potantlal
roquoromonts for archotect.re, ond through c8feful and for aynergy botween the two.
1 ctev.r man1pulatJonofthe 1nput of 8 1 oftheotheflt'lter- • Oppotltlon The staging of cbsparate elomenta towards
ested partoes. the ard>otect un octowiy partlcopate on tha the fonruletoon ola concopr· a<IJacencv ltn..ono.
redofontoonol pogoaooo.-ytomu pro,oct ebego..n neoatove/pos.\1\11! tlvee-domensoonll fogur.-orounds.
- rolat"""'-· etc_
1
2. The Evolution ol Progrom (MO John McMom>ugh. • Diotinv ~ ttvo.ql the,....,. ond,..,. of owm·
"Nota• on the Adoptivo ROUM of PTogrom; p.102·110 1 ten PfOO"m onordor 10 lond tt. osoent.al "-""''• of use.
actlvoty performance. or funcloon that w~l transform an
3. The Eight Groot PTinciploo of Progre m otdu'\ary bu•lcing into alean. progrern·dr•ven machina
• Dlogrom The generatlon of strooo concepts-slmple
enough to incorporate the huoe n\M'I\ber of complex rela· 4. Whot Vou Nood To Gat Storted
tionships that exist •n every orchltectUtal Pf'OJect- • Pentelalgn pen1 or sharple marictt"' Ttrow out those
through lhe drawn. wntten. or sf)Oken "d1agram'"· ,,,. Uners. prog-anvnabc expres11on ~elbout clear con
a quanutat•ve and ~l·tat•ve means of express•ng a ctl)tl ond ontegrau"og the quantotowo A broa<! pon a<ls
Ht of spa~al relat.ons ond doocrobo~ -iential on tt'os broad-brush ~
nHds w•thout atrt overt ,..,.,.ene, to form. using odv • Plaln paper lf you are goong to hoMo hah odees. wt.,
1 oconoc olemeno:s. words or ....,..,... ttoa <1VOIIIOI'Il8thong old? Put tnc.o rollo-
• Shu:ffling The ut•Wtton of arch•tects' eapac•ty for com· • Mod1t malcing met.O.lt lntheend. we . . creattng
plex mental manipulatoon of woo-do"""""""'alspace lo three-dmonsoonal SPaCe Worlung wolh doagrarns, graphs.
ohJ!Iio and reeon-bone progrommotic alamentsonstead I1Sts.. and charts can sometlme! &IIOW you lo gel carned
What used to be called "deconstruelong· can bo utilozed ww~ By •fmlltdiotely and ofton translotu'IQ your ptOgram· 1
es a critical reading of program where parts are om-tted, maloc odeos lnto apaloal ideas, you woll neW< lose soght of
others are recombined, new portt are creeted. rel&tion- thogool
ahlpa ere broken. and others estoblishod • A projoct Thososup toyou Gogetore'
• Satn9ling The ab• 1ty to tnsert .....,ts. expeftrse. techo • And eome imaginetion M<lxe thet e 'ot Never undetesti·
noiogM. ond po ogo.,.... outsode lile cornnon foeld ol mato lt. - o l a good odoa
an:::htectur"e into a prqect
• Broai<Baat A no:or>loneaoriPI)rOOCh lo dosogrlwhere"thos"
does not necessanly follow ·mal"; one thal embraces
uncert.alnt.es, clash. and tht une.pocted

PROOAAiol PRIMER 1J.)

1
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 PA'All l l 1 WORK Pro;ram Pn!TIIr 113

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(9)
1
1

Program Exercises
Thol'wlot ~ --+ --+
Combwl,ng two 01' mor't ¡;rogromt in o s.ngfo (Ofm .............

Take t'NO programs v.hO&eco-<feQerdenCV ~S eitl"let

unex
pected or so UI'ICJ'8500ned as to be banal ancJ tw•st them
together lnsvcha Wfff that the reSIJitant OCI"'ftt na11onae·
otts tn tnt111tly new teq.Jentlal e.xpeoence an~ form_Uke
Mr. Softoes chocc::Mate-vao•llasw•(l. the exc•tDI'I'Ient ISII'l
theCOr'I"'inotion. ondhow•t was &e~. rethel' than lhe
fact that you rv:)W have two flavcn in VOll cone Nd'lolas
Gnmshaw's fii'St project, a tower of bathrocms for a S-tu·
ÓCint h:>Mtl.nl~pdbJ ld..ngsw•thout pll.ntM'lg. is
such a pro,ect The pre·fabncatedVVC and Sl'ow(!(\l'llts
are arranged ew-CU'KI a spiral. r_.,.., that acces:.es each
Roor The geniusof the ~·on CSII'l rhts I'SIT1). tt ere-
ates-dv<lJgh V'klat on the surl.ee IIC)I)ears to be purely
f..n;tiiOf'l&l mo.,...-an mcroc:hbiOIOQ.'ll ~;JitO for tho hc)s..
tet Student reSI~ts. 1"1 thell seafCh '-" ordown f~ an
ova,lable 11'1 t, enco.Jnter other a...'"\.dents frcm othor floars
andare almost forced to •nteract. The f<Kt that rrost are
inthc'r bothrobcs ~e$ enelfe&dy-(;horgedevnoSQhere
eYen mere so

The $quare Tom1to

Creot ng new forms (or progroms

AA lt.ahat'l eng neor rta •zed that sh(lptf'g tOI'l'latoeswas a trieky bvsl~s- w•th a lotofv..astedproduct H1ssolutlon~s to ~aN
them withn boxes. creatJng perfect cubes foreasy stacking and flh•PP•OQ Never m•nd t~t pooplo did not want toeat square toma·
toes-they did pack 1ke a <:W-eam Aflyformcan berell"'ll'8'lted and 1mproved Try to relhink fOtm fratnapro!)'ati"YY"''a!JC P«spect•ve
snd therMV~U· eon be rcvolvtH)t\lW'y. P\.OT't deSign fOt a rrun.capal sw•mm•ngpoo! IS a case in point. Their circ:\Aar dosign not oriy
PfOV'ded for an ex.c•tW'IO bull().ng.•t alsoallowed fOt eoot10uous laoesw•mm'ng b"/tl#ll'llflQ the ma•n rao pool aroood the pernneter
No more b.Jmp¡ng l"'tO that lady '" lhe flowcred battwlg cap as $he trlfJ~ to executo the perfeet tutn off the wall

, ___ _
1
_...
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PROGRA._, PRIMER ( Z t
1
1
1 ,------------------------------------,
Peart In the Oyster
Pfczy botwcen 1he generic ond rhe spec1fic

ManybuildlllgS and projects fea tore repebt..otJs spaces or 'arge we.as of spaoo
wher'o theopportun1t10S for •ch1toctural ell:presston .-e limited By se.-ching
out areas of SPéCif•c tv and Qxl)lo.t•no themstrateg<allyw•thln the expanse
of genenc program. the intorplaybetweon the gcnfXic ond thc :specif,c ctr'l
create •ntorosr1ng and dram<Jt~ tension OMAs Uni't'el"$al8u•lding employed
ttws sttategv at anenotmovs sea e by concentrat•ng nol onlv all of the ·ugtv
dock.hng" sp&c:•fic,tieslsee~llMt Swan" p.114l of l l$0rt, oltvatOI'I, Q(I'W,l(gc¡ncy
sta..s.. etc. with~t~iour enori'I"CUS COfes, but alsobv •rdJc:hng a the archftee·
turally int«esting spaco-J thero as woll dol...bto·hei~t ·1oft&:COIXtyards,
moet•no rooms. exeCtA•ve su tes etc The bulk of the bu'ld•ng, ge1erated
th'ough researc:h onto the most effcJcnt off>ee planning l"r''ICl..les anclrequlre
mems. was eft open as a honzontal plane, the four 'towers• of spec.t,c

Dl l ~
ptogram OJt through thls plane to prOiJJde verucaJarchltectonc rel ef lrom

•••
potential C(I(J)OI't~te monotonv

---+

Tht nme Sh•r•

Oifferent USE>& ot different times in the some proce

F•nd 'lférV$ to explo.t USO$ wh.ch do not overll)!) .n \!me, speccs can t:>e u&ed for
d•'ferent th ngs during the night and the day, fromone season to the Mxt or
penodlcatry tlvoughout & s.ngle day. Univers&l space. the dreamof the mod-
ernsts, don not hnve to be eoponclorous and ompty-think of tho hogh tchool
gvmnasiUITl that sponsors dodQQball as wel as cornmencet'l'lént, the hohday
pageant at nl!tlt. and mystery meats •n the afternoon_ Tho moat innocuous
coirodences of time can somet•mes be expiofted to crea te enormous t'lfttll"al
dlange The longest drou~t 1nlA hlstorv. the •nverw:lon of new types of resln
plast..r:& for wt.Mit eArlier thQt yeQ~r, and • tt'l"''all Qtii"'Q of d•saffGcted s~Sfws, all
came together 1n a ser es of dt)o pools one summet to change sportS, fashion .
.-.d tht f~~ee of teenage eool forevor

PROGRAM PRIMER i 3 1
--
~----------------------------;
1
... ---- ~- ------------------------- ' 1
1
The 8ttter MOUM Trap 1
Rt th•nlung !'- ordlnary
1
1
Somet•mes •t IS worthw~!e to tai(.a the ptmge andstmpfy retnvent someth1ng no one had previOUSiy conS<iered worthy of re.nven· 1
t•on A healthydegree of skephcism thet ovcrythirg th.lt can be invented hes beon •nvented •S necessary Tobo a good P"09•twn 1
1 dnven archltect, yo..~ I'TlJst be able to •mag ne yourse:f '" the shoes of vour cl•ent Of the people who w•ll•nhéb•t yo1.1 bu lóng éW'ld
1 re lmag.ne the WtJyS that spaees can tiOCommodtlte e<:tlvtty In o.~ ownwork. we hi!lvo tnod todo this even when our dJents do not
1
1 INQ• shoes The V la Pupw.as a commissiOf"' for a doghouse whefen we tried to imag•ne theultimato homo for the "ul'ban dog" 1
1 Aoorrb•nahon o1 tfé.aó'nlll, video screens, end an odot mach•ne allowed the urbandog to exoer!ence someof the prosa .e cat\lne 1

i1
--
;ova of i ts rural cousins-chasing IT\3ilmen. Frisboo tossu'IQ. bllrk •ng lllt cots-ó.lnng the long d.ays cooped 1.41t'1 the apartment
Other scenanos lf"'C:Iuded boost ng the t.J'ban dog's setf-flteerr-th& Chll'lJat"ua rac•ng thegreyhol.nds.. for example. and wim•ng

-@- • ..
+ o

S~lle

One progrom dofrn ng onorh$'

lf scrnething loo'l.s JUSt l1ke sOf'l"''ethlng etse. 01 rem.-.cts

youof $01l'18th ogotso. ma.,t>e it col.kfbé somoth•ng
else Use a progfam, 0r an él'lt1re proJect. to del•ne
enother in aneff ictent and arch.toctural)y·sca'edmata·
phot Someone .....as smart enough to OOte d'31t. '1lay-
tt.snew F.ot f.etOfY•-&gomg to be as b¡g as the tcsttng
track"tOt not&d that tne tost•og track wasas long as
the fa.etoryl Md archttectural h•story was made

--
P AOGAAM PRI M EA f4 )

1
-----------------------------~
1
, ----- '
ThtSw•n
&oof¡fymp rha bono(

Ar~;;htp.;:turetlfu olllf1Yduc.Jhog~ Th8r•

s wst un-rrul"'@dpotart al n !1 ~ corrlt•onno
c11cts. vea~ trapj boilet ~ end ltll
,,._ l»ie tnt f'l'tOISt ""lbelewabi'r borrg
ne.dn. 01 uf/Y l)l'(q'anl and try lO riKO
~ i t - SOTWthing beeut:f\A proc
t.w Ct nsc:wng Art • JoepvanlinhoU
Total Faecal Sol.Jt>an,,• fgr e~o V•CO to 1

__.., __.,__
nvt• lf'l"llltthlt benQofrt$ andji~Mthfi C POTM
1
t lllllr'lthe most ba.seof rul"\llnKtlvltoM A
t(Jolflt •• Bf!t high enout;fl off the g,OI.ftf ro
•lCorporateacOIIect•O'ltankbt'ow Mftl fltll
g •· lsllptlonedoff. water" f.hor11d to ú•
PQ11'tbfi)Ot blty.wa~PI$CQtT'0.1·tfd 81'1d
compo$t rs created. Ata .s...-t pdc!'ll"d
dlnc• of t.._ P"'teS$ The ~ struc-
t~Yif\~1 t•ad&;•lo. S\.,..._
l::lothvtSuafto; .,~J'"9 andstr11'91Pf ~t
~ ~ t becon'es a uue ...,.,. to~

...~ ~· ...-d hoJr'nao'! respontibl ty

Th• W.d;e of Sw1nt1

ro*. ~~ $WO() CW'ld scQte lf H'P
M.11!.1 1bMotY frO'I"I detrtlJ9 • ewn mor• c:tt.ll«9ng
ll tne Mge sc.a~.:>- bvt can 11110 craeelt'liZ'"Q ~¡,;
ni'tJH b tpat;:a .and P"'!7anwn,r.,c hPOf'•,..,übon.
lnthec::ottat.:..onfor•un-ctt•ahugrtdlll · s , . , . ,
Novo 'lbri< tho ,...., ol ow.. .,., lto Oov;o &ooy Bond
2 • • endKPFteamech.apwt"'O IPT Stloldo't .14
Bergmil!llO~ry tOifT'Ia91fle810~ y1111"611Ne/

1 c.ttbnn ..,. two mi!r.on tq ft dll~t Tho re~~Uit­

w tl"'gey water recyc:hng r\n'l.nga~ tt••n·t;tory
1
e.cnletora, a permeable aJp~lt P&"ktng atruw.•ro
1 .11nd n, atnum c:orrt>ined w1th ••nltH" toeWutntWt water
from lhtt de...elopme- t ord the Eftt R.vwr ..,. •. ~ the
eNi too~h for ~COt"1"'''t on IPQOXII'S to t••
Unlort'""'"''"'

' ---
PROGAAM PRIMER (51

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1
~--
1
 PRAXIS 8 WORK Progr.., p,.,. 117

1 ,----------------------------------- -, 1
1
TheON-e 1
Ustng o progrom to generote o s.ngJe sv.oopng form
1
t IS sornewhat of a rule for those al us not named Frank Gehrv ttlat tt.! strange 1
::.hapes )<!U can tmag.ne atenewr as excthng as the sttange shapes you ftnd, often 1
"'tho mos.1 16\l,l(olyofplaces Fom'l that 1$ denvod frompr()g(.:~m often OUt$h•nes
ewn lhe biOI:best ofblobs In lhe•l' theoretical pro,ect for Olba.. L.E F.T prop0$é$
1
three hiif¡~ises in the midst of the desert wboso forms are enb·ely drivonby the 1
Pf091'81Tl thev 1"0\rechosen fOttlle futl.l'e of Ot.ba•·land ng forlntemat onal planes 1
Tht •xtruded end tw•$li'Jd rvnway p~tt•rns ttkon from tetvalflirport 1\JrNVfY 1
destQnS-cl'eate stumtng fortl"$ m the desert. 1
-t

. . ·~

r -~·y· - ' -
t( · -~-~
~~

OlstrlbutiC)(I ofWealth
Mox.mr.t~ tho •ffecrs ot the best programs
Manv 1Jv,ld•ngs ate pr mar1ly composed of

-
re~t~ttous e&emontt t~t can ~orwhelm tht
more 1nterestn-,gparts of tt"ll progarn 9y
s¡:r.nkhng these .ntetesting spaces throu~·
out the bu•ldng. however everyrepea~ing
floor or roomeen be energ•zed weth e new
act•vity In the"" Hotet Pro F=orma PI'OJOCt
nArchltec-ts appropr•ated the most publtC
and eJCCiting pa'1 of the hotel program-
the lobby-and drstributed •t eo;ally in
between t.Nory floor, creMing an alternatu'IQ
sectJOn of bedroorn floor 1lobby floor dia•
-f
gram wAoc;:h br.ngs the excltement of a pubhc
lobbv 10 everv boclfoom floor 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
PROCAAM PRIMER ( IS J 1
1
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1 ;----------------------------------- '
TheMermald
Juxfopoet hon of unl•.o.e(y pt'Ogt'om$ tOWOI"ds o
Sul'rQO(~I tXJ)er~e

My1hology tt f lltd w th I$St•ng ll'l'll)gttof ttrango combnat.ons 1ho centaur theh•WC9"•ff. etc. The 9Urrealist:S I)ICked t43 on thi9 a"'ld the
"SIIl'eal st ob)ect"-tne une:~~peeteo e-lement-became central to their l)hlloso¡)hy Stmply plac•"Q ()('IQ PfO(F'atntn t'-cooteKt of another
canaeate exttemety tntet"est•ng concflt..ons. Most of Atel'er Bow·Wow'swortc.-both bUIIt and in the fcwm ol boof.:.s-ts a ptcry Cl"l the
M~"l d •ntholl' I)Jtdeboolc.. M:-~de tn T()l(vo: thegrouprocord$ the Sl.'rtal•st•c I.Wbanob.lectsofTokyo Alt of d-. buildings are desc:ribed in
tetms ot an add tl\18 eQuattOn of U"lrelatedpai1S 'Vamp.re Par~:· plblc S().Jare • don&tiOn park; Royal Golf Apartmero • 'royal host cha•n
restourants • ~f practice ranga • epartmen:t building • car parlt•ng, etc In thcir f=urnicyciM prqeet Ate!,.,. Bow-Wow llddt a drfftrtnt
tw:Jusehold t...n.nxe element toa senes ofb<ycles. allowlng for a small ~ of rtdef'S tooome togeth&J and create at1 enttre house

-
RoiiOut
Repeot~g o IM'Igle progrom owr and over with
svbtle YOflot;ons 1
Tho archltect's wrsial of ·stól'(irgon mes5ag&" 1

-
canat ttneSbe as eHect1V93$ it tSfOf OU'fXII1tt- 1
00ns Sorncbmo5 abril iantodeaisbest 1
exp-essed thrwgh repetruon Ths reoetttiO"lcs
1
oftenmost $Jbllme'llhen l tS dogged'yp.nued
thrwgh tt-. staoes of I'I"'''ICOr'IY borodotn. ~ nd
1
nauseum toa I)OI"lt wtler'étt.S power CMI"'t be 1
denood. fn One Architectl.l'e-s pfanning projoct for 1
.Ndenl;)¡,rg-West thev diSOCNered d"l&t •nEurope, 1
$!:JI'IIIcUII"''t Sl.b5idies e~~~:,~.t for ntrOducingiTIJCh 1
safer traffic circles rather than ll'ltersect'lons. as
--t
CXlmeCtors fa new resdent•al dtstrcts These
9Ubsid.os .n fact ~woq. tho costs af construc-
tiOf\ al&or'"'IO develo()ors touse Vle !TK)"ley to
introd.Joe tlvvslike old ag.o l-o.J$ing. pubhc fecili
hes m the like One's nanxal reac.OOn was
therefete tocreate a p&anV\tlosed'I'Vlng concept
~ to •ntroduco f~S maov traffic: c-'des at pou¡t-
ble, fti"'CJJ;) arull'f:)erof II'IQ~~ to oc:cupy
tho!l" centors ~r~dpenphorios

PROGRAM PRitJER { 7)

_.,.
 .. litAXIS 8 WORK Progl'a'n~ 119

,,---------------------------- ~----,
Bondage
Us.i"9 budget or other c:onstroints os provomsk'l their own ri9ht
·ereawrty· m 81'cl'loltectvral ptacticeoften s.eems l•k.e a tectw'I!Cal
·~sibrhty Setvwten bu•lding and zor11ng codM, client insecurit•es.
buclgetscreated by<teamers. ng.d requ.rements for acljacencres
and h•erarct.es. tht lmtat10ns of construc-t.on tnd eontraetOt'&. ancl
the srmpl& téndéOCV of everythrng to héadrné'llrtably towards that
lowest commondenomanator, •t softendifficult tocomeupwrth ony
Ideas that can~~ b...tt Sinoe the best detense is often a good
offense. one of the maln t~toC:5of program-based archltectt.l'e r.s to
uM thtM Con~traints M the dopar'turt poont for dnagn lrr ~ proj
ect for are-srdént~l tOWér tn Séu'Ut we ~·d<Jv reahzed that-eon-
trary to almost everytl'wlg else n the crty-the buikhng rules 'Mire
ncrod blv constr•ctrng the zonrng enw'ope torced thebY•Iding tos t
at the v«y l»ck of the si te, tJw&y frOI"n any pos.slble \1\éWS ol tha
Med•ter-ranean. f1NfKY roomrequired etther a "primary• or "MOOndary"
vrew wrth stnct def•rwtlons; balconles were mandated. etc. Our soiV'
Mtt carrsrsted af buold•ng ~ ·rdeal"burldlng faong doree1ty tOWI)(ds
the sea. \lntll thep01nt at wt'ltCh the zonrogeovelope cut rn. aOO theo
Sitting themandatedbu•lding on top, creating a b...Jclng whose fifth
and ~ixth fioors were more des1rable than Jts aeventh and etghth and
allowlng ovr cl•ents to maxlm•ze the•r profrtsrn the what are usua v
the leaat deS~reblelower Roors

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PAOGAAM PAIUER t 8. 1

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The Bl ind Men •nd the El ephnt

01((9f'enc (octs con define o s•ng!e (orm

CQrl'1)1ex oggtomeretionsof pr-ogremcan prosont o ~.n¡que ch<lllongo, eapeooltyr, bulldrngs that need to
C()(Tt~n atld ()(QSQnt mult•¡jQ •derc•t esto the world. The tnc.k •s to explot thG rnJint*c1tywhl'e reratn•ng
harmony and denbty in arder to avoid a lond el sc:hlzophrenlc pastiche. lnour C()I'Tl)etlt>On entrv for the
new MontroaiC..rural :1ndActn~trMiW COfll)lex '1'4CCI"'ti:llned Montr.ah; long ~ aff..-w•thtt.l mega·
50\lCt\Jre w1th the stated des.re that the Ospowateoooupantsof the b.ukhng al reta•n \hQ¡r un1q..¡e iden!J·
t•es the PrOYif!Cial Gowmmcnt, a 5Chool fot the perlOOTW'IQ arts, andtt.l main conoert hall of the c1ty
lk'l¡queness was c:reated bv estabhshtng cilfferent en~nncesand CO"'dttJOns for the three pr~ms. eac:h
one faong a street appt'opttate to lts program (The concen he! entered from & !J"Ond boolewrd, lhe
sc:hool fromthe h•P $hopp1ngstrt~Gt, and the adrrun•stratrvo tower O:&c:retely hom a 11de street 1To prOYlde
en ovefallconceQt the program was l~ud out i n IJ~ree paratlel bancts that were lhencOI'I"t:wwechnto a contri·
uous ring of P«9"am •ound the building's r.w centerpiece. the gloos-roofod conoert hal
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Fu•ion 1
Crecn•ng power riYough (usmgdtspcrote etements togefher 1
Whl•e 90txmet chefa and mil'lfmalists may disagree, a lot of excJtement and act vity 1
can be generated tiYou{tl the ntrodut;uon of marrydtfferent •ngredlents toa prqect
and fuSing them togethor w•th a common thr'e:td. lnour eOI'J'1)eti t•on projoct fm- o ncw
plal"\ fOt the SléQPv tovwn of Akurevn, lceland, we aeated a conci r~..~ous pedestnanloop
comecting the ma•nS9'ts of the C•ty. We then ,nfused the toop w1th ttwee pro~ems
de~y the ntrocluction of new hous ng typologies based on donSitV of tJOjts. actMty
aser.esof paths and routes ai iOwing people to .ce skate. 'h8 k. roUerbt&de. kavak..jog.
sw.rn 01 tk••round lht 1001), ondt<:ology • sonesof green ~-~OJrated"bv the
oty's botai"'Cal gcwdeo pl¡s a Jooc)·wlde concentratiOnof altemate energy scuces,
fromwind·powcrod street,ights to solar collectors

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PROGAAM PAIMER ~ 9 1

-------------------
1
 II'AAIIS 1
,,------------------------------------,
Beyond Architectural Tools:
Equipment and Accessories
• FOflm NtverFelt to Good: the Foam Cut ter
Thehot wife foam cutter a!lows even the youngest intem to
crank out an unendmg stream of ard'lltectonte concepts w•thin
an e.xlremely shorl brne. lts power ls a•Netome. aUow1ng any idea
to~ •mmtd"'toly txptUSCid 1n tlv..-d•menstOnal fonn. choaply
and effioenttv Have vou notteed that Europeanarehiteet!l"e
these dsvs is alitde more danog and eXJ)ressive? lt's no cou'ICi·
dence d-.at there lsnot a single good manufact~Ser of small
hot·w•re foam cutters •n the US
• Abf'aeedabra: Oe.slgn by Exeel
lfs not just for" M9A's en more Not onfy c•n o tl"''fstervof EJCcel
help break the •ce wrth ycu de...elopér chetltS (and don't be afraid
to ask for bps, those guys •e spreadsheet kings) •t can also aid
;rrmenstly m the abstracbonof program and the rap.d mampula·
tlon of $lZQ, adjaeenc.es. and dls.tr•but•on. h can h~manage
your fHs ü well
• Siu Do.t Matter: E xpendi ng and Contrtcting
Program with AutoCAO
Budget O.Jtsgettlt'l9 you down?Try•sca&e all 98'Mt to yourpro·
gl'am d•agrams to offect on across the l:Jc:lllrd value ong.noering
coup. Tt-.ngs not eKC•tlf9 enou"'' Select.vely beef upcena•n
prowams while alimmmg ott.r., the d•fforonc::. wi!l onty be
noc;iceable •n the tmproved qua ty ol the hrnshed product The
'Strel ch· command ls also handf.
• For Help Doing the Exotie Stuff
Oon't beefra•d to eafl inexperts. especlally peop¡e.....tloerenot
archtects You would be amazQCI at how insp¡flnQ a th90fet•cal
dtSOJSSion w• th a mechanical eng.t~eer can be_.. no one has asked
them enything e)(Oept wnt bcationa and ah.aft sizes for years
·---------------------------;
PROGRAM PRIMER ( ~ 1
1
'
Ten Changes You Can Expect
From Programmatic Design
• A Fl rmer and Leener Projeet
You... be amNGd how y~ pto,tct .,.,,, ttwo.....ghditnt l'tv..ews.
vatue engineenng, and approvals pr-ocesses once it hast>Hn
imblbed wlth a strong and Slfr1)1e progJammatic concept.
• Better Posture
You11be able tobetter deferdyour poa.tiom when others caneas
ilyunderstand the ldeasvou want to ex;wess •nyr:xx arctutecwr e.
• Mot'e Fluibilfty
lf 'r(lU staft a project by eteattvetv te~maglf"iOQ rts programmat•c
elernonts, it becomes easy to q1.a ddy do so throughout the
process as une:)(pec:ted problems or condrtJOnS anse
• Better S.lence
Wettj:'IIOQ op\lonS and v••at!OI'"IS evenrualtv beocmes seoond nat~Se
and you wll fi.nd your declslon maktng abtlibes streamllned.
•less Back Pal n
Byc.-Ol6-training" ·mo\flng ft-(l"n E~l to the room eutter to
AutoCAO to meett~s outstde theoffice-you w111 f•nd loss sttaC"'
onyour body.
• New Friends
Ewntuallyyou w•l ftnd ';C)t.lrse!f stxroulded by non·arehttect
fn.ends and colleagues You11 find them much less intm•dat.ng
than Y'OJ once rnag.ned
• Soc:lol S kllo
lnstead ol peppenf'G yourcorworsabOnS w th ~gue ar'tn.tocture•
speak. worlcing Wlth real wortd programmatic ektmems W1ll grve
you & broad range of new slb)eC1s to talk about.
• Staying Power
lf you are eble to con'll•nee )'011 cllent of the strengthof your con-
CtQl vou w•ll be ....-pnMd •t the amo~.r~t of Ideas that wil reman
1'1 the ptojeet Ll"lbl the tt~d.
•More Fun
Actnt rt, u ISmore ertovab&e to readaweU·crafted story than
poetry .you krow f1
• More Profit
Alst kidd•ng ya/re still ao architect~
1
 ,Jnfrastructure.
• W.IA'et$ ~~

·Cr'oc:onAoueduttr. - - - -StanAIIen - - - --,, Fresh I(Jil$. Field~

Sonto Fe Ro~ Fbrtc. -KonSm;lh W_,lerGcrdM1

Joel S.,ders/Diana Balmoti
'
---,.--~iFCCA
Y'OS8
·Coostol Ari: .,UN Studio
Nl Archtect<S~. -~-

--
FOA.•

.81g Sof¡ Oronge ·EAPOZOOO

MVRDV Joll

<SIDI., • l&Jra
SANA.A• ......._
S.M.LXL. .WOAK . NOX • H20 A::wu·uon

........ ..
TC)f()ltO

OMA· RemKool
SeottM Lbrorr • -_r,.;s Grondfl Bibl<>rhl>que·
Mox Reinhordt Hovse.
F~ ln!ibtue o( Tecl'ndogy.

Diagram Porc de lo Viliette,

le Fr-.
'
1'<>!.\Aac:Swdio- - --_-Columbia University · • .Bernar
_,.,...
.Arrhgrom· Arctltectl.l'e As"Sooation--
Metabohns, lnstttutt t01 Archttect11e and Uban ~
·.~.r.ons\
Fun Poloce - C..tic Pnoe'
•EMdJs·
·LoWieSootJole· 'YonaF~ Connanc

Situationist lnternation¡
SuperStudiO. - '

CRS· A"""'- - Ardwt:oom· •AidoRoui

.Gro"~) N

·G

HIG· - - " - Bauhaus,

CIAM
Futurists- - - - - ·ConsttVCtNisu.

Confirmtd l•nk DAOA·

Surrealism - Collage/Montage/Asl

Industrial Archite(
 PR AX I S e
:

A Genealogy of Program
• SaorrtJiedFfor

1
NeiJQenan, oCorrugoted O...ct Hou9e
--. \

\
.Hybrid Bc.ifdings

~IArdwtec~ --- EdgeofoCrty

aas
Srr-~to Hous•.
\Definous New York

Narra ti V e
·Pc:rcdtloViflene ) Gvmnoil..mBndge - - , St.....,Hol

j Tschumi MormuonTronscnpts.
• Movrng Arrows, Eros ond othar Errors
..... • Fobticorions • · C~ Union • Oenlel Ubesklncl

- - - - - - - - · Houslngtht fot Twof'eopk '· ~e foro Mus/don

.Robert Smthson
.John Hejduk
· OetOU"ne~t

- - -Guv Debord ·Mon.lment&of Pa&SIIc New Jerw¡

as Rangef~

:MASSMI;OIA. .fhls lsT~t9eiS}

Cho<lts ond Roy e.rr...

: Eomes House
1 le COtbusiet" • A.bson OOI't'W'IO

Progrom Tree.
emblage

:ure
Contributors 1 lmage Credits
P~AXIS hes att~tedto trace and adnoYvledge au saurees for iln~sused in thls jovmal ond tinceretv regrtll errors01 or'ni$Sions We w U
gladly •ntlude errata as they are blliUQht to 01.1' attercion ll'l fvrure ISsues

2AROUTECTS.. BERNAAO TSCHUMI •S at1 ar'd'wtOI:t based tnNew Yoric: .W Pans Outeh archotect REM KOOLHAAS is
10QUESTIONS Flrst known as a lt!ll()(ost, ht •xhibrted a-Id pVbli_,od Tht IYonhoUon ptr~C>ple ot OMA toffiiCe for
OH PROORAM:: Tronscriprs 11978119811 and wrote Areh.oreccur't ond O.S,...ncllon Metrop()j•tan Archltecture) and 1ts
REWI(OOLMAAS • t\9941 In 1983, he won tht COf'll)et•tuln to dosign thl Pare de la r~rc:hoomponere A~O Wirnero(
8U_N ARD T$CHUMI Vtllette at lhe northea~t edgtof Pans.. He tS curently building the the Prttzl<er Arch•tec:t:ure Prlze ...
Pto,oct Ed ,tOO'~ Ntw Actopolrs MusQUm n Ath811s. Greeoe. the Athloetic Center a1 the 2000 Kool'laas has author41d runer •
AManda Reeser University of Cine.nnati, as wel! as a 6.000 eeat concctrt holh n OU$ booka lr'lclud.ng De/IIIOUS New
Lawrence and lwnoges. &IT'I.I$el.l'llneat (),on, anda resldtnt.al tower"' New York Y"'kl19781and S ,_,LXl11995l
IV;Ney Schaf• City He was OeanoftheGteduate Sehoolof lvehit.cture. Pl...,-.ng He i• Cll.l~tly Profcssor tn Pr~~etJca of
AA tmages cOJttesy of and PreservabO"' at Collll"bla lkl!verSity In New Yor1< from 1968 to Arcl'lltteture and Urban ()es¡gn at
the arci'Ytacts 2003 Hialatest book ie EWif'lt Cirtes 3, Cltbloshed ltl 2005 H•rwrd'• Greduot• Schodof 0..i9"

STUOIO(N· tlt Partners, CITia.to. h.tarcopouloe and Carol Mould"lelberroot DREAW HOUSES: STUOtO (N•U
the ~t ~tce. Studlo ~·U In rese.-Ch and c:r-Jt•cal anatvs-s The" projects Pro,ect Ed•tor ()(In Shoii~I.I'O
hou••·
ranga from f"l'lltt...-e stt.does. to tt'IIIO~t.eallr'd btJ,It to urbG!n All irnegescQ.IrlHyof Stl.Oo(~ll e~t
das.gn. Media. P<JPJ• rultu-e and art lnfluence the lnvesa.gatl(lft$&$ mvch 1). 22 (hou:se ~mage, tQJet leftl, p. 23 tct.ent wnage. bonom
a; technologv and sc:oence ~•copoulos and Moukheiber. both graciJMes of n¡¡tltl. p 25 ft«TaCe imagel .-.d p 26kanti~&Wr •IT\\lge
the Coopcr UniOI\ teacl1 in the arch tecue dapartments of the Cal•foml.a bottom lelO : h Morcopolis eopyr 9'1t 2005
Colltgt of lhe Arts'" San Francisco, and UC Berl(eley, respeaiwly.

THE TUt.AHE UHIVERSITV CENTER: VJAA VINCtiNT J AMES ANO JEHHIFERYOOS ar e8tc:hittets8tldl)8ttntrSM VJAA in
Pro,IOCt Edotort J MeeJnYoonand Aiavne Fra!tet Mlrneapotls Vlncer'ltJames lsan Aqooct: ProfesSO( a1 Harv•ds GraOJ.ate Sellool of
A llm8JQtS~tsvof VJAA Oe$9'1 Jemiftt Yoo; i& a Profes90r'·in-Pr-act ice at t he lkWYeraityof Mnnesoca

MACK SCOGINAHD MERRill ELAM, tht PENELOPi OEAN >S

two l)fonc•pals of Maek ~ Merr,ll ARCHtTt:Cn.tRIL MACK SCOOIH ME.IUULL ELAN a PhO cand~e In
E!am Archrtects, haveWClfi<.ed together 10 PrO!ttt EOtor Ashley Scha'er Cr,;ical SlUdies in
Of~hrtect..,... for fNOI thirty .,...re The firm. .al dra....,ngs. renderings .--d d'*9f*,. courtosy of M.ock Scogi" Nchittcturtl C'-'ture
tounded1n 1984 a$ P&rW and Scog.n. Merrill EJamA.rchtec~s at UCI.A. SheiSCI.I"·
leterbK:ame Scog~t~ ElarnondBray Mack AH phot~ bv Joeeph Chlrtouno t~~&.ss otl'wwlSI noted r.nUvvwsrtlng fect.ltv
Scogln and Merrll Elamh&Ye rnade 1he p 36-39 Pnotogrlf)hsbyA!;I'IIeySct\afer, exceottopm.ddle at the A.Jstll"l E
CCII'M"I!\ment to organize all of the \'1oOii( of "'Al ~ne..dy Knowl ton School d
1he frtm n• m.,ncr thot on""res thollf p 40 bottomr~t.pho(ogrephbyT..not.hyHI,.Ir$18'( Nchit.Ctt.l"e. osu
·~ .wl the d&v-to-dao;devélop- p 43 bonornn¡t11 ph<Kogr&QhbYAshlevSch&'if anc:t ..:t•tOf of me
INI'CofMCh~,.et Theflnn'spr...-.1 p -44 45 ·mdd!etwol>f'l'l89"bvl.mothyHU'sley
staH totals twenty twe

ELEMENTAL PROORAM.. R!THINKINO LOW COST HOUSINO ALIJAN ORO ARAYEÑA l&anffehtect,. tfte Elemental-<:opee Professor
IH Ctt!LE M tht Unrvets:<lld cató! ca dt Ct.te. and was a visitriQ professor at the
Projec:t Editor: lrine Vwona Harv•d Graduate Sehool ol 0osi9" from 2000 ~,~ntJ Z004 Named
p 36.r81'1derlf"'QSbyVICtor Oddo Oesogn Varq.wd 2004 by AtmleciVfOI Record. he h..bttn pubi<Shod
p 38· tOP ~tpho1ogrephb'(Aiej~o~ topleft in Oomus, CosobeMa,. Arq.t.itectllo Viw, ard 1OxlO_2. His .wt~rde
WT'III!Iges ccu-tetvof AlejJI'\CtroArtvñ lnClJde (.,a!•st for the Mle:s van det f«llle Award, 2001 Sant!8QO Biennale,
p 40- photog"ll)h bv T3deuz Jatoche 1st pri m. spec:ial ment!OnM the lberoamericans.maae 2002; •nd
p . 41 toplaft, top 1 ~ht end bottom lef1 by TomaaCorteM; speeial ~iQn et the V..iee S.emale. 1991. He ls current.ly 'lfOfb'lg on
bottom nght by W!lfredoRojas the 2000 ELEMENTAl housts •n ttndlf'-ent sit.K. and f•oohlf"9 the
S•ame• Towers (or the Un.....e.ctadC•tófica

PROORAM SHi n : HEW ORUAH!I

p 70·71 satel•te~rnaoecourtesy ofNOAA.
Nat101'1al Ocet~noc 8 Atmoephenc A.drnln.sttet¡on
Re$8arch CO!Tlpled by O,¡w,ty Si~ & Bruce Oed<er

THE DEAD MALLS
COMPETITION
PI'OJK't Ecltor
FrecMrtC'<. T.ang
Allimages CGurte!y of
the artl'll{ects t.n~ess
otharw•se notecl
P 58·59: .maga CWrté$y
Vic~or Gruen ANoc•at¡o;o¡
AHNE ROSENBERQ and EUZABETH (NEYERI BRINK liYe end foo'Otk ~ lo1 Angeles Anne •8 anAsaociete with
JoMston Mart<Jee ard EJI:rabethiS anAssooate at Gensler ConSI.Atlng. Bothrec&rved Masters o•
A.rd!itect~.n degrees frc¡m uctA in 2001
$TON!A M!EK •S en •Chit~e 8ncl urb_.. deslgnf1rm. f~ In 2000 The flfmv..l· be teOI'geni~ for
2006 J•ll Stontr .,.,u C'Qnton.A teach.nQ as a full~lmt faoultv f'nll"'"tler at UC Setk.ti..,IOd Susannah Motk
.,.,u eonthle the pracbee as a ao1e prq:lfletorahlp t.ndret the name S Meek Arehltecwra
PIERRE DE AHGE:US and CARMEN SUERO are~ archrtects besed in los Angeles Pierre is a.rrent)y
""oart;hing the oornec;tion bcJtween •~hltectl.lre'• flb~nt of the utopbn ~ •nd it•din'Wii.....d
1)01 1\1<:31 porn<er Carmen IS ~lng on 81)1'0J)OMI wtllch •rwest¡gates how ontermodall(V w 1fonn the ba:ses
for th• ntll't phMe ol c il:y bu•ldnQ
I.NTERBORO.s a New YorttC1tybasedresean:h and des.gn offc.e founded In 2002. lts !lo!bjeet tS the

----
e~raordinary. elCCJtii"'Q complexityof the conterroorarv(;lr:V W'lich 1t engages dvoughwntng. teachng. and
professlonal ptactlce lnt•boro hes won I"'JJTT•ou• .....
ards, mo:st retemly the AtdwtectU"al League's Yolslg
AlcbtectsAward lnterboro s TobiasArrrborst. Oaruel DOc-a. Georgeen Theodore and ChnstJne W11hams.
COA ~ fwmtd byOon Gol¡¡n, &~ K41hn ond Av.'•lllhoma.., in LOI Angel• in 1087 l'htif WQM( rong.s
trom researc:h and speculatlveproJettS toe serlesof teat :ed buldlngs In Los Angeles. New )'en(. and TOkyO

RASIE ... "a Patis·basecl firmcompnsed of thret ptlncrplt!t Ft~IS Rocht. Stéphanoe Uwau1t. PWOGRAM SCENARIOS· RUlE •.
and Jean Navatro. Theyhlwe been ~nV~ted to the last flw Blemales of Archttecture n Venlce. P1o,eet Ed.ton_
The archltectsof R&Soe haw ta!Jf#lt at the Bartlett School n london. the TU •n V>erna (2004), J Mefl•n Yoon ardAiavnefra~r
the ES~ n B«o.lona. th•l.k'li.,.,.~~otyof Pe~ania, ..::1 at the ESA in Parll AA if'I\IQG'I eoorteay ot R&Sie

PROGRAMMIHG A"EA PROGRAM: AACHIZOOM'$ NO·STOP CITY
Pro_JilC't EditCW' Anw'lda R..Mr Lowrenc•
p 84. p 85 !left) end p 91: propertyof Cetnro Stuche ArttwtO de!l&
Co!TUOie:azione.. IJnowrSiti degh Studi di ~ma
p. 85 t lgt'W), p. 86, and p. 88; magas oourtesy of Cenue Georges
Pornpdw Bibliote(Jie Kandlf'ISI(y fon:k.: Arctliroom
p 87 Hochhaueatedt. Nor·SUdatrasaeperspec;tiw"'ew
ludtv.g Katl H•WstiR'Ief Paoers. Ry91'$0n and&.rnhamArd'l~.
t'- Art l...,.t,tule of Chieago
KAZVS VARNELIS IS 3 fi)Utldlng memborolltlt ntw m«1113 atchlttc-
tU"• coltlct1ve AUOC, whOtH book, Thtt S'-'trulus Ptogressu:r1 wlll
be publlshedbyACTAR 102006. He ISa fellowat theAnnerberg
Ce~• fot COf'IYTIJricatiOna in the 200 5 ·2006 •Networked ~ia"
prog"am. ~ty of Southem Cahfom.a where he JSWOI'Iong on
hi& book.on the NetwCW'k Cty-of ..._.,il:h thls e&Sav will be a pQJt-
end o SoniOrt.«:tvrer et the Uni...,...ty of l imetit;k Previouslyhe
teught at tht Sovthem CaltfOfl'lla lnstttute of Arch1tectureand
the un.....,.tv of Perlnsytvan.a

RON WITTE IS a panner 1nWW. anarch,tectuf81 ptactice located 1t1 Pl'lnceton. New Jersey OAitWINlAH RIOULATINO LINII: TITHERS.
Witte •s also • Senior Lecnnr inthe Sdlool of ArdlltectU"e a1 Pr'nceton Unl.....-slt'( EDOtES ANO REVERIIEIU.TIONI
Project EdttOI'. Frederc.k Tang
A ll'flftgPScourt"Yof'WW

NOTES OH THE ADAPTrYE REUSE Of PROGRAW
Pro.,ect Ed tors Ben Gtlmart•f"Uind Ashlay Sc.hefet
p 102 CNerlavofpañ<.nganclsportsGndsV'IthCars.~.xS Maclean
p 104 lower ris#tt C.ntro StucieArchivio dell•Comt.rlictta:ione,
U'l•v~UidCQII Studidt Patma
p 106. tol): COI'b$: bonom ~rto Br.ci011SIO"GI()'4M cill Pouo·
MassimO Sc:hea.trer. Swdlo dt Arctli1ettU"aAldo b.siAHooat,
p 109. tOP left VCL Sentham Pro,ect; bottom leh. UN Stvd•o 1n co&abcr
ratl(lf"IW•thC.ol Balmond Ow Aryo& Partneral
JOHN MCMORROUOH IS anarchtect andtesearcher a.rrently
5tudy.ng tha relation of ~o to Otd'll tect...-.lond urban dis·
COli'St. His wfttJnQSIACi.lde trtatmentson peckts-~Nt~ malts.
o~trie arc-hlttctureos. ....,...gr'tlilhcs. and d'llll.ar'I!J.I~~ges of
post-modernism. He .s anAs&stant Professor ol Archltecttre
a1 The Oh10 State Unov.-..ty and works as a pat'Tnef with
stuchoAPT on a vat.ety of projects

WORK ARCHITECT\JRE CON PANY was fwnded in 2002 by Ama 'e
Anchoa t111dOon \!\tlod They •~ a fift..n-per'IQnfirm b..ad '"
New Volic C•tv eng89e(i 11'1 prQfeCUat au tc&les. "'the US 8nd
abtoad Thty •• •metesud "'elq)lo>t•no diJtanoe and • • •l'leQit~
by dfference TheybeUew In re!!lewc:f'llngthe 5pe0f.csof ~
prtljleCt and ate COf'M'lltted to the creat10not fOOTI through program
The.,. motto roes In thete·readlng of ewrydey He,lnjectlf"l9 !ll.rPOM
and ht.mer tn its ¡¡r.,.,hCI('(
PROORAM PRIMER U): A MANUAL FOR ARCHrTECTS
Pro.,ect Edotor: Amarde Ret&terlawret'ICe
All .maoescourtesyol 'WORK ~ olherw~ noted
p 11: ll'noge of 1)001 II'I"Ttf'l"'e Skart' phol;ograph by Tn Hirano
(th41 a....,t•r p.ttured iS Toby &.,..rger)
p 115c ,.,.go ol Flot foetOtY phot()(711lhbvE<'<oeo C""'
p 117: the Hotel Porlorrna p.cti.X8S • • acoftlbor..:lon bet~
nARCHITECTSand heldOFFICE
Contributors 1 lmage Credits
P~AXIS has att~ted to trace and adtnoYvledge alt saurees for imagesused in thi.s joumal fl'ld Jineoretv regrtll orrors01 OfftSSions We w,ll
gladly ~nc:lude errata as they are brought to 01.1' attertion •n Mure IS5Ue$

2 AROtiTECTS.. BERNAAO TSCHUMI •S atl ar'c hltett based 1nNew Yoric: and Pans Outeh arct'.t ect REM KOOLHAAS is
10 QUEST10NS Flrst known es a thear•st, he exhibtted ~ publi_,od T,. Monhouon p~Y"~Cople ot OMAtoff~te for
OH PROORA.t.l! Tronscrtprs 11978/19811and wrote Areh-tcectur't ond Ols)unc::tJon Metrop()j•tan Archltecwre) and 1ts
REW KOOLMAAS • tl9941 In 1983, he won the COf'll)etJtiOfl to dasign tht Pare do la rOSNrchQDt'1'1P01'Wrt A~O Wirner of
IEI\NARO T$CHUMI Vlllette at me northea~t edge of Par!$. He~ axrently building the the Pnul<et Arch•tec:tore Prltelf'l
Pto,eet EOtOI'l"
••t
Ntw Actopolrs Mustum nAthens ~ t he Athletic Center at the 2000. Kool"l8as hes -.,mor41d I'U'fWr·
AtnandaRees.> University of CineMau. as well as a 6.000 coocert halt Wl

-Schef-
ousboo~ lf'lcludii'IQ Del11•ous New
Lawrence and Umoges. a tn.~-.m near Dt,M, anda resldtNtal towef .n New York Y"'kl19781and S M, LXI. 11 995)
Clty He was Oeanoft:heGteduate Sehoolof Atehitecturo. Pl..,-..,g He it~ QU,.,.,-.t ly Profnsor tn PrectJCe of
AJ 1mages cOJttesy of and Preservaberl at Collll"bla lkii'IE!rs.ty In New Yottc from 1968 to Arcl'lltect\Jre ard Urban Oes.gnat
the arcMects 2003 H~ latest book is EWf'lt Cirtes 3, ~~ shed In 2005 HAM~rd'• Grllduat• Schoof of 0..i9"

STUOIO[N· H Portntf"t, CtTi&to. hAarcopouloe and Cerol Mou14"1e,berroot DREAW HOUSIES: STUDtO (N•U
the• practce. St\.ldlo ~·U. In feMarCh and C7Jt•cal anatys.s Thew- projects Proteet Ed•tor Don $1\.U ~I.I"Q
tWigiEI frOtTt f\.W"n.ture stucfoes. to thecret.eal and bt.ult hou•a. to urbon All imegatt Ca.rlH'(Of Studoo(~ ll•~t
des¡gn. Media, popul• rult\.le and art lnfluence the lnveshgatl(lftS.S mvch p. 22 (t"IOIJSe ~mage, t.Q?er lehl. p. 23 4cll@l1t ~mage. bon om
as ted'w"lologv and sci.ence ~aroopoulos and Moukheiber.lxlth ~ares of rifitltJ p 25fterraceimagel and p 26~i leWr 'ma~
the Coopor UrliOI\ teacl11n tt1e arch tectl..lle dt:~Partments of the Cal!foml.a bOttom lelt) : h• MJrtopolis copyr'(tlt 2005
CofleQt of lhe Arts'" San Frarcisoo, and UC Berl-:~ey. respectiwly.

THE TULANE UHIVEASIT'V CENTER: VJAA VINCiHT JAMES ANO JEHNIFER YOOS are •chittc:ts *'ld~tntrs M VJAA in
Pro,.etEdltors J Meejn 'lbonandAiavnaFr&.er Mirneapofls Vlncent James lsan Aqunct ProfesS« at Harvatds GradJ&te Scllool of
MwnaotSeo..n..svofVJAA Oe$9'"1 JtMifof Yoos i& a Professor·in -Pr-actic:e a; t he l.Jniwtrsityof Mnnesote

MACK SCOOINAND MERRill ELAM, tht PAOGRANMING ASPIRAT10N· KNOWLTON SCHOOL OF PENELOPE OEAN ~
two l)f".nc.pols of Maek ~ Merr 11 ARCHIT!:CT\IItl!; MACK SCOOIN N tiUtiU. ELAN aPtiO eandtd.Me In
Elam Archrtects, have'Mlf"l<.ed together"' PrO!ect EOtor Asl'lley ScNfer Cr~ical SM:Iies 11"1
o~hrtect....-. for over thirty veara Tho fwm. Al dfavN'9S rende.-ings and dolgf*,_ COUrtMY of M.x:k Scogir Archttecwrtl C4Jture
t()Jncle(fln 1984 as~ and Scogll"', Mem; EJamAtchtec•s at U<:lA. ShtiSCI.J'·
lattwbecamo Seog•n Elam andBtay M..::k An pi-Jo~ bv JoeephChartouno 111'-ss otherw•H noted reontlv v.s.tii"G fac...tty
Scogln and Metrlll Elamhave made the p 36·39 PhOtogl'a(lh$byAshlev Sct\afer. e)(Ceot top m.ddle at the AI.Jst.n E
corrmrtment to organ•ze a 1o( the worit of by Alotne..dy Knowl ton School of
the fitm 11"1 a m..-.ner thot Oti$1.Jits the.- p 40 bottomr~t.pho(ographby Trnot.hyHul"$lf'f Arctutettt.l"e. OSU
II"M)tvemetl( 11"1 the d&y-to-cl;)ydevetop- p 43 bon omn¡J11 pllo<og"'lllbVAshiO'(Schole< Jnd 41d•tOt of m.
INI"'.OfMCh~J8et Ttwflrm'sprosont p -44 4 5 mddle t~Jt"t18198! bv T~tnothy Hu-sfey
staH totals twenty twe

ELEMENTAL PAOORAM. RIETHINKINQ I..OW COST H0U$1N0
IN Cttlt.E
Project Editor: lrine Verona
p 36 rl!l'l6enngsbyVICtor Oddo
p 38 tOOOQhtp~ographb'(Aiejill'ldro~
meges eourtasyo f Ale jandro Al~
p 40 Pho'~"'" by Todouz Jalocha
p . 41 toptlft, top r.ght. end bottom lef1 by TomasCor-teM;
bottof'"l r,ght O,. W!lfredoRDjas
AU:JANDRO ARAYEÑA lunarchrtect,. tfte Elemental-<:opec Proles~
M tht Unrvtf$11C1ad C.tólca dt Ctwe_ and was a VlSit:Jng professor at the
Harl.oatd Graduate Sehool al Desig"l from 2000 unti Z004 N~
Oesogn Varq.wd 2004 bY Ald1o1ec1Vf01 Record, he h.. beon publ"'*'
;op left in Oomus. Co10beNQ. ArQuitectlXo Viw, ard 1Oxl O_2. Hls .wards
lnclJde f"l'lal•st for the Mies VM dar F«l"e Awerd, 2001 Sant1.8Q0 Biennele.
1st prim. &pec:ial mentiOf'l at the lberoamencana..em.Je 2002; ancl
speeial mentionet the V$'\iee611male. 1 991. He lso,¡rrently'lfOfkngon
1he 2000 ElEMENTALhousts •n t_,drf'-ent s itK. and fli"IIShi~ tne
Slamese Towers for thot Un.....s.dadCat~ica

PROORAM SHin; HEW ORUAH!I

p 70·7 1~ satel•t e imaotcourtesyof NOAA
Nationel Oceentc & Atmoephenc Adrnn.sttaWln
Research COIT"Ip.led by Oia"lty SI~ & Bruce Oed<er
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Expanding Surface
PRAXIS 9 advances a simple proposition: to consider the contempo-
rary fascination with surface without succumbing to the superficial.
Whi le neo-modern practices perpetuate modernism's ideologically
thin. transparent, and ephemeral surfaces, an increasing number of
contemporary designers are developing an architecture that exploits
surface for its materialization rather than dematerialization. These
thick, three-dimensional "expanded surfaces" are more than simply
enclosures. simultaneously embodying structural, environmental,
mechanical, t echnological, and information systems. Merging material
and performance, these fac;;ade systems are tailored to precise opera-
tive parameters. They are designed systems, not specified compo-
nents, that function as integral constructions, rather than applied
cladding or sheathing. Because expanded surfaces collapse and con-
flate multiple building systems, they hold new expressive potential and
give rise toa new territory of exploration into the contemporary nature
of ornament and patt ern.

Expanding Surface invites submissions that address these issues, both

in project and essay form. What are the roots of today's various investi-
gations of surface? How are contemporary architects reconstructing or
rethinking surface as a programmed and programmable entity? What
does surface do today?
ISBN 971.0·9703140-1-6