MATERIALITY AND CONSTRUCTION.
FIVE POSITIONS IN CONTEMPORARY SWISS ARCHITECTURE

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, Gund Hall, Piper
Auditorium
48 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
Saturday, November 14th 2009, 10am – 6pm

Open and free to the public
to register, please send an email to
swissarchsymposiumgsd.harvard.edu

Co-Convenors
Dr. Ole W. Fischer
Elli Mosayebi

Even within a global world there persist local forms of knowledge and
practices that lead to differentiation, this may seem obvious. Yet what
does this mean for the theory and practice of architecture? Like the
fine arts, architecture shows a long record of supranational
periodization. And with the prevalence of modern architecture the
discipline became a true agent of Western culture on a global scale. On
the other hand local agents including the networks of clients, as well
as legal, technologic and economic factors, combined with the
collaboration of builders and craftsmen, shape local specificities which
are enhanced by the dominance of certain "ideas" or "topics", such as
"construction" and "materiality" for contemporary Swiss architecture.

Today with the dissolution of national boarders (within Western
societies) and the emergence of a global market for architectural design
we would like to re-address the ideological framework of the "National"
challenging what terms such as "Swiss" or "American" mean with respect
to (the discipline of) architecture and the built work? How are these
preconceived notions of National differences related to architectural
thinking? - From our observations there are alternative ways to pose an
architectural "question" or "theme" that precede the actual design work
and building production, something like an (implicit) idea of
architectural action. In this case it would be possible to identify
different "theories of practice" (similar to Le Corbusier's "l'art de
produire"). As an example, the emphasis on construction, materiality and
sensual effect differs from diagrammatic and parametric design methods.
Both result in alternating concepts for teaching and research.

In order to challenge this working hypothesis on various "theories of
practice" and their relation to the contested terrain of the "National"
we bring together practitioners and educators from Switzerland and the
US to open a dialogue on parallels and differences of the production,
reflection and education of architecture.

Schedule

Saturday, November 14, 2009

10:00
Welcome
Mohsen Mostavafi, Dean Harvard GSD, Cambridge
Pascal Marmier, Director and Consul, Consulate-swissnex Boston

Opening remarks
Ole W. Fischer, Harvard GSD, RISD, Elli Mosayebi, ETH Zürich

11:00
Marcel Meili, ETH Zürich:
"Thinking Production"
Respondent Mark Jarzombek, MIT, Cambridge
Discussion

12:00
Inès Lamunière, EPF Lausanne:
"Thick Space"
Respondent Michael Meredith, Harvard GSD, Cambridge
Discussion

Lunch Break

14:00
Daniel Niggli, ETH Zürich
"Both-and"
Respondent Danieller Etzler, Harvard GSD, Cambridge
Discussion

15:00
Dieter Dietz, EPF Lausanne:
"Marking Space"
Respondent Ingeborg Rocker, Harvard GSD, Cambridge
Discussion

Coffee Break

16:15
Harry Gugger, EPF Lausanne:
"From Designer back to Planner / Producer.
Expanding the Sphere of Influence"
Respondent Hashim Sarkis, Harvard GSD, Cambridge
Discussion

17:15
Conclusion

Apéro offered by the Consulate-swissnex Boston

Acknowledgements:
Pro Helvetia, Swiss Arts Council
Swissnex Boston, Consulate of Switzerland
Harvard University, Graduate School of Design
Harvard European Design Circle
GSD Culture Club