Schumacher The Autopoiesis of Architecture, Volume II

A New Agenda for Architecture
1. Auflage 2012
ISBN: 978-1-119-94046-3
Verlag: John Wiley & Sons
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 760 Seiten, E-Book

This is the second part of a major theoretical work by PatrikSchumacher, which outlines how the discipline of architectureshould be understood as its own distinct system ofcommunication. Autopoeisis comes from the Greek andmeans literally self-production; it was first adopted in biology inthe 1970s to describe the essential characteristics of life as acircular self-organizing system and has since been transposed intoa theory of social systems. This new approach offers architecturean arsenal of general comparative concepts. It allows architectureto be understood as a distinct discipline, which can be analyzed inelaborate detail while at the same time offering insightfulcomparisons with other subject areas, such as art, science andpolitical discourse. On the basis of such comparisons the bookinsists on the necessity of disciplinary autonomy and argues for asharp demarcation of design from both art and engineering.Schumacher accordingly argues controversially that design as adiscipline has its own sui generis intelligence - withits own internal logic, reach and limitations.
Whereas the first volume provides the theoretical groundwork forSchumacher's ideas - focusing on architecture as anautopoeitic system, with its own theory, history, medium and itsunique societal function - the second volume addresses thespecific, contemporary challenges and tasks that architecturefaces. It formulates these tasks, looking specifically at howarchitecture is seeking to organize and articulate the complexityof post-fordist network society. The volume explicitly addresseshow current architecture can upgrade its design methodology in theface of an increasingly demanding task environment, characterizedby both complexity and novelty. Architecture's specific rolewithin contemporary society is explained and its relationship topolitics is clarified. Finally, the new, global style ofParametricism is introduced and theoretically grounded.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Schumacher, Patrik

Über Autor(innen)

Patrik Schumacher is partner at Zaha Hadid Architects. Hejoined Zaha Hadid in 1988. In 1996 he founded the 'DesignResearch Laboratory' with Brett Steele at the ArchitecturalAssociation School of Architecture in London, and continues toserve as its co-director. He studied philosophy and architecture inBonn, Stuttgart and London. In 1999 he completed his PHD at theInstitute for Cultural Science, Klagenfurt University. Hiscontribution to the discourse of contemporary architecture is alsoevident in his prior writings (Digital Hadid, London 2004)as well as in his work as a curator (Latent Utopias, Graz2002). Currently he is working on an exhibition showcasingParametricism.