The
current trend for constructing experimental structures is now an
international phenomenon. It has been taken up worldwide by design
professionals, researchers, educators and students alike. There exist,
however, distinct and significant tendencies within this development
that require further investigation. This issue of AD takes on this task
by examining one of the most promising trajectories in this area, the
rise of intensely local architectures. In his seminal essay of 1983,
Kenneth Frampton redefined Critical Regionalism by calling for an
intensely local approach to architectural design. Today, Frampton’s
legacy is regaining relevance for a specific body of work in practice
and education focused on the construction of experimental structures.
Could this ultimately provide the seeds for a compelling and alternative
approach to sustainable design?
Contributors include: Barbara Ascher, Peter Buchanan, Karl Otto
Ellefsen, David Jolly Monge, Lisbet Harboe, David Leatherbarrow, Areti
Markopoulou, Philip Nobel, Rodrigo Rubio, Søren S Sørensen, Defne
Sunguroðlu Hensel.
Featured practices: Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Rintala Eggertsson, SHoP, Studio Mumbai, TYIN tegnestue.
