ARCH 470E - Extreme Architecture

Institution:

Washington University in St Louis

Subject:

Description:

Imagine living on an oil rig, or in a submarine, or at the South Pole. What have we designed as places of habitation in these extreme environments? What can these extreme living conditions teach us about new ways of surviving (even thriving) in these environments, about new enabling technologies, and the evolution of habitation and settlement in general? The increasingly broad scope of human endeavor and exploration takes us into some very unusual environments and challenging conditions. Unexpected and surprising concepts are found hidden in these esoteric arenas. Think of marine, polar, submarine, or subterranean exploration (or exploitation), and the research-rich areas of military and defense programs, or programs for lunar and extra-terrestrial exploration. Likewise, think of the design intelligence that has been applied to the more common supports of modern life: air transportation, sea travel, recreational shelter, the trucking industry, mobile and emergency housing, and many others. The tradition of visionary thought in architecture is well established and is investigated during the course of the semester. However, our focus goes beyond those speculative propositions, to the actual experimentation and implementation being carried on today-often outside the domain of formal architecture. This course seeks to uncover the array of concepts, contexts and conditions in which the most original thinking about living in unconventional situations is taking place, literally making new places for people. We examine some of the ideas, methods, and places already in play for sustaining human occupancy in extreme conditions, particularly those that have required highly specialized and novel design responses. There we find existing and developing infrastructures for habitation that seldom enter the realm of conventional practice, either because they are considered too exotic and extreme or too marginal. Yet by investigating these very active trajectories of design and creativity, we open rich sources for inspiration and real promise of architectural innovation.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wustl.edu

Phone Number:

(314) 935-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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