UID:
kobvindex_INT0005272
Format:
xi, 362 pages
,
richly illustrated (black and white), plans
,
28.5 x 22.5 cm
ISBN:
9780442261535
,
0442261535
Series Statement:
Columns ; 01
Content:
"The numerous case studies and commentaries in this book constitute an international debate on the goals, methods, and scope of social architecture. However, the 26 projects from 12 countries presented share a view of architecture as an instrument for transforming both the environment and the people who live in it. A world that comes into being, defines human activities, structures time and space, ignores users, and then changes or disappears in response to the invisible hand of the market is a comparatively recent phenomenon. It is a result of the transformation of everyday life and the redefinition of the city that have accompanied the rise of capitalist production. Steadily, the scope of personal involvement in housing, in work, and in city life has been narrowed. The final consequence is not only the loss of autonomy, of competence, of the city itself, but the loss even of the need for these things. Social architecture uses all the aspects of design -- process, content, and form -- to help people rediscover both their need and their ability to shape the world they live in. Social architecture defines three principal strategies to carry out this difficult task. This book proposes new meanings for participation and new means to make it more effective. Form is called upon to provide 'rational transparency' -- a radical functionalism that reveals the complexity of everyday life. Urban design is redefined as the structure of experience -- and education is discussed as the form of the city. With these strategies, social architecture posits a fundamental change in the relationship between people and the man-made world. Contributors were asked to describe the context of their projects, to lay out their social objectives and relate them to the completed designs, and to evaluate the results, providing directions for future work. The Scope of Social Architecture is divided into three sections -- the dwelling, the building ensemble, and the city, corresponding to the complexity of the projects presented."
Language:
English
Keywords:
Case studies
;
Edited volumes
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