the Inconspicuous Yellow Office investigates alternative architectural practice
Live project is interesting!
Optimistic
• dealing with LIVE matters
• non-restrictive rules
• opportunity to innovate new idea
• practical learning
• team working
• improvement of personal skills
• a step forward towards the social life
• help the others
• etc…
Pessimistic
• out of control
• time consuming
• time = money!!!
Do you agree with me?
If you are interested, please come and visit the OFFICE, art tower 17th floor
Why do we do live projects? Why do they have to be alternative? If the majority of students go on to work in commercial practices then shouldn’t the projects reflect this? They could be used as a stepping stone for future jobs, why not? Are we being taken advantage of? OK so it feels good to put something back into the community but as a student wouldn’t it feel better to have enough cash to eat and afford your rent, or to have free printing and model making materials? We’ll be in enough debt by the time we qualify so why shouldn’t we be able to avoid some?
Just to play devils advocate you understand…
Tom Vigar
During our open minded discussion on 2 October, a number of parameters emerged that could be used to define ‘alternative’ architectural practice. On reflection this appeared to have become an area we overlooked during the early stages of the project. It was interesting to begin to ask questions about where the past and current live projects that we have collated could sit on sliding scales that could be used to connect the extremities of architectural practice. The possibility of mapping certain projects on these different scales raised the possibility of actually creating some kind of two or three dimensional representation. Paul refered to this in his comment on Architectural practice is… as a potential globe of parameters.
In order to define alternative practice, we paired some key definitions with their imagined opposites. All these pairings are purely suggestive and open to comments (click at the bottom of the article). If you feel some are inappropriate, edit this article and highlight them.
Do not be put off by their traditional linear pairing: these could easily be explored more easily through a series of three dimensional chords.
Competitive < – > Co-operative
Theoretical / Practical < – > Theory / Practice
Teacher / Student < – > Changeable roles
Hierachical < – > Flat
Structured < – > Flexible
Degree orientated < – > Process orientated
Knowledge < – > Judgement
Fixed (thinking) < – > Flexible (thinking)
Product < – > Process
Tutor centered < – > Student centered
Conservative < – > Speculative
Design / style < – > Design / research
Male < – > Inclusive
Individual < – > Group
Genius < – > Self critical
Traditional < – > Radical
Closed < – > Open
Internal < – > Sharing
Enclosed < – > Cross-disciplinary
Personal < – > Participatory
Profit < – > Non-profit
Regulatory < – > Freedom
Temporary < – > Permanence
Exclusive < – > Interactive
Dictated < – > Discussion
Infamiliar < – > Familiar
Distanced < – > Close
Telling / preaching < – > Understanding
Easy < – > Difficult
Blind < – > Aware
Problem Solving < – > Problem Making
Answers < – > Questions
Negotiable < – > Non-negotiable
(use the comment facility to finish the sentence)
From: James Brown
To: Zoe Lee, Emma Williams, Julia Udall, Kevin Ryan, Matt Plummer, Paul Bower, Pete Buist, Tom Vigar, Doina Petrescu, Florian Kossack, Tatjana Schneider
Date: Wednesday, 28 September 2006
Subject: James has invited you to use WordPress
Hi, this is James and this is your invitation to join the Live Project Live Project blog.
This will become our online conversation about the process our live project goes thorugh. Every member of the live project can log on and publish an entry, which is presented in chronological order on the homepage. Photographs and videos can also be embedded.
As agreed in Wednesday’s meeting, anyone who visits the blog can comment on a published entry, although you must be registered to write an actual entry.
Follow the instructions on the link below to subscribe. Just get an account, and then you can start writing and uploading.
Shall we begin by asking at least two contributions a week from each person? Please begin by writing up and publishing your personal ‘minutes’ and opinons on today’s Wednesday’s) meeting.
See you Friday,
James
This live project will take place within the framework of the European Platform for Alternative Research and Action in the City, a ‘Culture 2000′ European Union funded project, which runs as a partnership between atelier d’architecture autogérée (Paris), the School of Architecture University of Sheffield, Recyclart (Brussels) and Metrozones (Berlin). The Platform acts as the ‘client’ for this live project. The purpose of this live project is to look at, document and analyze live projects as a specific means to question mainstream architectural practice within the contects of the creation of an international archive that will be open to researchers, practitioners and the wider public.
The ‘Live Project’ live project is about the organisation of a public forum for and about live projects. There might be a project office within the school but also more temporarily occupied and adapted spaces within the city from which activities and events will take place and be organized. This shall offer visibility and enable relationships between all other live projects and different civic initiatives in Sheffield and eslewhere. Building upon the existing live projects archive, the ‘Live Project’ will organize encounters, public debates and small workshops. These events will bring together Sheffield students and academics, pas and present clients, local communities and practitioners with external researchers and activitists involved in the European platform.
The final product could be something to distribute, something durable, something tangible. Maybe a fanzine, a tabloid, or a poster. Something that can document the entire process and will inform future live projects and other creatively engaged practices in the city and beyond. This self-organized live project should become a celebration of alternative ways to practice architecture.
