Associative Protocols | Catalyst Workshop | University of Minnesota | 20100308-20100312
Ronnie Parsons + Gil Akos
Architecture continuously informs and is informed by its modes of representation and production. Evidenced by recent material, construction and media innovations in our field, the introduction of computation and fabrication has accelerated and broadened the means by which architects imagine and construct the world. As architects, we have the unique capacity to catalyze opportunities in this contemporary scenario into novel design solutions.
While this fertile ground may seem exclusive to the contemporary condition, there is a rich history of material and construction innovation within the field of architecture poised for interrogation. This can be seen in the work of architects such as Charles and Ray Eames, Erwin Hauer, and Miguel Fisac, whose explorations prefaced architecture as a material practice. Drawing from such precedents, this workshop will investigate a design model that simultaneously incorporates means of working and making that are iteratively examined and cross-related through prototyping and material testing.
Associative Protocols encompasses processes that are explicit, specific, and operative. This model will be the mechanism by which we incorporate design and fabrication constraints as well as cultural pressures in the design of rich and robust material assemblies and prototypes.