Titular Professors
Professors
- To investigate the design potential of maps, diagrams, scripts and scores.
- To introduce complex systems of graphic thinking, both conceptually and instrumentally.
- To learn how to read the complex information that may inform architectural design, from site to programmatic conditions and many more.
- To support innovation in advanced architectural design using tools and techniques available to the contemporary architect.
This course aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of operative mapping as a methodological approach in the design disciplines. Through a combination of theoretical discussions, case studies, and hands-on exercises, students will explore the conceptual and instrumental aspects of operative mapping and learn how to apply it effectively in their design practice.
○ Part 1: CONCEPT
◦ Pages 18-23 Two Maps + The Concept of Operative Mapping
◦ Pages 29-34 Positivity, Expressivity and Operativity
◦ Pages 35-39 The Map as a Mediation System
◦ Pages 50-58 Structure, Process, Performance
◦ Pages 103-117 Post-representational Cartography + Augmented Mapping
○ Part 2: SCOPE
◦ Pages 120-124+199 Towards a Contemporary Imaginary + Coda
◦ 3 of the 7 chapters
○ Part 3: PRACTICE
◦ Pages 218-226+227, 242, 259, 280 Modes of Operative Mapping + VCPI
◦ Pages 307-313 Epilogue
The course will consist on three kinds of activities:
A. Lecture Professors will present lessons to give an overview of the subject matter.
B. Assignment Students will work on short assignments (synopsis and commentary) that will be discussed and reviewed on the next class.
C. Review Professors and students will collectively present and review the assignments.
We will use Operative Mapping: Maps as Design Tools (Paez, 2019) as the main textbook.
Required readings based on the abovementioned book (please see BIBLIOGRAPHY) will be assigned after each lecture to cement and expand on the subject matter. Weekly assignments will comprise a short (300 to 500 word) synopsis of the readings plus a short (300 to 500 word + 1 image) critical commentary of an example chosen by each student. The synopsis will summarise the readings in a clear and concise manner. The commentary will critically address an operative mapping example chosen by each student. One image and proper sourcing of the example are required.
Student work between classes and active participation in class are necessary for the proper development of the seminar.
To evaluate the effectiveness of the course "Maps, Diagrams, Scripts, and Scores: Systems of Mediation in Architectural Design," will base it on:
1. Understanding of Concepts: Assess the students' comprehension of the theoretical concepts discussed in the seminar, such as the role of maps, diagrams, scripts, and scores as mediators in architectural design. This could be evaluated through written reflections or oral presentations where students demonstrate their understanding of the material.
2.Application of Techniques: Evaluate the students' ability to apply the learned techniques of operative mapping in their design work. This could be assessed through design projects or exercises where students create maps, diagrams, scripts, or scores to inform their architectural decisions.
3. Critical Thinking and Analysis: Evaluate the depth of students' critical thinking skills by examining their ability to analyze complex information and translate it into actionable design strategies. This could be assessed through written analyses of case studies or discussions where students critique and interpret various examples of graphic thinking in architecture.
4. Innovation and Creativity: Assess the students' capacity for innovation in architectural design by reviewing the originality and creativity of their design solutions. This could be evaluated through design projects or presentations where students showcase their unique approaches to using maps, diagrams, scripts, and scores in their work.
5. Collaboration and Communication: Evaluate the students' ability to engage in productive dialogue and collaboration with peers during review sessions and open discussions. This could be assessed through peer evaluations or feedback from instructors on the quality of students' contributions to group discussions.
6Integration of Theory and Practice: Assess the extent to which students are able to apply theoretical concepts learned in the seminar to practical design problems. This could be evaluated through design projects or presentations where students explicitly demonstrate how their use of maps, diagrams, scripts, and scores reflects an understanding of the underlying theory.
7. Overall Growth and Development: Evaluate the overall growth and development of students' skills and understanding of operative mapping throughout the duration of the course. This could be assessed through pre- and post-course surveys or reflections where students self-assess their progress and identify areas for further improvement.
Students are requested to submit all the material on the e-study subject code PA027.
System MIAD for grading exercises:
04.9 Fail (this means that the tutor will have to ask the student to submit a supplementary work). 5.06.9 Pass.
7.08.9 Good.
9.010 Excellent/Distinction.
On this basis, students will be evaluated on several aspects such as: Attendance - 10 %
Assignments - 60 %
Final presentation - 40 %
Blog posts submitted in order to get final marks.
ALLEN, Stan. Notations + Diagrams: Mapping the Intangible. Practice: Architecture Technique + Representation. New York : Routledge, 2009. 40-69.
CORNER, James. The Agency of Mapping: Speculation, Critique and Invention. Mappings. Ed. Denis Cosgrove. London: Reaktion Books, 1999. 213-252.
PAEZ, Roger. Operative Mapping: Maps as Design Tools. New York: Actar, 2019.
TSCHUMI, Bernard. Operative Drawing. The Activist Drawing: Retracing Situationist Architectures from Constants New Babylon and Beyond. Eds. de Zegher, Catherine and Mark Wigley. New York: The Drawing Center, 2001. 134-137.
BATT, Noëlle ed. Penser par le diagramme: de Gilles Deleuze a Gilles Châtelet. Saint-Denis : Presses Universitaires de Vincennes, 2004.
BERKEL, Ben van et alt. Between ideogram and image-diagram. OASE, 48 (1998): 63-71.
BUNSCHOTEN, Raoul. Stirring the City: CHORAs diagrammatics. OASE, 48 (1998): 72-82.
CARAËS, Marie-Haude, and Nicole Marchand-Zanartu. Images de Pensée. Paris: Éditions de la Réunion des musées nationaux, 2011.
CARRASCAL, Gabriel. El Lugar de la Cartografía. Cuadernos de Proyectos Arquitectónicos, num. 3 (2012):44-49.
CERTEAU, Michel de. The Practice of Everyday Life. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984.
CRAMPTON, Jeremy W. Mapping: A Critical Introduction to Cartography and GIS. Chichester : Wiley- Blackwell, 2010.
DAIDALOS: Diagrammania, 75 (2000).
EASTERLING, Keller. Organization Space: Landscapes, Highways, and Houses in America. Cambridge : MIT Press, 1999.
EISENMAN, Peter. Diagram, an original scene of writing. Diagram Diaries. New York: Universe, 1999.
JACOB, Christian. The Map as Mediation. The Sovereign Map: Theoretical Approaches in Cartography Throughout History. Chicago: University of Chicago press, 2006 [1992]. 21-31.
KWINTER, Sanford. The Hammer and the Song. OASE, 48 (1998): 31-43.
PAEZ, Roger. Cartografías Operativas y Mapas de Comportamiento. Querido Público: El espectador ante la participación: jugadores, usuarios, prosumers y fans. Eds. Roger Bernat and Ignasi Duarte. Murcia : CENDEAC, 2009. 173-199. [English translation provided].
PAEZ, Roger. Derivas urbanas: la ciudad extrañada. Revista Indexada de Textos Arquitectónicos, 1 (2014): 120-129. [English translation provided].
PAEZ, Roger. Cartografia Operativa. Usos del Mapa al projecte Arquitectònic, 1982-2012. Doctoral Dissertation. Departament de Projectes Arquitectònics, ETSAB, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2015.