Postcolonial Architecture | Kitschy Kurdistan

Iraqi-Kurdistan is the only autonomous region of Kurdistan. The economy has flourished since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The region’s economic success has given momentum to the building of new infrastructure, following the current Zeitgeist to be as western as possible. However, this has led to the implementation of kitschy and socially engineered architecture. Neither of the two approaches of design reflect the rich culture of Kurdistan that previous generations grew up with, nor will they contribute to the production of a healthy living environment for future generations to come. //

Eric Höweler Interview

“Blurring the Boundaries Between Art and Architecture and Bridging the Gap with Digital Design” //

There Is A Crack In Everything; That’s How The Light Gets In

Three fragments of Leonard Cohen’s poetry; questions about art, design, and intention.

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What is gray_matter(s) to me?

Gray Matter refers to a collection of cells that receive and relay sensory information.  A greater density of cells in a certain area of the brain produces a heightened level of intelligence or skill for the function controlled by that section of neural tissue.  gray_matter(s) is a group of individuals that find, process, and share information that we deem sensational.  Participating in this venture will revivify my collective knowledge.  Just as signing up for a race instigates a helpful nudge to train more fiercely, contributing to this blog shall be a stage on which to dream with greater verve.  This course shall act as a platform for discovery.  Challenging myself to contribute visual and textual entries will satisfy my affinity for creative exercises.  Activity with the collective will heighten my awareness of Atlanta’s artistic community, while gaining an enhanced perspective on Architecture’s role within our culture.

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what is gray_matter(s)?

‘Each wall of each hexagon is furnished with five bookshelves, each bookshelf holds thirty-two books, each book contains four hundred ten pages, each page, forty lines; each line, approximately eighty black letters.’ //

what is gray_matter(s)

gray_matter(s) is the creative channel I never knew I needed.

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The polemical poetics of nature

Chapter 1. The royale with cheese.

Aspartame. When digested this artificial sweetener transforms into aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. Mysterious names for mysterious substances.

Methanol, a dangerous and volatile substance by its own nature, when metabolized by liver transcends into formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde as embalming agent.

Acrylamide. Another horror story for another day. 82 micrograms preserving.

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meandering inspirations

a derive through the lens of an f/1.8 50mm.

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The Vision of One

They never saw it coming. They had no way of knowing.

The first visionary tried to warn us. His warnings fell on deaf ears [or blind eyes]. The ability to see has been compromised. A culture of visuals is incapable of understanding. There is only a topical appreciation. An aesthetic appeal. A visceral frisson.

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Distance [pt. 1]

At the beginning of the semester we all wait with bated breath to hear either which professor and which students we will be working with. Sometimes the answer can be quite overwhelming and other times the answer can be intriguing. This semester I found myself classmates with two exchange students, one from Germany and one from Sweden. At first I was nervous! Yet, slowly I have been realizing that there isn’t that much distance between us. //

By Any Other Name

Design by any other name is still design? Can we find warm homes for design in the sciences and engineering courses at Tech? Are they in hiding there already? Share thoughts. //

lego + architecture: my life comes together

In the latter half of my high school years, I wondered what I’d major in since my parents really didn’t approve of me being an actor (I would have turned out to be the next Kal Penn or Aziz Ansari). I decided to look back on my life and ask myself what had prepared me to choose a major. As a kid, I loved to play with Legos. I played with them well into middle school, as I am somewhat ashamed to admit. Of course, a talented bricklayer translates to architecture, correct?

My first week at Tech I dropped out of architecture and CFY. A year later, I was back in. It’s funny the way things zigzag from node to node and then all of it turns into a story. It’s not a question of how or why it happens to be so, but a question of the motifs and the face value of these things in that they can affect us. Philosophy rarely affects unless it can take some sort of physical, logical or emotional form.

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Making Change as Designers

A critique of philosophical idealism in the field
By Keefer Dunn

What is the driving force of history? Is it ideas?

Idealism was best argued for by the German philosopher Hegel, who put forward that “All reality is spirit.” So if reality is simply an individuals perception, then the way you change the world is by changing the way people see the world through the exchange of ideas.

For architects, this notion has an obvious appeal. If it is the force of perception that determines reality, than our ability as designers to shape perception makes us demigods. It is a trap that transcends style and period.

The opposing philosophy of Idealism is Materialism. This advocates that there is a reality that exists outside our perceptions, composed of atoms and material. The tree that falls in the woods still makes a sound even without anyone to hear it. The implication is that the organization of this reality determines our own. The manner in which people procure resources pre-configures all else, including culture and the ideas that are conceivable.

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