Apoyemos a la Universidad Central de Venezuela

No hay ninguna idea, por buena que sea, que justifique acabar con la universidad, porque en la universidad es donde más se respetan las ideas.

Investigación en Arquitectura Venezolana

La investigación arquitectónica de calidad se abre camino en Venezuela. El vínculo lleva al sitio de la Trienal de Investigación de la Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo de la Universidad Central de Venezuela, mi Alma Máter.

En documentos en PDF se puede acceder a las ponencias que tienen un nivel contrastable, aunque mejorable. La iniciativa tiene que continuar y recabar todos los apoyos posibles. El laboratorio que representa la ciudad de Caracas y el país entero ameritan el esfuerzo.

Universal Design for Learning

UDL is design applied to meet true diversity in education as learning skills in each individual are as different as their fingerprints.

There are three main principles for this pedagogical strategy:

• Present the students the subjects in multiple ways
• Allow them to express themselves in multiple ways
• Create multiple ways of engagement

In all cases, the students are at the centre of the experience. CAST is a nonprofits organization that has been working for more that 25 years now and it's doing its job very, very well. They have many free interactive tools for students and teachers. An example to be followed.

Student Engagement

Information on student engagement. It is done by the NSSE Institute for Effective Educational Practice of USA. At the end of the brochure there are some web sites very useful. You can tailor your own report with the Report Builder to hit the subject you want to measure.

There is also a Spanish version of the Guide to Choosing a College: Questions to ask on your college visits. It is very useful to learn criteria on choosing your educational institution, in spite the Spanish there is even worse than the English in this blog, I am afraid.

¿Occupy Harvard?

Economic students walked out a class at Harvard in solidarity with the Occupy Movement. It is normal that the students, who are going to live gloomy lives thanks to it, feel uneasy with the promotion of principles that have cause current global crisis. But that is not that clear.

The faculty chosen as a target was professor N. Gregory Mankiw, a New Keynesian economist that advised George Bush and has written some of the most important text books on the subject. University politics are always unpredictable. Not so long ago, Harvard Crimson celebrated the return of former president Larry Summers, previously fired for sexism, and one of the main responsible for laissez-faire fever. Now, a Keynesian gets the punch. In a previous post (The responsibility of Number One) I compared the reaction of the London School of Economics and Harvard in front of ethically controversial cases. It's in Spanish here.

In spite all the trouble this event may cause, it is encouraging that Harvard students think that "Harvard students will not do that anymore. We will use our education for good, and not for personal gain at the expense of millions." Here is the link to the news by the Universtity of Phoenix and here by Harvard Crimson.

Dibujo del bueno

Federico Correa, catedrático emérito de la Escuela de arquitectura de Barcelona, y uno de los mejores dibujantes de la profesión, expone sus últimas obras. Sus dibujos son un prodigio de talento y gusto exquisito. Imperdible.

Say no to ACTA

If you appreciate internet freedom, say no to ACTA.

Continuing Education Center

Learning, advertising, business all together, mixed up with excellent results.

The McGraw-Hill site, Architectural Record, (yes, that magazine we all learned from at the university with the help of the long time no see "Goedex Sytem") has the Continuing Education Center that have tutorials on materials, building procedures and even architectural critique (with drawings!!!). All the "courses" are supported by Adobe slide presentation and are extremely informative.

It is a wonderful alternative to those visits of the firms representatives to the schools of design and architecture. Ah, and you can get a certificate after each course (if you take the test, of course). Check the videos too.

Joan Busquet Erasmus Prize

Joan Busquet is a sort of undercover heroe. He is the prototype of the discrete architect (the opposite of the star architect). His works intend to convert our cities into liveable places that respect history and traditions and are uptodated at the same time.

The brief of the Erasmus Prize describes it very well. The link is the news in the Spanish newspaper El Pais.

Social Media at University

As I said in the post before, reality is way ahead institutions at the moment. The outburst of social media is obliging universities to regulate its use in campus. Interestingly enough, the first reactions from students have been complaining about censorship.

The case of Sam Houston State University (SHSU) is eloquent. Certainly the “Occupy Wall Street” mood is behind the naïve street actions done by SHSU students reported in this article from The Chronicle of Higher Education. Freedom of Speech is mixed up with utter freedom of one side in the story, no doubt about it.

Nevertheless, it is interesting to read the manual of Social Media Policy and Procedures of SHSU draft (click here) because we all will be involved very soon in problems of that sort.

Reinventing Higher Education

¿Is education going to be reinvented by institutions or by people? Facts, like Kahn Academy, show that the acceleration of current life is leaving behind even the best educational institutions. The article in this link gives an idea of the real dimension of the problem. Anyway, IE University is making a great effort that benefits all.

Learning Revolution at Harvard

The only way to go ahead changes is improving learning.

Harvard, again, has taken the lead: transversal knowledge among the whole university, ICT, Mobile Learning, etc. It is not just a matter of having funds: those 40 million dollars could have been spent in so many fashionable items far away from pedagogy.

Mobile Learning

Relating knowledge to everyday life is the clue for a long lasting education. Mobile technology give us that opportunity. Let's try it.

The Thinking of Thom Mayne

Interesting lecture by architect Thom Mayne, at IAAC, Barcelona, yesterday. He talked about the “type of thinking” behind his works.

Through the lecture, he developed his point underlying certain “Non-Cartesian way of thinking” and also “thinking through things and not through words”. He illustrated his approach to thinking by celebrating things that are “always unique, never systematic”. In the case of the entrance to his extraordinary new building in China, the Giant Group Campus, the architect from Connecticut described it as “100% conceptual, completely useless, pure rhetorical”. Even, at a certain point, the 2005 Pritzker Prize resumed his whole life as a devotion to “not doing classical architecture”.

Ultimately, it sounded that Mayne, more than showing his way of thinking, showed the way he intensifies his beautiful forms by hiding the simple and extremely conventional way of thinking that lays behind his works. This slight contradiction, that does not devaluate a bit the immense quality of his work, is interesting for me, as I am working at the moment "How we think" by John Dewey in order to improve how we teach architecture. This contradiction just mentioned is assumed by Mayne himself: He emphasised that the “chassis” of his Cooper Union building in New York, was “incredibly simple”, and that this fact was completely hidden to the user through the concentration of the “encounters of different things” in its extremely sophisticated hall.

In the end, it seems that it is not “not putting the dot in the middle of the line” what warranties that Maine puts it in the proper place. It’s clear that it is his sculptural gift, which undoubtedly he has, what allows him to behave the way he does, not a especial way of thinking. But, wait a second… ¿Is not classical to hide simple structures under decoration?

The Architecture Film Festival of Rotterdam

To connect architecture and cinema is always a feast. At Rotterdam, it's already taking place, maybe, the best of this mixture the AFFR.

From 6 to 9 October the LantarenVenster cinema in Rotterdam on Wilhelminapier is the epicentre of the 6th Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam (AFFR). For four whole days film and architecture devotees can indulge themselves with a programme packed with shorts and feature films, documentaries about glamour architects, debates, talk shows and excursions.

Wrong Things with Education

"There are only two wrong things with the education system:

1) What we teach

2) How we teach it"

Roger Schank

Zenithal Light (Sonia Álvarez)

Former student, Architec Sonia Álvarez, from R3 Arquitectura, has published on the Web this design done by her at our 2007 LAR Workshop at IE University. I agree with Sonia that this two weeks work is one of those works that resists the pass of time.

2007

ALUMNA: Sonia ÁLvarez

PROFESOR:
Dr. Arq. Miguel Jaime

DESCRIPCIÓN DEL EJERCICIO:
La definición más elemental de arquitectura siempre incluirá a la luz. Por su parte, la luz cenital es la relación entre la luz y el espacio más primaria, ya que naturalmente la luz (del sol, la luna, las estrellas) viene desde arriba. En el presente ejercicio se pide iluminar cenital y naturalmente un espacio de usos múltiples de 40,00 m X 12,00 m de planta y de 12,00m de alto, con su cara más corta orientada a norte. La altura libre resultante después de cubrirlo influirá directamente en la versatilidad del espacio, como es lógico.

Reflexive Organizations

Organizations of any kind, social, educational, political, business, etc., tend to remain the same. They are all characterized by what Donald Schön called "dynamic conservatism". That is not a hundred per cent bad: it makes institutions and companies reliable. Nevertheless, at times of uncertainty and big changes, like today, the exageration of this tendency can be lethal.

Reflexive organizations, that means institutions able to understand and react in front of changing realities, is the solution. The "Knowledge Based Society" should be renamed as "Learning Based Society".

Maybe one of the best texts on reflexiveness and society is Schön's Beyond the Stable State, published in 1973.

A learning system… must be one in which dynamic conservatism operates at such a level and in such a way as to permit change of state without intolerable threat to the essential functions the system fulfils for the self. Our systems need to maintain their identity, and their ability to support the self-identity of those who belong to them, but they must at the same time be capable of transforming themselves. (Schon 1973: 57)

The link has a good and comprenhensive information on Schön's learning approach.

Reflexiveness and Artificial Intelligence

The base of reflexive learning is on Dewey's work. Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and machine learning could be a natural development if we take into account "How we Think", the marvellous book written by Dewey in 1910.

It is worth giving e-learning and AI a try in education. I already signed. The NYT article is extremely interesting.

Space, Time and Beauty at Piacenza

A good way of reaching global scale in architecture and urban planning is by designing in one of the most beautiful towns in the world, Piacenza, Italy.

The universality embedded by definition in beauty assures that general interest will be automatically involved in all our reflexions. Cheers for the last week at OC International Workshop.

Learning in the Digital Age

Picture taken from "Mutuas Palabras"

The question is not what is going to change in the digital age, the question is what has already changed and we have not noticed.

One of the most important changes are in education. We all have changed our approach to knowledge but universities and educational institutions. Maybe the best opportunity in the new world that is taking shape is to overcome a bit the mechanical way of thinking the industrial era imposed, being a bit more creative. The "Battery Model" (Shön) of learning is over. Welcome the Reflexive Mode of learning. This CHE's article is in the right direction.

Plot Against America

An excellent reading for this summer: "The plot against America", by Philip Roth. It opens our imagination on what could have happened as well as what could happen in the future.

Dean's Opinions

The variety of opinions of the deans of the schools of architecture invited in Segovia demonstrate that education is at a difficult crossroads. I wished someone had talked about learning and not just education.

Architectural Education Summit

At IE University in Segovia is taking place an important conference on architectural education.

Organized by UCLA, all the deans are talking about the education of architecture. Will schools of architecture be able to rectify a situation they contributed to create? I doubt it.

How Designers Think

How designers think? Wrong question: they think like everybody else. How designers think when they design is the correct one. I am afraid, the works of Cross, Rowe and Lawson answer the first question. Kant, Fiedler and Philippe Junod answer the right one which is much more complex, I'm afraid again.

Design Education Research

Open publication - Free publishing - More design

The importance of Design Education Research for design educators is perfectly described by Erik Bohemia at the last paper of this interesting conference:

"it is imperative in these taxing times that design educators continue research their educational practices and the assumptions underpinning these practices. The reason for this is so that they will be able to respond to the changes described above with informed knowledge. This means that they will be able to (re)design curriculum in order to incorporate "desired" changes and/or to "preserve" elements that are deemed important to produce a relevant design education."

Social Web and Learning

This is a good survey on the use of social media in the realm of education.

Pearson social media survey 2011

View more presentations from Pearson Learning Solutions

The Best Design (Business) Schools

The list of the best Design Schools in the world by Business Week . It is today's world what we are talking about, so it is normal that the link between business and design is considered the ideal.

Design, Beauty and Fidelity

At the Disseny Hub Barcelona, there is still (hurry up, it's ending soon) two wonderful exhibitions.

One of them is the Maria Brillas collection of dresses designed by couturier Pedro Rodriguez in the 1930-1980. Fortunately, the collection will remain at the Barcelona Textile Museum as it has been donated by its owners.

A look at the dress in the first picture is enough to get an idea of the artistry trapped in those amazing pieces. It was design in 1935. At first glance, it is just a lovely flounce dress, in nice colours it is true, but just that. Once you stare at it more closely, you realize that the shadows of the flounces are actually done in a different fabric. Those violet streeps under the flounces reinforce the “shadow effect”, whenever there is in fact shadow under them, and they create “shadow illusions” in the waist of the dress, when it fits the body to enhance Doña Maria’s beautiful figure. Brillas wore it, for the first time, 40 years after it was elaborated at the 80th anniversary of Rodriguez (second picture). That is fidelity.

The other exhibition is the Mediterranean Design Prizes. Interesting to see what our young designers think the image of the Med should be today and how they present it. The winner is a typographic project by an Italian designer done with natural products, like tomatoes, anchovies and so on. Don't miss it either.

Corrupción Inocente

"Corrupción inocente" es la manera como el catedrático Antón Costas llama al comportamiento de los financieros actuales. Dice que su denominación no es exculpatoria, sino que los financieros no saben lo que hacen cuando dicen obedecer las leyes del mercado. Ellos, en realidad, creerían en algo que es absoluta metafísica, pero de verdad creen en ella.

Raymond Aron llamó "pseudorealidad" a la pirueta moral que hacían los comunistas -los bolcheviques- cuando llamaban socialista a la Unión Sovietica. John Gray reservó para Blair y sus compañeros del "trio de las Azores" el término "metir por la verdad" en su libro Misa Negra para describir ese tipo de comportamientos. Modestamente, con motivo de la película Ágora, de Alejandro Amenabar, cité esta especie de alienación que ve dogmatismo en la inveterada moral religiosa y no en la perversa religión laica actual de la economía y la política.

Sea lo que sea, nuestro presente está falto de realismo.

La crisis sigue siendo política, no económica

El "Casino Capitalism" lo desataron los políticos: Reagan fue el que dio el pistoletazo de salida de la desregulación y Clinton, con su brazo económico Summers, la puntilla. Bush consagró la política del goteo (hay que dejar que los ricos ganen más para que sus fortunas permeen hacia abajo). Pero no hay que olvidar los respectivos congresos, los cientos de representantes del pueblo que discutieron, redactaron y aprobaron la rendición de la política a la especulación financiera. Ahora, en estos precisos momentos, la dimensión política de la situación creada enturbia incluso el juego limpio económico tal como lo expone Stiglitz en su artículo "Jugar con el planeta":

"En los últimos años hemos visto dos de los grandes riesgos, pero hemos hecho poco para controlarlos. Según algunas personas, la forma en que se manejó la última crisis puede haber aumentado el riesgo de un colapso financiero en el futuro.

Los bancos demasiado grandes para quebrar y los mercados en los que participan saben ahora que pueden esperar rescates si tienen problemas. Como resultado de este riesgo moral, esos bancos pueden pedir créditos en condiciones favorables, lo que les da una ventaja competitiva que no se basa en un rendimiento superior, sino en la fuerza política"

Faculty Salaries in USA

USA has the best education: it pays better. Follow the link.

New Architectural Thinking: ¿When?

The Institute for the New Economic Thinking is a good example of what we should be doing in architecture.

Looking for Today's Roosevelt

If you are a politician and would dear to pronounce a speech like this today: please, launch yourself.

Franklin Roosevelt’s Address, October 1936

"We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace–business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering.

They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob.

Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me–and I welcome their hatred."

The whole speech is in the link.

New Winds from the South

From 8th to 10th of June in Frotaleza, Brazil this interesting conference on the young architecture of Latin America. Creativity in the near future is going to blow from that part of the world too. The link has more information

Responsabilidad de los Nº 1

Es llamativa la diferencia entre Harvard y la London School of Economics a la hora de afrontar sus reponsabilidades como institución.

Al expresidente de Harvard, Larry Summers, expulsado por sexista ("diferencias innatas") y máximo responsable de la política de desregulación que ha llevado al desastre económico actual, le han devuelto su cátedra y le alaban sus brabuconadas. En la LSE, el director dimite para no perjudicar la imagen de la escuela con sus asesoramientos a Gadafi.

Mi idea de cómo las instituciones punteras deben afrontar éticamente la crisis que necesariamente contribuyeron a crear va más por lo que hacen los británicos: "I do beg your pardon". En el este link está la carta de renuncia de Sir Davies así como la reacción de la LSE a su implicación con el déspota libio. Por otro lado, tenemoa lo que sigue que es lo que dijo en su día Summers cuando se cargó el New Deal de Roosevelt (Ley Glass-Steagall) en 1999 cuando era Secretario del Tesoro de Clinton:

“ Hoy el Congreso ha votado a favor de actualizar las normas que rigen los servicios financieros desde la Gran Depresión y reemplazarlas con un sistema apto para el siglo XXI. Esta ley de dimensiones históricas ayudará a las empresas estadounidenses a competir mejor en la nueva economía”

El The Harvard Crimson recoge y celebra la vuelta de Summers con "ambos pies sobre el escritorio". Finalmente, este último link recoge de que va eso de montar las patas sobre la mesa: se trata de testosterona, de sentirse poderoso, de apostar "doble o nada" (con nuestro dinero, claro) ...

Architectural Pedagogy Conference

Next week there is going to take place at Princeton this conference. It seems that architecture is so self-satisfied with its success in the era of money bubbles that ignores its responsibilities in what is happening.

A great contribution to overcome current crisis from the architectural world could be improving its pedagogy and therefor traditional teaching. What a pity.

Education and Innovation outside the Western World