VIRTUAL: Applying Education

Abstract

Bauhaus educator and artist László Moholy-Nagy defined design as thinking in relationships, and this skill of architects, trained to practice within complex networks, is what pushes them to constantly test the disciplinary boundaries, reach out to other creative disciplines to learn from, to borrow their methods, and finally – to co-create. It could be argued that the tendency to explore beyond disciplinary boundaries has always been an inherent part of architectural practice, constantly reshaping our understanding of what architects do and how. This paper discusses interdisciplinary and experimental workshops on the intersection of architecture, art and creative writing. Delivered as a part of the Research Methods course for postgraduate students, the workshops tested a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach aiming to explore and test disciplinary boundaries of architecture using literary methods. The main point of reference in relation to the research methodology and pedagogical approach was Mikhail Bakhtin’s notion of polyphony, aiming to create an inclusive and dialogic working environment. The resulting projects included art installations, a performance, a short film, and podcast. Using a variety of literary texts, ranging from speculative fiction (William Gibson, Octavia E. Butler, Philip K. Dick) to poetry in translation (Wisława Szymborska, Tomas Tranströmer) and creative writing exercises, students first explored the Pomona Island in Manchester, UK (2021/22) and in the following year reflected on a live situation investigating how the move to a new building and taking ownership of a new space impacted the Manchester School of Architecture’s community and identity.