VIRTUAL: Learning. Life. Work.
Abstract
This research challenges traditional paradigms in architectural education by highlighting the transformative potential of liminality and the integration of decolonial perspectives within architectural spaces. The study emphasizes the importance of surpassing conventional boundaries in educational practices, shedding light on often overlooked in-between spaces beyond physical corridors. Immersing architectural students in these liminal realms aims to reshape the educational landscape and the broader architectural practice, extending the appreciation for liminality beyond contemporary confines. The article documents the conceptual framing, theoretical exploration, and innovative processes within the Transcending Boundaries Studio at South Dakota State University’s School of Design. Drawing from philosophical and anthropological discourses, including Gilles Deleuze’s “territorialization, de-territorialization, and re-territorialization,” Gaston Bachelard’s “The Poetics of Space,” and Van Gennep’s anthropological concepts of “separation, liminal period, and reassimilation,” the study applies these ideas to spatial design and architecture under the overarching theme of “Transcending Boundaries.” The studio employs a holistic approach to architectural education, integrating components like looking, sketching, collaging, modeling, and broad reading. This initiative transforms architectural education by providing students an inclusive and transformative learning experience, immersing them in the profound concept of liminality and emphasizing its importance in architectural practice and the decolonization of architectural spaces. The article reflects on a dialogic design process, cultivating multi-directional, collective, reflexive, and critical conservations within the architecture studio, offering a platform for dynamic exchanges essential for the evolving field of architecture.
Dr. Somaye Seddighikhavidak, an Assistant Professor at South Dakota State University’s School of Design, specializes in architectural space, nomadic space, architectural and urban history, and historic preservation. With a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, her research delves into the influence of nomadic polytheistic mythologies on architectural experiences. Her interdisciplinary study, rooted in Deleuze and Guattari’s assemblage theory, uncovers intricate dynamics in heritage roles, fostering community engagement and providing insights into heritage conservation and urban evolution.
Dr. Mohammadmehdi Danesh is an Assistant Professor at the University of Hartford, specializing in Sustainable Design, Building Science, and Resilient Buildings. He has previously held positions as an Assistant Professor at South Dakota State University and Keene State College. His expertise lies in teaching courses on Sustainable Design and High-Performance Building, as well as conducting research on optimizing energy performance and promoting natural ventilation in buildings. Dr. Danesh has published books, a book chapter, and peer-reviewed journal articles.
Iraj Delfani, an assistant professor at the PNU University in Iran, specializes in linguistics, culture, heritage, literature, myth, and ancient languages of Iran. As a graduate of Tabriz University, his dissertation explored the myth and investigation of Middle and ancient languages’ texts (Avesten and Pahlavi’s texts of Persian) about saviors in Zoroastrian religion. Within his research, he studies cognates and relationships between Persian and English as well as semantic, structural, and phonetic similarities between Indo-Europeans’ languages and Persian and its dialects.