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AHO WORKS RESEARCH 2012
PhD Programme
SOCIAL CONCERNS
IN CONTEMPORARY
ARCHITECTURE: THREE
ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICES
AND THEIR WORKS
AFFILIATION
Institute of Form, Theory
and History
GRADUATE
Lisbet Harboe
ADVISORS
MAIN SUPERVISOR
Mari Hvattum
CO-SUPERVISOR
Dr. Tatjana Schneider
DATE OF DEFENCE
February 27th 2012
OPPONENTS
Professor Flora Samuel,
University University of
Sheffield | Associate professor
Tom Avermaete, Delft
University of Technology |
Associate professor Peter
Hemmersam, AHO
In recent years, architectural writers and curators have pointed to a new social
engagement in contemporary architecture. What does this renewed social in-
terest consist of, and how does it materialize? The thesis looks at contemporary
architectural practices whose methods and application display a distinct social
commitment. This thesis identifies a set of shared social concerns and uncovers
a diverse range of working methods discernible in today’s architectural land-
scape. Three architectural practices are selected for in-depth studies; Lacaton
& Vassal Architectes, Fantastic Norway and Collectif Exyzt. Based on in-depth
explorations of their methods and application, the study investigates how these
architects incorporate social concerns into their practice and how these con-
cerns inform their work. The study moves from practice to theory, using selected
theoretical and historical references to contextualize and interpret the findings.
Informed by the specificity of local situations rather than overarching theories
and strong ideologies, practitioners in this study hold a social responsibility and
the hope of step-by-step changes. They are concerned with bottom-up view-
points and initiatives, and a fairer distribution of architectural qualities. They
do not produce a “social architecture”, but create environments – physical or
process – that relate to, facilitate, and improve social life in its broadest sense.
Discharging established dichotomies, such as aesthetic versus social concerns,
or bottom-up versus top-down viewpoints, the architects combine these con-
cerns with pragmatic approaches and fantastic solutions.
