Toying with ecological ideas: Experiments in an alternative ecological architecture c.1967

Lehrende: Dr. Dulmini Perera

Introduction:
This semester, we will explore the history of ideas related to experiments of the short-lived reallabor Environmental Ecology Lab (EEL) and the predecessor organization Ecology, Tool, Toy, directed by Avery Johnson and Warren Brodey, who dared to ask: what does it mean to design environments (systems, technologies) that respond to living ecological relationships? As part of a broader history of systems explorations, they were inspired by ideas about environments emerging from systems sciences, such as an 'ecology of mind'(Gregory Bateson) or 'radical Software' (Raindance Foundation), in order to understand change and response in a more nuanced way moving beyond limited linear views and clock-time. Their work helps expand notions of variety/diversity, coevolution, flexibility and prototyping and, in so doing, redefines how we can think about design 'responses' that consider the political responsibility of practitioners working within the environmental crises.

Are you interested in the broader relationships between ecology and design practice? Do you want to explore how the past of such radical design experiments matter to the present politics of the environment? Are you interested in how such a  radical form of a living lab (reallabor) might inform your practices in the future? Join us this semester as we delve into archives, watch films, and engage in reading and workshop sessions. By the end of the semester, we will produce an interactive output (with architecture comics and a game) to make these ecological ideas accessible to everyone.

Course language: English

Note: The output will be part of an online publication and website.