For this week’s session, I analyzed several blogs from my peers as part of the ARQU 4146 Theory of Architecture course. The blog titled Teoría y Crítica de la Arquitectura, by Jorge Ulloa Quiroga, quickly caught my attention because of the specific topics explored within the general course subjects. Additionally, the author’s writings were engaging as well as thought-provoking. Because of these reasons, I found René’s blog highly useful in gaining a better understanding of the Moneo vs. Gehry/Academic vs. Visceral debate.
Following the weekly theme or themes discussed in class, the blog posts can take a variety of routes, from a general overview to a specific analysis. In René’s blog, posts can be appreciated as specific comparisons between themes. Specifically in the article titled Romanticismo vs. La Sistematización de la Arquitectura, the theoretical points of both sides are well established and supported by visual documentation. The author also provides a general understanding of the historical contexts behind the Romanticist Movement and Neoclassicism. On another hand, the article titled La función como forma vs. la forma como función deconstructs and reverts the Vitruvian Triad, an exercise that prompts the reader to question the very fundamentals of the discipline.
In Composición y Morfología en la Arquitectura, my favorite article of the blog so far, René compares composition and morphology in architecture. Using Durand’s posture as a segue to the discussion, the author highlights the qualities of a more utilitarian design, as well as the importance of the grid in establishing a form that follows a function. Morphology, however, is described as the study of the form. René begins this paragraph with some interesting theorizations of his own: In architecture, one could think in two ways regarding the form, in the first case the form allows optimal use and in the second case the form does not allow optimal function. (Ulloa Quiroga) After his study, he ultimately concludes that it is impossible (for Moneo’s work) to stray from artistic sensibility, because architecture will always be a prototype of itself, and its morphology depends on evolution and human sensibility. (Ulloa Quiroga)
In a general sense, the author’s research is evidenced throughout his theme selection, writing, and of course, each article’s conclusion. Reading through René’s posts, I was able to compare perspectives and discover other angles from which to analyze the course’s content. More importantly, Ienjoyed the author’s habit of questioning established notions within the discipline, as I believe this attitude will allow us to be more critical of architectural theory and the practices that stem from it.
References:
https://4146arquitectura-ulloa.blogspot.com
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