Look Here Now: Mapping Design Trajectories - Lagrange, Thierry (Leuven KULeuven, 2012)
The central theme of the present research project is the act of looking (as an event in physical and social space) at the way a person is looking. The context in which this theme was developed was set out in a series of maps, drawn by an alter ego: the cartographer. These maps are representations of each of the stages in the present research trajectory. Above all, these maps represent one very specific aspect of this research project: the fact that it is a landscape, to be discovered step by step.My professional background as an architect, a photographer and a teacher is an essential part of the context in which this research project was developed. My research trajectory starts off in the field of architecture and has subsequently extended its scope to include photography. Any practice-based/artistic research developed in both these fields inevitably has to deal with the indistinctness and uncertainties specific to these disciplines. The project was measured against several theories, in particular C. Otto Scharmer?s Theory U. This important theory with regard to the self features prominently in this research project, as does the Self, our deepest source of knowledge and inspiration. Theory U has examined the self from a sociological point of view and created a theoretical framework that also serves to clarify certain elements of the present research project. Scharmer?s Theory U and his concept of presencing, a blending of sensing and presence, will help us to understand how, at a certain point, the event of looking transforms from seeing to sensing to presencing (situated on a U-curve). An essential element of the present research process was the decision to look at the subject from three different angles and express a personal view (?I?), a dialogue (?you?) and a view from the outside (?s/he?). The idea of a cartographer drafting maps of the research project as if it was a landscape fits with Jean-Marc Besse?s theory. The landscape that opens up, allowing us to see the underlying ideas and concepts, in such a way as to enable us to progress, to seek new trajectories and thence gain new insights, is an essential part of this theory. It can be a means to extend the scope and depth of the field of design and architecture, while at the same time establishing interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary connections with other fields. The mechanism of abductive thinking has proved to be crucial in this context. Another essential aspect of the methodology is the fact that those who apply it are very well aware of gaining insights from self-reflective actions.The fieldwork for this research project was structured along the lines of a succession of action and reflection. In an initial reflection, the idea of analogous space was developed. Engravings by, for instance, Filarete, Francesco di Giorgio Martini, Vincenzo Scamozzi and Giovanni Battista Piranesi - but also works by some other artists - can be experienced as analogous spaces. By making use of several representational techniques (projection, perspective, etc.), each of these visualizes a space that cannot be a real existing space. Yet whoever looked at their images was prepared to immerse himself in these spaces and experience these spaces mentally, if not physically. This is the mechanism I investigated, using the model of the mathematical matrix to create an analogous space. I replaced the usual content of such a matrix by some hard-to-define data (such as materiality) or data which have a layered structure (such as concepts) or which have a subjective connotation (such as a sculptural effect) or a combination of all of these.Besides this investigation, a video project was set up that focused on the way I was looking at my environment. This research process took the form of a two-stage exploration and several series of short videos. These research activities gave rise to a series of self?reflective actions, by using personal creations such as architectural projects and a photo-archive and offsetting them against a series of key notions that were significant to me in the course of my creative activities. What started in an intuitive explorative mode with a series of sketches and drawings ended up as a first application of the matrix as a tool to generate experiences and creative ideas. Three types of content - architecture, photography and keywords - were entered into matrices. These matrices were then manipulated, and the resulting output was a non-verbal expression of the keywords. This first attempt to design and manipulate matrices provided me with a greater understanding of my own artistic production. The matrices became analogous spaces, experienced as ?real? spaces in which specific data were situated. This process resulted in a first version of a script intended to provide ways to use matrices in order to gain insights.In the next stage these experiences were communicated to outsiders. The initial script became the starting point for new developments, in conditions that were different from a specific self-reflective context, yet similar as to the experience. The challenge was to create the right circumstances to find out whether the group experience might also lead to new creative ideas. In the first few cases, Master students of architecture and other participants worked with a previously prepared script that did indeed spark off a chain of actions, resulting in several types of creative output. Records were kept of all cases in the form of diaries, participants? feedback, output material etc. A number of critical reflections on the processes were formulated, which have resulted in a fine-tuning of the matrix technique in such constellations. The game context, the playful mindset of the participants, the nature of the coach-participant relation and the need for a layered look at the subject all surfaced as important aspects of these processes. The coach?s awareness of the connection between the stages defined by Theory U and the way participants look at their subject during these processes has become a vital part of the way he conducts the matrix process. In the next stage an analogous space was established within an actual physical space, thus shifting the boundaries and transcending the limitations encountered during previous actions. Students were asked to interact with these matrices in an actual space. This resulted in a new, more spatial, approach. The experience gained in the course of these four cases enabled us to draft a script that was not just applicable in a context of architects and artists. The objective was to establish whether our findings would also be valid in the context of other disciplines. Also, a procedure was set up to transfer my personal experience with these cases to others, in order to allow people other than myself to act as coaches. In a final stage all techniques were further developed in two separate directions. A process involving actors was developed that has led to a clearer insight into the correlation between analogous spaces, the use of matrices and various ways of looking. And a series of workshops was set up in which the use of matrices was applied to other disciplines as an integrated part of an organizational development technique, in particular ?appreciative inquiry?. This method allowed us to develop appropriate tools that enable people to solve problems (collectively) that are characteristic of their specific domain or discipline. The ensuing discussions made the transformations that manifested themselves more explicit. The link between Theory U and the way we look at things has resulted in a discussion that clearly revealed how our way of looking was transformed. The occurrence of indistinctness as a source for creativity and the way to deal with this ambiguity was the next topic for discussion. The energy generated in a group when people are confronted with indistinct elements has led to a change of ideas, to new insights, to a different state of mind, to transformative experiences? We took a closer look at the architectural qualities of these analogous spaces. We saw space expanding. Fieldwork demonstrated how analogous space could really be actual space. This research enabled us to not just reflect on space, but on both space and analogous space. Another aspect to consider was the impact of the matrix system on both my own architectural output and that produced by students attending the workshops. The self was described as a substantial element of this trajectory. The self was transformed in the course of these actions, by these actions. Sometimes gently, sometimes in a flash, provocatively or profoundly and irreversibly? Matrices and the way they are used were compared with other techniques and methods. Existing techniques have been altered and will go on evolving thanks to the use of matrices, which facilitate and will go on facilitating such transformations. There was some reflection on intuition in a design and research
Doctoral Dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture KU Leuven 2012