Architecture experienced through an Artefact

Recognizing that the Western Tradition of Architecture has been perpetuated through the passing on of stories through the creation of primarily symbolic artefacts, this studio emphasizes students? ability to imagine, work, and communicate through creations, which generate poetic dialogue and architectural thinking beyond the direct transcription of isolated objectives and visual representations alone. Working obliquely through the entwined creation of artefact and narrative, students? are challenged to draw upon the plasticity of lived knowledge not accessible through objective information but which nonetheless makes our experience of architecture alluring and resonant. Each student, responsible for developing their own architectural program, were asked to use these creations to reveal particular qualities, stories, events, and circumstances that metaphorically evoke essential qualities for the coming architecture. The overarching goal of the studio is the creation of empathetic connections between varying people, places, and cultures, brought to life through the experience of the artefact?an installation, performance, or assemblage?which like literature or film, provide things through which we may imagine.This artefact began as a way to explore the relationship between troubled students and their teachers at an alternative high school in Moorhead, MN. The tension created between teachers and students is one that most of the population do not challenge. However there exists a sect of students who challenge this system and fall into a category associated with other negatively charged words such as crime, poverty and poor health. This association is created as a direct consequence of not attaining a high level of basic education. This is a plague affecting all major cities in the U.S. For a first-world nation, this problem can no longer be swept under the rug, but must be dealt head-on with a considerate and experiential approach in high school architecture