LECTURE AT LSBU OPEN SERIES - LONDON


Techné and Poïesis 
How Do You Design – OS2 Autumn 2008

Open Series’ second year is under the theme of techne and poïesis - the process of design. It explores the ontological question of design and allows reflection, criticism and exposure to relevant questions in design.
Techne is often translated as craftsmanship; it is the rational method involved in producing an object or accomplishing a goal or objective and is quintessential to architecture. Poïesis, derived from the ancient Greek term ποιέω, meaning ‘to make’, describes a verb, an action, in its purest sense. Neither technical production nor creation in the romantic sense, poïetic work reconciles thought with matter, and time and man with the world. This pair of techne and poïesis are extremes in architecture but are essential and together create a tension field which is explored through the agenda of OS2.
The series invites and encourages inspiring architects, thinkers and designers to express and debate their views through this symbiotic relationship, reflecting their own practise as well as analysing the past, capturing today and projecting upon tomorrow. This creates a crossbreed between vision, utopia and the inspiring fields in-between.
We are very proud to have Peter Cook with us to kickstart this lecture series, telling us how he views the translation from his own critical utopian design of, for instance, the plug-in city to a building endeavor such as the Kunsthaus Graz.

Techné and Poïesis 
How Do You Design – OS2 Autumn 2008
We boldly ask this complex question hoping to shed some light on the complex processes which lead to the final outcomes of great architects, designers and thinkers.

08 / 25th of September Peter Cook
08 / 2nd of October Paul Davies
08 / 9th of October Andrew Wai-Tat Yau (UFO)
08 / 16th of October Karsten Huneck & Bernd Truempler (OSA)
08 / 23rd of October Shrikant Sharma
08 / 30th of October David Garcia
09 / 5th of February Neil Spiller
09 / 12th of February FAT
09 / 19th of February Odile Decq
09 / 26th of February Achim Menges (OCEAN)
09 / 5th of March Anthony Dunne
09 / 12th of March Didier Faustino

www.lsbu-openseries.com