Francis Allain Garcia

Fragment[ED]: A New Urban Campus in Pursuit of Architectural Interrelationships

If architecture is embodied knowledge – both a physical manifestation of cultural knowledge and a physical environment for embodied experience – rather than knowledge as a thing made, what are the means by which such knowledge is made? How might we think about knowledge in the making?

In architectural practice, collaboration is inevitable and interdisciplinary exchanges with various groups are highly regarded and increasingly valued. Yet the transition from architectural education seems fragmented – in the sense that the full potential for interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration within the academy is not being seized. One can argue that the relationship between architecture and the public is also fragmented, as designers resist social and collaborative design approaches, especially with public projects and infrastructure. Often, value is placed more so on the quantitative aspects of design, such as financial payback, rather than working towards a balance between qualitative and quantitative design aspects.

It is critical that we develop forms of pedagogy that bridge the gap between education and practice, using various fragments of experiences to complement one another, forming a holistic engagement within the larger society. As a manifestation, I intend to examine and explore an architectural market campus, which aims to create a symbolic whole from disciplinary and urban fragments.

My proposal for the new Faculty of Architecture campus in Winnipeg’s downtown core will attempt to explore three layers – collaboration within the institution, engagement with the City, and public outreach using architectural thresholds.