Architecture and Experimentation

Marie J-B (dir.), Architecture et Expérimentaion, Rouen, ATE / Éditions des Méandres, 2020, 176 p.

Experimentation is on the rise, judging by its increasing importance in the daily life of architectural practices. Better still, it has established itself in architecture schools around the world as a new tool for learning by doing and as one of the protocols for research. However, this new modus operandi for architecture is not without its critics, because of its strong focus on the manipulation of matter or its lack of a theoretical corpus. Faced with the profound changes in the architectural profession, what role can experimentation play in the face of the new challenges of the ecological transition?

The book discusses the need for a new methodological framework to better control project processes: these involve renewing the system of actors - in particular by renewing the links between engineers and architects -, managing technological innovations at the service of the project, reinventing the dialogue between agencies and industry, and paying greater attention to user demands. Experimentation is thus examined within architectural agencies, through the role it plays in architectural education and as a tool for architectural research.

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