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Sculpting the Architectural Mind

In recent years, architects have been mining new research in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, object-oriented philosophy, and experimental biology for design concepts and for accounts of the new conditions of materiality. Architects borrow from these discourses to formulate and justify a wide range of design processes, especially digitally-driven ones. But we have failed to discuss how neuro-scientific knowledge can impact architectural pedagogy. A generation of architectural students has been trained in digital design tools, and younger students now generate nearly all of their design through digital media. What forms of design cognition has this change in representational systems yielded? Research from the sciences of the mind might help to unpack the implications of this shift.

This conference considers the roles that applied neuroscience has played and might play in the education of architects. What cognitive skills should be developed through an architectural education, and how has the long history of exchanges between biological and neuroscientific knowledge generated current models for architectural design? Which insights from neuroscientifc research should architectural educators be aware of as they formulate pedagogic platforms? Given what we are learning about the role of the body and the hand in learning from recent mind-brain research, how can we best integrate training in digital tools with other tools that engage the body in the process of design? Finally, what impact might a new approach to the cognitive development of architectural students have on our built environment?

The symposium is structured around invited presentations and panel discussions with neuroscientists, architectural theorists, historians, philosophers, and artists. Hosted by Pratt Institute’s School of Architecture in collaboration with the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture. It is free and open to the public.

The conference is co-organized by Dan Bucsescu (Pratt), Michael A.Arbib (ANFA Liaison) and Ralph S. Steenblik. For information contact: Steenblik.

Speakers will include:

Michael A.Arbib
Philip Beesley
Lawrence Blough
Dan Bucsescu
Edward Eigen
Michael Eng
Thomas Hanrahan
Deborah Hauptmann
Duks Koschitz
Sanford Kwinter
Eduardo Macagno
Harry Francis Mallgrave
Ralph Steenblik
Meredith TenHoor