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The Economies of Architecture | Les économies en architecture

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What:
Regular session
When:
11:00 AM, Thursday 25 May 2017 (1 hour 30 minutes)
Where:
Themes:
Atlantic Canadamaterialseconomicsdesignarchitectural practice

Economy—from the Greek oikois (home) and nemein (manage)—has held diverse meanings throughout history, and at multiple scales; from cities and buildings, to labour and materials. This session invites papers to reflect on the economies of architecture, both at the macro- and microeconomic scales, and throughout the life of buildings, from construction to maintenance, and (re)use. In particular, it asks scholars to explore how economy can be a productive category for architectural research, including and in addition to its financial discourse. For example, papers might address the agency of financial systems by studying the effect of recessionary and boom trends on building culture; financial insolvencies and the afterlife of buildings; the architecture of banks; the use of profit modelling as part of the design process; advertising and the built environment; political economy at the domestic scale; the rise of the architect-developer; or specific building, material, and labour practices. Papers may be historical and contemporary in scope and could address a range of disciplines and media. Scholars from other disciplines whose work engages in questions of production, distribution, exchange, or consumption as they might relate to the built environment in Canada are also encouraged to participate.
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L’économie — du grec oikois (maison) et nemein (gérer) — a eu divers sens à travers l’histoire et à plusieurs échelles; de villes et bâtiments à main-d’œuvre et matériaux. Cette séance invite les auteurs de soumissions à réfléchir aux économies en architecture, sur des échelles macro- et microéconomiques, et durant toute la vie des bâtiments, de la construction à l’entretien en passant par la (ré)utilisation. Elle vise notamment à ce que les participants explorent comment l’économie peut être un domaine utile pour les études architecturales, y compris et en plus de son discours financier. Par exemple, les soumissions pourraient aborder : l’agence des systèmes financiers en étudiant l’effet des tendances d’essor et de récession sur la culture de construction, les insolvabilités financières et la vie après la mort des bâtiments, l’architecture des banques, l’application de la modélisation des bénéfices dans le cadre du processus de développement, la publicité et l’environnement bâti, l’économie politique à l’échelle nationale, la montée de l’architecte-promoteur, les pratiques spécifiques à la construction, aux matériaux et à la main-d’œuvre. Les soumissions peuvent avoir une portée historique ou contemporaine et s’adresser à un éventail de disciplines et de médias. Des chercheurs d’autres disciplines dont les travaux portent sur des questions de production, de distribution, d’échange ou de consommation qui pourraient être liées à l’environnement bâti au Canada sont également encouragés à y participer.

Sub Sessions

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM | 30 minutes
Atlantic Canadamaterialseconomics

The sails that converted the prevailing winds of Atlantic Canada into a force of propulsion for both small inshore fishing boats and larger offshore schooners were economically fashioned from a strong, coarse, unbleached cloth made from hemp, flax, or a similar yarn. To the once prosperous east coast communities and fishing fleets canvas cloth was more than the material from which their sails were constructed. It was used for roof surfaces of very slight pitch subjected to severe w...

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM | 30 minutes
economicsdesign

The contemporary international airport terminal is an architectural space defined by circulation and consumption. These buildings, which are designed to move passengers from the curb to the plane, contain numerous shops, cafes, and restaurants since airports recoup the majority of their costs via passenger spending. Many terminals were remodeled as shopping spaces during the 1980s when airports around the world were privatized. During the 1990s, international airports in Canada were transf...

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM | 30 minutes
Atlantic Canadaeconomics

Designed by the preeminent Montreal firm of Ross and Macdonald, the Newfoundland Hotel is an unattributed project that also bears the dubious distinction of being the only railway hotel designed by the firm (of which there are now nine) to have been entirely demolished. In this paper I chart the rise and fall of the Newfoundland Hotel, from its design and inception in 1928 to its destruction in 1983. In particular, I focus on the financial history of the Hotel and its relationship to a ser...

Dustin Valen

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