Place, craft, and community are all intrinsic to culture, which is local, imbued with traditions of making, and sustained by communal narratives…
– Peter Buchanan, Architect and Critic
Cræft: An activity involving EXPERT skill in making FUNCTIONAL OBJECTS by hand.
“But even in today’s versatile use of the word craft there is only the faintest overlap with the definition cræft had when it first appeared in written English over a thousand years ago. The Oxford English Dictionary can find no one word to exchange, like for like, for Old English cræft, and instead offers an amalgam of ‘knowledge, power, skill’, and an extended definition where a sense of ‘wisdom’ and ‘resourcefulness’ surpass in importance the notion of ‘physical skill’.” – Alexander Langlands
“But even in today’s versatile use of the word craft there is only the faintest overlap with the definition cræft had when it first appeared in written English over a thousand years ago. The Oxford English Dictionary can find no one word to exchange, like for like, for Old English cræft, and instead offers an amalgam of ‘knowledge, power, skill’, and an extended definition where a sense of ‘wisdom’ and ‘resourcefulness’ surpass in importance the notion of ‘physical skill’.” – Alexander Langlands
Overview
This semester, we will explore the concept of cræft (craft) and its relationship to the creation of architecture. Through an understanding of cræft’s history and evolution, we will develop the knowledge and skills to creatively and critically apply and express cræft in our work. We will demonstrate our understanding of this topic through the development of meaningful and engaging public architecture. Our goal is to design interventions within physical and intellectual environments that express, educate, and redefine concepts of cræft.
Humanity has long-standing traditions of cræft, but those traditions are now under threat from technological evolution and a continuously disconnecting digital culture. The act of creation, once the application of learned skill with the hands, is now reduced to a series of mouse clicks to activate an algorithm. The semester projects will allow students to explore cræft’s history within culture and architecture, as well as speculate about cræft’s role in our future. Our goals focus on creating an architecture that works to re-engage individuals and communities with the tactile, the physical, and the useful; celebrating the traditions of cræft while charting a course for new and relevant frontiers where the handmade and the digital co-exist in a symbiosis of creativity and productivity.
Humanity has long-standing traditions of cræft, but those traditions are now under threat from technological evolution and a continuously disconnecting digital culture. The act of creation, once the application of learned skill with the hands, is now reduced to a series of mouse clicks to activate an algorithm. The semester projects will allow students to explore cræft’s history within culture and architecture, as well as speculate about cræft’s role in our future. Our goals focus on creating an architecture that works to re-engage individuals and communities with the tactile, the physical, and the useful; celebrating the traditions of cræft while charting a course for new and relevant frontiers where the handmade and the digital co-exist in a symbiosis of creativity and productivity.
Proposed Projects
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Cræft Cottage
For an initial exploration of craft, students will design an entry for the City of Lewisville’s backyard cottage competition. The backyard cottage, also known as an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), is a separate, apartment-like addition to an existing residential property. From the American Planning Association: ADUs all have the potential to increase housing affordability (both for homeowners and tenants), create a wider range of housing options within the community, enable seniors to stay near family as they age, and facilitate better use of the existing housing fabric in established neighborhoods. Students will design a backyard cottage and connecting garden for a hypothetical craftsman client that adapts to a typical residential property in the city of Lewisville. |
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Community Cræft Guild
Students across all studios will collectively develop a modern interpretation of the traditional medieval cræft guild. The project intent is to house a group of local craftsmen on site, providing individual and collaborative work spaces as well as opportunities for positive interaction with the surrounding communities. Work for this project will occur across two phases: site master plan and building design. Practicum students are responsible for the design and development of the project master plan that accommodates space for all studio projects. Buildings within the cræft guild will be designed by the different studios as follows: Guest Craftsman's Residence (Old Alton Bridge) - First Year Studio Master Craftsman Residence and Apprentice Cottage - Second Year Studio Cræft Guild Work and Community Buildings - Practicum Studio An undeveloped property along Hickory Creek in Denton County serves as the project site. The historic Old Alton Bridge and the Old Alton Bridge Trail are existing features within the development. The bridge structure will become a required architectural element within the master plan, serving as the temporary place of residence for a guest cræftsman. With the presence of Old Alton Bridge, the project site takes on historical significance. Students will investigate and consider the impact and traces of the past as an influence on the current project. |
