Extractivism, rising sea levels, and environmental pollution—what Rob Nixon terms „slow violence“—reflect not only the uncertainties but also the violence and injustices brought about by the climate crisis. It is scientifically undisputed that architecture plays a role in this development, positioning it as one of the driving forces behind ecological inequities and imbalances. However, for a long time, architectural history sidelined this issue, focusing instead on formal aesthetic concerns surrounding the object of architecture. In response to recent climate crisis research, there has been a growing shift toward exploring the materialities of bodies. From the human body moving through architecture to the dynamic body of architecture itself, this seminar will explore concepts that go beyond the objectification of architecture. By doing so, we open up space for urgent questions of socio-ecological justice, both human and non-human.

Alongside discussions of individual projects, we read excerpts from Rob Nixon’s Slow Violence, Kiel Moe’s Unless, Madeline Gins and Arakawa’s Architectural Body, as well as Lucia Allais and Forrest Meggers‘ Concrete is 100 Years Old.

This seminar took place in the summer term 2024 in the Master’s (1-3) at TH Nürnberg.