designing with a friend

controlling point of view in the development of architectural

projects

> FICTIM DESIGN <

controlling the point of view

The most difficult task in the development of a design project is controlling the ‘point of view’. Normally, the point of view is the ‘naturalistic’ point of view of the (actual) designer, who interacts with others with stakes in the project.

The invention of a ‘defective narrator’ — a fictional character (‘fictim’) who participates in the design process on behalf of the designer — becomes the filter/channel through which information is gathered and the design developed.

the inevitable ‘audience’ effect

S (the designer)

the missing piecevisible to the ‘audiences’

but beyond the control of the designer

the ‘master-servant’ relationship is, in architectural design, initially the relationship between the designer with the various sources of authority

the shifted point of view

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fthe result of taking a position is a ‘metaphoric fix’ on the demands on the work and its subsequent disposition

creating a new point of view involves crafting a ‘metaphor’ on the basis of an anamorphic displacement of the ‘given’ demand/design

the ‘fictim’ is the personification of the shifted point of view

the object of desire,

fictionalized, becomes

representable and, hence, controllable

advantages . . . ?

The strategy (through the diagram) corresponds to the structures and strategies of other works of art — as well as the psychological dimensions of Lacan’s account of the subject/object relationship. It’s the ‘logic of boundaries’.

The ‘defective observer’ exists in any event — it’s the designer in the presence of ANY audience that can see a different angle.

The ‘fictim’ personifies (and personalizes) the design process; attention focuses on the PROCESS of research and testing. The audience is free to suspend judgment.

The sequence of events becomes controllable; the relevance of evidence becomes controllable.

precedents . . . ?

Bernard Tschumi’s Manhattan Transcripts is the first that comes to mind, but . . .

The technique is very ancient (2000 years at least — using Apuleius’s Roman novel, Transformations of Lucius). In Germany, the technique was ROMANTIC IRONY; in Spain, it ‘began’ with Don Quixote, in England, with Tristam Shandy. The technique has many names.

Nabokov’s Pale Fire is a masterwork of the ‘defective narrator’ technique. In it, an apparent madman steals a poem and interprets it to read as his biography.

Peter Greenaway’s film, The Draughtsman’s Contract both uses the idea and is about an architect. It’s a good source.

defects . . . ?

The ‘defective narrator’ technique has some very ‘architectural’ features . . .

MOTILITY DYSFUNCTION deals with problems with motion, movement, access, itinerary, or transportation.

SCALE DYSFUNCTION covers any deviation from the ‘normal’ division of the scale continuum based on the human body and perception. ‘Large’ and ‘small’ are contextual (the ‘three bears theory’).

SEMBLANCE DYSFUNCTION has to do with issues of identity, whether personified or materialized as elements of space-time (the double, travel through time, contamination of reality by the dream, story-in-a-story).

precedents . . . ?

Tschumi’s Manhattan Transcripts begins with a murder and takes a transect across Manhattan to both ‘excavate’ and invent.

The project reveals just how much can be left out once a narration process is used to ‘filter out’ extraneous considerations and, at the same time, introduce a poetic/ narrative dynamic.

some diagrammatic notes

$CONTEXTSAUTHORITIE

S

RESPONSES, VIEWS, CHARACTERS

NARRATIVES

some diagrammatic notes

Each layer of (metaphoric) content is (potentially) a narrative order, a METAPHOR or point of view in itself. The layeredness is more significant than any one layer.

some diagrammatic notes

Each layer of (metaphoric) content is (potentially) a narrative order, a METAPHOR or point of view in itself. The layeredness is more significant than any one layer.

some diagrammatic notes

The fictional narrator (‘fictim’) can ‘assemble’ a program from an experiential and experimental basis. The ‘collation’ of information, evidence, and themes can be controlled by the narrator’s strengths AND weaknesses.

some diagrammatic notes

The formal relationship between the fictional narrative and the layers of metaphoric frames of reference is “chiastic” — from the Greek letter .

advice . . .

You can use a ‘fictim’ secretly, presenting only the results of the fictim’s ‘experience’ in the project.

The fictim can be a real person with real interests in the project; however, make sure that the chosen character has the necessary access to part of the project required to bring it to completion.

The designer can be the fictim, but care has to be taken not to conflate the roles of designer and fictim.

If you do invent a fictional character, make him/her sufficiently detailed and realistic to avoid the accusation of ad hoc piece-meal construction to cover flaws in the design process.

fictim kit An outline of the fictim as a dramatic character,

including a biography, psychological profile, material possessions, medical condition, mental abilities, behavioral styles.

A résumé prepared for some occasion (job application, annual review, etc.); other personal documents.

A relationship to the project that produces artifacts — videos, a journal, maps, plans, designs, photos. These should be DIAGETIC — that is, they should appear to come from inside the story. Journals and letters work well.

If you do invent a fictional character, make him/her sufficiently detailed and realistic to avoid the accusation of ad hoc piece-meal construction to cover flaws in the design process.

fictim kit (notes)

It’s not necessary to cover everything; in fact, it’s essential to use missing pieces, times, etc. to generate indeterminacy within the project.

The structure of the project follows the bolagram’s logic of the ‘return of the repressed’ — the fictim’s anamorphic view of the reality of the project will supply the surplus/deficit in terms of the ‘object-cause of pleasure’ (a).

The fictim is, existentially, the materialization of the audience within the diagetic reality of the story; as such, connections ‘suture’ the audience to the project through ‘impossible-Real’ inversions of space and time. These are the project’s ‘sinthoms’ and you must DESIGN them!

fictim kit (presentation notes)

Organize your presentation in terms of ‘evidence’ (artifacts generated by the fictim). You can invent a fictional means of obtaining these (fictim mails them, left them behind, etc.)

Use PowerPoint to organize narratives, animate (and abbreviate) evidence, and structure the project using chapters and appendices — i.e. a ‘book’.

The fictim is, existentially, the materialization of the audience within the diagetic reality of the story; as such, connections ‘suture’ the audience to the project through ‘impossible-Real’ inversions of space and time. These are the project’s ‘sinthoms’ and you must DESIGN them!