Princeton University School of Architecture announced today that Sylvia Lavin will be joining their faculty effective July 1, 2018. Lavin is currently a Professor in the Department of Architecture and Urban Design at UCLA, where she was Chairperson from 1996 to 2006 and the Director of the Critical Studies M.A. and Ph.D. program from 2007 to 2017.
Lavin received her Ph.D. from the Department of Art and Archaeology at Columbia University in 1990 after having received fellowships from the Getty Center, the Kress Foundation, and the Social Science Research Council. Her most recent books include, Kissing Architecture, published by Princeton University Press in 2011 and Flash in the Pan, an AA publication from 2015.
Professor Lavin is also a curator: a recent exhibition, Everything Loose Will Land: Art and Architecture in Los Angeles in the 1970s, was a principal component of the Pacific Standard Time series supported by the Getty Foundation and traveled from Los Angeles to New Haven and to Chicago.
This is all very interesting.
Princeton seems to be re-positing itself to leverage the strengths of a PhD program with stellar faculty, and strong resources- all with an eye to the future of what architecture is and how the past is critiqued.
if you're not looking for the education Princeton offers, nobody's twisting your arm
This makes complete sense. What I can't figure is why the criticism of her being an "outsider", when it's clear that the education of architects has been too inside and self-referential?
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Professor of Architecture can be someone who has done architecture, Sylvia Lavin hasn't gone further than a sketch. Don't call it Professor of Architecture, call it Professor of something else. ''From Speech without the architecture to Architecture before the speech''
Well, it sounds like Dr. Lavin is cashing out a pension fund from the U.C. System to jump to an east coast money source. I would do the very same thing after 20 years in the U.C. system.
Befits the status of stupid Architectural education. An art history major as dean of Princeton.
The dean of the SOA @ Princeton has an undergraduate and graduate degree in architecture though.
This is all very interesting.
Princeton seems to be re-positing itself to leverage the strengths of a PhD program with stellar faculty, and strong resources- all with an eye to the future of what architecture is and how the past is critiqued.
This makes complete sense. What I can't figure is why the criticism of her being an "outsider", when it's clear that the education of architects has been too inside and self-referential?
Insecurity and fear of loss of control with respect to the narrative.
@Pos Pete- You can also replace Pavillion with Urbanism
Marc, [A]rchitecure's version of "You Will Not Replace Us".
@ pp, no it’s the wild wild built environment out there. Everybody has an urbanism.at least 1.
2@b3ta, I’m guessing. Thank and “you will not critique us.”
?
Architectural history began as a specialty within broader art history degree programs. Nothing new there. Some schools separated the two, others didn't.
Not a fan of SL, but she did put UCLA on the sexy architecture map. Of course, this helped to destroy many of the more coherent parts of the curriculum... so pick your poison.
This is exactly what's wrong with architectural education. Architecture should inform theory, not be theory. It goes back to the insecurity of seeming too practical and therefore not as intellectual as their liberal art piers in academia.
"Should" shall be eradicated from the architectural lexicon.
I’m not sure you build facility like this to turn a program entirely towards theory. Instead, I think these are moves are to address insecurities both through emerging construction methods (the myth of the master builder having complete control is one step closer), while critically reflecting on the practice (was the master builder really in complete control?)
Marc, could you elaborate on what you mean about the 'master builder' ?
My point is that the master builder didn't have complete authority over the construction of a large building like a Cathedral or B asilica. It was mediated by a number of things, most notably the use of diagrammatic animal "memes" to both remember structural strategies and to demonstrate intent to the labor (another significant mediator).
I'm not sure what your point about master builders is because anyone with a basic grasp of architectural history would agree. My point is if you want to learn architecture as defined as the art of building, then art and building should come before theory. Not excluding the theory, just not focused on theory. You can't run before walking and have the public take you seriously.
"Should" shall be eradicated from the architectural lexicon.
"Jennifer Newsom and Tom Carruthers' work investigates the conceptual overlaps in art, architecture, and cultural theory."
The photo looks like she is on opioids. Why the drama? I know New Jersey isn't the most pleasant place but she didn't have to go.
Agreed, if you want to learn how to build learn to build and do it in facilities that allow you to do cutting edge work as the opportunity arises. That's been established, down to the obligatory drone (equipped with LIDAR?) in the photo.
But that's not enough. You need to compete with other programs (what makes you better for me than any other program) and you need to work within the confines of the institution.
There's also an assumption that just because Sylvia Lavinhasn't practiced, she can't work in a program that includes construction. The jury is out on that.
Finally, there have been no complaints about her visiting position at Princeton, so what is the difference?
I'm sure she can handle construction and maybe she'll be great. The point is are you training architects or theorists. You can be both, but you can't be an architect without practicing architecture. As for complaints, what's an 18 year old going to say when they've never practiced? The complaining will happen when their employer laughs at a portfolio of beautiful drawings that can't be built. It's not about one or the other, it's about balance. Beautiful words are nice if the public lived in books.
Not sure what an 18 y/o will say because they haven’t practiced yet- unless they’re notably bright and already received a degree. Otherwise, they’ve got 4-5 yrs to learn how to assemble a building the way you expect it to be done, and 2-3 for the internship.
Princeton does not have a BArch
if you're not looking for the education Princeton offers, nobody's twisting your arm
The point isn't Princeton or her, but rather the state of the built environment and academia's responsibility to train those who one assumes will help define this environment. If this where a philosophy program, no harm no fowl, but it's not.
so the designers of the built environment should pay no heed to history or art?
If that's what you got from my point, ok.
I didn't really get anything from your point tbh
So, we have the Spanish Alejandro Zaera-Polo lurking in the corner of the faculty lounge with smoke still coming off of him and a female dean who may never have nailed two boards together with a chorus of minority hires singing in the background to a university president who is orbiting out beyond Pluto. What could go wrong? I would pay the $60,000 a year tuition just to watch. Not.
foreigners, women, minorities - OH MY.
This has been a Monty Python skit since they hired the Spaniard. By the way, how did he get a green card? No Americans qualified to be Dean of Architecture at Princeton? Oops, they found one! Sort of.
The stench of fear, is pungent, yet sweet. Go on.
I think they should have gotten the new dean from Catalonia and had some real fist fights in the faculty lounge. Would hardly damage the school more than the Star Chamber against Alejandro has done.
Is no one monitoring these comment boards for rampant misogyny and #MAGA garbage?
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