Advocates of social and structural change within architecture and professional practice, the Architecture Lobby has announced the launch of a new online summer program that will address three themes: capitalism, labor, and collective practice. 

The Architecture Beyond Capitalism (ABC School), invites students, faculty, practitioners, and members of various publics in all parts of the world to "interrogate the structures and systems of power." Starting on Saturday, June 19, 2021, each theme will be discussed and broken down into a 2-hr live session every Saturday for six weeks. The Architecture Lobby adds, "each theme has two components: debates stimulated by lessons from people whose work is central to the week's theme and salons for discussing the outcomes of design assignments pertinent to that theme."

During a time of much-needed reform and the dismantling of inequitable work ethics, the Architecture Lobby has been champions of change within professional practice. The non-profit organization run by architecture workers for architectural workers has made it their mission to promote and support "the value of architecture in the general public and for architectural work within the discipline." With the launch of their latest virtual summer program, the organization expresses there is no financial cost. However, commitment to the six-week program is essential. The final Saturday session will conclude in a "Think-In" session that will tie the program's work together.

Program learning outcomes include: 

• Understand the discipline of architecture in the context of capitalism
• Debate the intersection of capitalism with racism, decolonization, climate change justice and the participation of architecture in those intersections
• Rethink “design”/studio outputs
• Investigate modes of representation that map power, material chains, and/or organizational structures
• Move from passive learning to active knowledge production

In 2018 the Archinect Sessions podcast team spoke with Peggy Deamer and Shota Vashakmadze for an insightful conversation to learn more about the Architecture Lobby, their 10-point manifesto, and the organization's Just Design initiative.

Listen to episode 127 of Archinect Sessions, “Transparent Value”.

• iTunes: Click here to listen, and click the "Subscribe" button below the logo to automatically download new episodes.
• Apple Podcast App (iOS): click here to subscribe
• SoundCloud: click here to follow Archinect
• RSS: subscribe with any of your favorite podcasting apps via our RSS feed: http://archinect.libsyn.com/rss
• Download: this episode

Learn more about the Architecture Lobby and the ABC School here.