Master in Design Studies (MDesS)
Carson Chan - Concentration in History and Theory
During my undergraduate studies in architecture at Cornell University,
I developed a deep interest in architecture apart from my work in studio
design. Increasingly, I would ask questions, general questions at first,
on why buildings were designed they way they were, what social, cultural,
and political forces were acting on the architect when his building
was taking form, and how do we evaluate architecture, especially moments
that are distant in time and circumstance from what we know. I explored
facets of this question at Cornell spearheading gallery exhibitions,
lecture series, theater productions, musical performances and political
publications. Later I spent time in Iceland writing about emerging Icelandic
artists, assisting in creative direction in fields as diverse as fashion
design, video media, and photography. These experiences focused my questions
about architecture as well as other cultural manifestations, prompting
me to continue this investigation with the Theory and History concentration
at the GSD.
Though I’ve had many years of undergraduate study to layout a foundation for a theoretical study in architecture, the course work in the History and Theory concentration has provided a breadth of the canon in history, theory and criticism, pushing me to read deeper into the familiar. Design, history, and theory are not seen as separate investigations, but are interwoven to bring about new adjacencies and inform new practices.
The wide variety of courses available at the GSD brings together disparate architects, writers and concepts. This has broadened my definition of architecture, regarding buildings as a branch of knowledge and a mode of thinking. I discovered here that architecture can ‘happen’ in places other than the built environment.
Currently, through the way I approach papers and assignments, as well
as through independent study with different professors, I am researching
how notions of alterity in spatial experiences can provide for, if not
implicate an individual’s sense of agency, especially how political
potentials are opened up by the way we use, perceive, and experience
space. My time here has only raised more questions, providing me with
material that anticipates many more years of study and unpacking to
come.