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2021:
Workaround: Capitalism, Society, and the Architecture of Work
M.Arch 1 Studio | AY2020-21 Semester 2
Mischief with Mud
by ZHANG Yiyue
Brian Massumi’s post-capitalist Temporary Autonomous Zone (TAZ) opposes the prevalent capitalist economy, while interfacing with it through products of capitalist value. For the pre-schooler (4-6 years old), a TAZ opens when, seeking novelty and thrill, he opposes his parent by contravening social norms through mischievous play.
One of these norms is cleanliness. The use of the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park as an outdoor classroom ties clean water to biodiversity. Though it aims to promote closer interactions with the natural landscape, the park’s pristine setting and rules of conduct render such interactions distanced and underwhelming.
This project creates a “zone of mischief” by “vandalising” Bishan Park with a “mud-beach”. Constructive and destructive play with mud creates and maintains the landscape. Thus, both the pre-schooler and his parent gain a more intimate relationship with the landscape by getting dirty, thus meeting the park’s educational objectives more holistically.
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Research
[ Unschooling ] by ZHANG Yiyue & ANG Hui Ying
Brain Massumi’s Temporary Autonomous Zone (TAZ) practices creative duplicity - interfacing with capitalism to sustain itself, while opposing it.
We find a similar quality in the mischievous child’s tendency to fidget in a plastic classroom chair - a temporary, playful and non-violent resistance to the rigidity in an institutionalised space for learning. Through studying the behaviour, movement, spaces and furniture for children, our joint research aimed to use this mischievous spirit to carve out TAZs that redefine learning outside of a classroom.
We studied Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park as a site where mischief be used to oppose the flood safety warning system. We aimed to create spaces that encourage a child-led, experiential pedagogy, one that engages risk to build confidence and character, while cultivating psychomotor and social skills through outdoor play.
Read More [ Report ]
[ Behavioral Studies 1.1 - Guggenheim Museum ] by ZHANG Yiyue
[ Behavioral Studies 1.2 - Memorial For the Murdered Jews ] by ZHANG Yiyue
[ Behavioral Studies 2.1 - Farnsworth House ] by ANG Hui Ying
[ Behavioral Studies 2.2 - House of Plants ] by ANG Hui Ying
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Other Selected Works
[ Foragers' Street ]
[ Plan Bee ]
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