Interpretation in Architecture Design as Way of Thinking

Drawing on cultural theory, phenomenology and concepts from Asian art and philosophy, this book reflects on the role of interpretation in the act of architectural creation, bringing an intellectual and scholarly dimension to real-world architectural design practice. For practising architects as well as academic researchers, these essays consider interpretation from three theoretical standpoints or themes: play, edification and otherness. Focusing on these, the book draws together strands of thought informed by the diverse reflections of hermeneutical scholarship, the uses of digital media and studio teaching and practice.

Introduction: Architecture and Coherence  Section 1: Play  Architectural Hermeneutics.  Playing by the Rules.  Creativity as Commonplace  Section 2: Edification  The Disintegrated Curriculum.  Ethics and Practice.  Design Assessment.  Design Amnesia  Section 3: Otherness  The Fusion of Horizons.  A World of Difference.  Myth, Mandala and Metaphor.  Translating Tradition.  Thinking Through the Gap.  Random Thoughts on the Way

Professor Adrian Snodgrass is an internationally renowned authority in Buddhist Studies and Buddhist art.  He also researches in the area of hermeneutical philosophy and its application to knowledge production and cross-cultural understanding.  He is editor of The Architectural Theory Review and Architectural Theory, and his books on Buddhism have become classics in the field. 

Professor Richard Coyne researches and teaches in the areas of information technology in practice, computer-aided design in architecture, philosophy of information technology, digital media, and design theory. He inaugurated the MSc in Design and Digital Media, in which he also teaches. He is author of two recent books on the implications of information technology and design with MIT Press. He is a registered architect (Australia), and was recently Head of the University of Edinburgh Department of Architecture.