This essay was written by Nicholas Anastasopoulos, Associate Professor at the School of Architecture of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and partner of ASOC as an overview of the big picture of the programme. This is a reflective approach which was acquired by the immersion in all three cycles of ASOC, also taking into account theoretical references and genealogies.
The Radically optimistic architectural pedagogies in precarious times article examines the main tenets of the Architecture School of Commons project. It provides an overview of the big picture of all three cycles throughout the three-year span of ASOC. It focuses mainly on the spirit of the project which is informed by a collective architecture movement by the architect collectives involved, and it highlights the aspects of an experiential architectural pedagogy with building, observing, and living architecture—with hands-on experience, collaboration, (In-Situ, Observing, Hands-on, Community-center, and Convivial daily living), aspects which form part of the ASOC pedagogy. The Architecture School of Commons (ASOC) is reimagining how we teach architecture by taking learning beyond the classroom with workshops in rural France, Greece, and Italy, students, professors, and collectives like Collectif Etc, Zuloark, and Orizzontale working together to transform abandoned spaces into thriving community hubs. Finally the essay attempts to provide some empirical reflections and an initial assessment of the project.
