Volume 10: Agitation!

columbia laboratory came up with volume 10 :Agitation!

Jeffrey Inaba in the openning message talked about the range of agitations across the spectrum of architecture and showed that it’s much more than rabble-rousing.
The issue was published in january 2007 .


There is not much work in architecture that incites discord with the prevalent views held by the profession. There are few agitators, or figures who rattle the bones of our institutions by challenging established values. And there are few that feel agitated, or disturbed, about this as the overall state of today’s situation.


The scarcity of agitation is agitating. In lectures, panel discussions, and academic presentations, there is little impulse to go on the offensive or to express a view that is unsettling. Not a lot is being said that would indicate disagreement even among peers that embrace clearly differing positions. Constructive commentary and supportive engagement are replacing contention. Painstaking effort is made to arrive at complementary views rather than to spark conflict. The lack of agitation has given way to a state of calm. Overall, one can sense the growing belief that insight is best gained through balanced discussion. Even in schools with reputations for promoting lively disagreements and articulating polarizing views, there’s a feeling that all is quiet on the western front.



Few of the headlines .....