Observations
Buch, Englisch, 240 Seiten, Format (B × H): 245 mm x 310 mm, Gewicht: 1800 g
ISBN: 978-3-96680-004-4
Verlag: ArchiTangle
as Andres Lepik calls it in the foreword. When the firm’s founder Toshiko Mori, a New York local with Japanese roots, joined the Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD), she became the first female faculty member. Later she sat as Chair of the Department from 2002 to 2008. Many of her architectural projects have received international acclaim, as has she herself, with awards such as the
Architectural Record’s 2019 Women in Architecture Award
for a design leader, and the
AIA/ACSA’s Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education
- the highest distinction for teaching in the field.
The focus of
Toshiko Mori Architect Observations
is on observations as the foremost, indispensable method in the developmental process of architectural projects. TMA projects are geared toward creating infrastructure for the development of society. The wide sense in which the word
infrastructure
is used in the book gives an impression of the conceptual nature of Toshiko Mori’s work.
In the eight chapters of this publication, projects are introduced which foremost consider social and ecological demands such as community building. Backed by thorough research and engaged with architectural tradition while also questioning industry norms, the projects remain on the cutting edge of the architectural profession. They include a think-thank called
VisionArc
which Mori founded together with Landon Brown, the award winning
Thread and Fass School and Teachers' Residence
in Senegal and several curatorial works at the
MoMA
and
Smithsonian museums
. The vast variety of projects featured in the publication illustrates Mori’s philosophy that there is no universal design solution for every problem, which makes each of her architectural engagements unique.