Counter-Hegemonic Architecture
Abstract
The Gramscian notion of cultural hegemony leads us to admit that a society's understanding of architecture results from a series of ideas, values, beliefs, and behaviors proposed by dominant groups, naturalized and reproduced by the social body. Manifestations of resistance, questioning, and opposition to this understanding, its practices, and ideologies, involve all aspects of the field of Architecture and Urbanism – sociopolitical, technological, formal, spatial, functional, environmental, and energetic, at various scales, multiple processes of conception and representation, productive arrangements, methodologies, and theoretical-historical approaches – constituting what we call here counter-hegemonic architecture.
The twenty-fourth issue of V!RUS journal wants, therefore, to stimulate criticism of the hegemonic thinking in architecture and urbanism, as well as to welcome propositional work that re-discuss modes of production, preservation, and renovation of architecture and the city involving various actors, with special attention to transdisciplinary processes. It is a multi-scale reflection on the object, the building, the city, the landscape, and the territory, from the perspective of the different areas of knowledge that discuss the city's production and study its dynamics. Unpublished scientific articles and critical essays that offer, in the abstract and the body of the text, clear justifications on the relationship between the research presented and the issue's theme will be accepted for evaluation.
We are interested in works that approach the subject in a critical and grounded way, from different areas, in particular architecture, urbanism, arts, cinema, communications, design, law, social, environmental, and political sciences, anthropology, cultural studies, history, geography, among others, dealing especially – but not only – with the following topics:
+ International dialogues and references: the production of architecture and the (new) world order, the notions of globalization, internationalization, imperialism, and globalization;
+ Problematizing the notions of hegemony, counter-hegemony, concepts, and references;
+ Counter-hegemonic values, cultural diversity, and minorities: gender and ethnic identity, multiculturality, indigenous peoples, cultural policies, transnational cultures;
+ Architectures of the South: Africa, Asia, Latin America, and new development paradigms, BRICS and emerging powers;
+ Architectures of dwelling: a review of design and production processes of housing modalities, occupations and the struggle for housing, housing and contemporary ways of life;
+ Counter-hegemonic Design: research, production, innovation references;
+ References in research on counter-hegemonic architectures: a review of concepts and analytical categories, rethinking field boundaries, methods and procedures, the role of the researcher;
+ Meta-theories, systemic thinking, complexity, cybernetics, communication ecology, transdisciplinarity;
+ Research in architecture through experimental constructions: prototypes and pavilions built by university researchers, innovative technologies and spatialities, ancient techniques;
+ Counter-hegemonic possibilities of construction systems: low carbon architectures, alternatives to the use of cement, alternative production models;
+ Beyond conventional formal models: complex geometry architectures, parametric modeling, digital fabrication, digital design and production processes;
+ References on counter-hegemonic architecture, urbanism, and design;
+ References on public management, transparency, and governance, urban public policies;
+ The dispute over the city: decolonial insurgencies, social movements, cyberactivism, cyberspace, and the public scene;
+ Sociabilities and urban space: urban design and the post-pandemic city, gender, racism, universal design;
+ Urban mobility, counter-hegemonic urban thinking, and the right to the city;
+ Design, construction, and management processes: participatory actions, online digital platforms as a locus of participation, bottom-up actions, solidarity economy networks;
+ Valuing the memory and heritage of minorities, inclusive decision-making processes on the preservation of architectures, urban places and monuments, heritage made invisible, architectural design, and ancient construction techniques;
+ Memory and heritage: documentation, dissemination, special projects, preservation policies, vernacular knowledge;
+ Audiovisual, cinema: documentation, urban readings, and writings.
In addition to text and graphic images, we welcome photo essays, videos, short films, animations and gifs, sound and musical pieces, and testimonials in audio files, art installation projects, architectural, urban studies, and building projects and criticism, slide shows and further digital languages considering Nomads.usp's interest in exploring the potential of digital media use on the Internet for academic communication.
Contributions will be received in ENGLISH, PORTUGUESE, OR SPANISH on the journal website between May 15 and August 15, 2022, according to the guidelines for authors available at www.nomads.usp.br/virus/submissions.
IMPORTANT DATES
December 2021: Call for papers
May 15, 2022: Beginning of the period for receiving articles
August 15, 2022: Submissions deadline
From September 19th: Notification to authors on the editorial decision
October 30th: Deadline to receive the authors' adjustments
November 13th: Deadline to receive English, Spanish or Portuguese version
December 2022: Release of V!RUS 24
