Konstantinos Perakis
PhD Candidate, National Technical University of Athens, Greece.
Konstantinos Perakis has graduated in 2016 from the department of Product and Systems Design Engineering of the University of the Aegean and in 2020 he graduated from the Technical University of Eindhoven MSc program “Architecture Building and Planning.” He has worked as an assistant architect and architectural Designer in the Netherlands an in Athens and in 2022 he started his PhD thesis in National Technical University of Athens in the field of Architectural Design with the title Navigating Uncertainty: The Discourse of Mistake and Chance in Architectural Practice.
The Dynamic Nature of Truth in Architecture: Unveiling Uncertainty through the Discourse of “Mistake” and “Chance”
Keywords: epistemology in architecture, design studio dynamics, reflective practice, contextual architectural analysis
Abstract: In architectural research, the pursuit of truth often intersects with exploring concepts like “mistake” and “chance” in the design process. This paper reflects on the nuanced relationship between truth and error, acknowledging their dynamic nature. Drawing inspiration from the emphasis on the plethora of possible truths, this proposed paper seeks to investigate how architects navigate uncertainty within the design process, particularly through their discourse of “mistake” and “chance”, and how it shapes their pursuit of a design outcome rooted in a universally true process and “design logic”.1 Through on-site observations at the NTUA2 focusing on third-year students, the study explores how architects negotiate truth and error in real-world design situations. By contextualising the discourse of “mistake” and “chance” within the broader landscape of architectural research, this paper aims to uncover the complex interplay between the rhetoric of “error” and “randomness” with the concept of architectural truth.3 Furthermore, it delves into the theoretical underpinnings of truth in architecture, examining how the discourse of “mistake” and “chance” intersects with philosophical discussions. It explores how architects handle the concept of truth amidst the subjective and unforeseen nature of design praxis4, aiming to unveil the relationship between certainty and uncertainty in architectural inquiry. Combining theoretical analysis with practical observation, the paper aims to challenge challenges assumptions about truth in architecture. It will document the discourse of “mistake” and “chance” as they emerge from the dynamic interactions among all participants of the design studio, aiming to connect these concepts with the notion of truth as perceived and digested by the participants.5
1 Karl Popper, Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (London: Routledge, 2002).
2 Abbreviation for “National Technical University of Athens”
3 Hilde Heynen, Architecture and Modernity: A Critique (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1999)
4 Karl Popper, Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (London: Routledge, 2002).
5 Mario Carpo, The Alphabet and the Algorithm (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2011)