forward. We’re not looking for one way to do
want to be. There is absolutely no good in
this is flexible to change in the future – if
things. We want to be able to be self critical
us saying: this is the kind of practitioner you
necessary. But he didn’t firmly reject the
and review what we’re doing in the light of
have to be, if that doesn’t fit with someone’s
effects this large emphasis on the city of
where we want to get to. We’re also intensely
own trajectory. They need to find out what
London can have. ‘We’ve chosen to look at
interested in the history of architecture and
makes them happy and makes them flourish
the city because the challenges that we face
the city, to learn about what has worked,
as an individual. So we’re trying to make
in the future, such as climate change and
and to project new ways forward. There is
our students aware of things, teaching them
rapid urbanization, will be won or lost in
no novelty for its own sake.’
methodologies and a way to think.’
the city. If you learn to deal with London, you learn how to deal with lots of different
Any institution that starts, creates a cultural memory from the work that it is producing. We’ll learn year by year, share our findings and benefit as we go forward.
This ambition of teaching students a way
cities, because you know how to deal with
of thinking is, at the moment, very much
complexity.’ When we confronted Hunter
subjected to the context of London’s urban
with the possibility that those challenges
environment. The LSA currently ‘uses
might be completely different in 30 years’
the city as a campus, in order both to
time, he rightly responded; ‘I think for the
provide real-world learning and to reduce
next few years we are comfortable looking
overheads.’5 But they also present London as
at London, but I do like your optimism that
their testing ground, as the LSA believes that:
you think we should be projecting thirty
‘Engaging with the locality allows greater
years ahead’
opportunities for shared urban analysis, deeper engagement with the architectural
Hunter was right; we were being optimistic.
and urban issues, and the opportunity to test
But there is a question there, and it is very
design experiments against real constraints
much relevant to the fundamental idea
Another curious effect of the practice
and user groups.’ So does this make the
of The LSA. Recently, an article about the
network is the relative moment that the
LSA graduate a mere urban architect? And
LSA reported on the school’s ambition to
collective idea of the LSA stops, and the
if it does then what does that imply for the
open up a second school in New York.7
student’s individual position starts. ‘I think
future of our discipline? Will it mean that
‘We’re thinking LA might be more fun now,’
it is incredibly important that students
the architecture profession in the future is
Hunter lets out. ‘It’s in its early stages, but
understand the ethical dimension of their
bound to stay within the limits of the urban
LA is a big city with lots of spatial problems,
work,’ Hunter states, when we broach this.
environment?
loads of architects and already a culture of
6
‘It is about a broader conversation in the
doing wild and maverick things. That might
profession. But it is also very important
In his response to this concern, Hunter
be the city to go to.’ So not only is the LSA
that they, as individual designers, know
started by explaining that it was a choice
looking for an urban environment for its
what they want to give to the world. That
to have the second year theses settled
potential new school, apparently the school
they decide what kind of practitioners they
in London, with which he implies that
realizes quite well there are specific qualities
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