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EDIFICATION
THE FREE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AN INTERVIEW WITH PETER ZELLNER by Ian Merker, AIA LEED AP BD+C
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n September 2016, Architect and Professor Peter Zellner was featured in architectural media as he was announcing plans to launch a free school of architecture. While the structure of the program and the funding for the project hasn’t taken form, Peter’s goal of rethinking the academic model is apparent.
IM: I found out about the school through what appeared to be a press release with a short article announcing plans to open the free school. Who will the free school serve?
already in the profession only to come and retool, but if someone is coming from left field, there would have to be a legitimate interest in being an architect.
PZ:. The school is designed for students and teachers who want to think about architecture and its impacts socially, economically, culturally, and politically. In principle, I would assume that we’re going to draw a number of working architects and recent graduates or recently enrolled graduate students who want to come and spend some time in the school over a few weeks next summer. It will be structured as a night school program to get started, so students can come and join us at no cost after work or studio. I assume we will also attract individuals from aligned fields, such as urban design, landscape architecture, interior design or art since the enrollment process is open ended. Applicants will be asked to write an 800-word personal statement about why they wish to attend the school. It will be blind reviewed by the FSA Board. From the pool of applications we receive, we will select 12 students. The same process will be applied to teachers. We are setting up an advisory board that will include Nicholas Boyarsky, the son of Alvin Boyarsky, who revolutionized architectural education [at the AA] in the ‘70s. The board will also include writers, editors and community activists. We may get a developer or builder involved too.
IM: Where are you teaching now?
I want to see what students and teachers have to say about themselves in terms of what they want to learn, what they want to teach, or how they want to talk to each other. It’s set up as an open environment to test the boundaries of pedagogy and curriculum. In parallel to teaching and learning, FSA will stage a series of symposia inviting individuals to talk about the state of architectural education.
IM: Is there any interest in aligning the program with an accreditation program?
IM: Maybe the criteria for who is a student or who is a teacher is based on diversity, as opposed to a set philosophy? PZ: Yes. Diversity of opinion, philosophy, and a certain voice or intent are welcome. This is meant to be an experiment, so I don’t want to prime the pump by saying that this will be a place for people
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CONNECTION
THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN JOURNAL OF THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS FORUM
PZ: I taught at SCI-Arc for about 20 years, I’ve taught in Innsbruck, Paris, Australia, China, Miami and Gainesville, and I’m currently adjunct faculty at USC. I’ve probably visited every type of architectural learning environment one can imagine and in a variety of different cultures. IM: Will you be able to use the school to do something you have been inhibited from in some of those environments? PZ: My role is to be an emcee and coordinate. As the founder of this free school, I would like to help others build their teaching practices. I’ve taught since 1994 (I was 25), so I’m coming up on a half century of being a teacher. The school is not being established as a vehicle for my own teaching interests. I’d like to focus my energy on building a viable organization, both financially and intellectually. One of the biggest challenges I expect to face is raising money, to deliver on the promise of a free education.
PZ: Not in the short term. I’m not sure how to guarantee a degree at a point when the very goal of the school will be to ask questions like “What is architecture?” and “What does it mean to be an architect?” There are social, economic, cultural, and political questions that can frame professional behavior. I’m not of the opinion that the job of the school should be initially to accredit individuals as architects. There are other places for that. The idea is to give individuals access to architectural ideas, absent the obligation to pay for them.