Architecture has always been a tool for power: political institutions, economic symbols, and religious monuments. Asymmetric and dominant relationships still persist in the profession's modes of production, whether on the construction site or in the design process. What would it look like to use architecture as an instrument for decentralizing power and fighting for the right to the city through community initiatives? In general, the management model for cities, public spaces, and facilities does not allow for shared, participatory management by the population. What, then, does it mean to conceive of an architectural practice that fosters autonomy?
This seminar stems from a desire to share a common concern: Where do architecture, the city, autonomy, and education meet? It seeks to provide a space for reflection, dialogue, empathy, and, above all, the exchange of real-world experiences that contribute to the strengthening and collective construction of an architecture for autonomy—one that is educational and, most importantly, created by and for the people.
