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NCBDS Conference |
Jim Sullivan
Matthew Dunn
Hillary Procknow |
Associate Professor
School of Architecture, LSU
Professor Sullivan’s work centers on the “architecture” of an architect’s thinking and the role that facts or particulars- details, in a word- play in that architecture. This interest originates in Professor Marco Frascari’s renowned work that claims the architectural detail houses both the logos of teche and the techne of logos. Professor Sullivan’s work extends the techne of logos from the construction of a single project’s thinking to the construction of architectural thinking in general. Here, details plays a significant role as well- not the architectural detail but the details of thought such as facts, evidence, and accidents that one assembles to make judgments and draw conclusions about the world.
Professor Sullivan investigates the reasoning of critical thinking as described by John Dewey and Edward Glaser and the “reasoning” of delusional paranoiac thinking as described by Salvador Dali and Rem Koolhaas. These two types of reasoning share a commitment to details as base units of signification, however, critical thinking’s commitment serves the purpose of evaluating beliefs and other propositions, while paranoiac thinking’s commitment serves the purpose of creating unsuspecting connections between otherwise unassociated things.
The primary focus of the research as it relates to critical thinking is on the broad-based cognitive skills and dispositions that constitute critical thinking and the concomitant knowledge structures that are taught, thought to be taught or should be taught, and in the attendant consequences for instruction, assessment, and curricular structure in beginning or foundation architecture education. The goal of this focus is to critically assess current and past education practices and propose, implement and assess new practices. Aspects of this research include (1) drawing as a representation of thinking, (2) developing flexible knowledge structures in novice learners (3) re-conceptualizing formal building analysis as argumentation.
Professor Sullivan's professional and academic work may be viewed at LA-ab.com.
Selected Papers
The New Revised Syllabus, in The Beginning Designers Mind, University of Texas, 2005(Proceedings of National Conference on Beginning Design)
Measured Remarks, in Proceedings: Design Communication Association Biannual National Conference, California Polytechnic State University, 2004
Building Analysis Reconsidering, inRecalibrating Centers and Margins, ACSA Press, 2003.
(Proceedings from ACSA National Conference)
Drawing = Critical Thinking, in UnStaked Territories: Frontiers of Beginning Design, Oklahoma State University, 2003.
(Proceedings from National Conference on the Beginning Design Student) |
