PhD in Architecture. History and Project | Politecnico di Torino
… a meeting with
Per-Johan Dahl
11 thoughts on “… a meeting with”
S287645
Although the lecture given by Per-Johan Dahl initially seemed to me to deviate from the theme of the lecture series, I had to change my mind with the final talk.
The difficulties that an architect encounters during his professional practice depend mainly on his relationship with the authorities and clients, sometimes the use of a specific technical language can help to overcome the imposed barriers, as in the example of the “LOFT” in Sweden. While at other times the architect has to rely on his own skills developed over time to overcome difficulties, these skills are based on both technical and non-technical knowledge and on communication or social skills.
The conference held by Per-Johan Dahl was very interesting both for the projects presented and for the issues addressed during the research phase that led him to explore the types of housing that have developed over time in an informal way, such as those of Los Angeles to independent units that have greatly influenced its architectural design. Although the architecture is still extremely constrained by rules and codes, Per-Johan Dahl has found the key to being able to free himself from these limitations and has managed in some way despite the difficulties to best express his ideas and ambitions, designing functional and well-organized housing types.
Per-Johan Dahl’s lecture and conference highlighted the challenges architects face in their profession, such as navigating relationships with clients and authorities and dealing with codes and regulations. To overcome these barriers, architects can use technical language or rely on their developed skills, which are based on both technical and non-technical knowledge and communication or social skills. Dahl’s research explored how informal housing has influenced architectural design, and despite constraints, he was able to express his ideas and ambitions by designing functional and well-organized housing types.
I found the lecture by Per-Johan Dahl fascinating. It presented a though-provoking idea of illegal architecture as architecture of disobedience (and not resistance) that becomes a sort of prototype and gives possibility to the future typologies to appear. The great point (and great luck) of the lecturer is the ability to test his research with physical prototypes after the completion of more theoretical investigations. Dahl introduced the two projects in Sweden that were the final products of his research: first – the house extension of contrasting to the existing building’s architectural language; second – integration of loft-living into the traditional Swedish house. A peculiar thing about both of these projects is that Dahl challenged further the building typology by moving them out of their native context of research – Los Angeles and New York.
I found the lecture by Per-Johan Dahl interesting. His research focused on how informal housing, which often arises out of necessity and without official permission or regulation, has influenced and can continue to influence architectural design. Despite the constraints of working within the context of informal housing, Dahl was able to use his research to design functional and well-organized housing types that responded to the needs and desires of the people who would be living in them.
Through his work, he demonstrated that informal housing can be a source of inspiration and innovation for architects, and that it is possible to create livable and sustainable housing solutions even in contexts where formal regulations and resources may be lacking. By studying and learning from informal housing, architects can gain a deeper understanding of the needs and desires of the people they are designing for, and can create more responsive and effective housing solutions as a result.
Per-Johan Dahl’s lecture which is called “Practice + Disobedience” was quite interesting and it was about the systems codes that as an architect finding and designing solutions for urban life and culture. Some projects has been mentioned during the lecture. One of them is a project which is located in Los Angeles as different building typology and backyard homes, a project which is located in New York as a loft architecture. Also, there are some obstacles that an architect deal with it. These are can be a problem of permit of building, client’s disagreement of some part of the project. Therefore, architecture is a dicipline and practice. It is an important process that an architect improve and expand his/her knowledge of the project, network and improve communication skill.
Per-Johan Dahl’s lecture highlighted the challenges that architects face in their profession, including dealing with regulations, managing relationships with clients and authorities, and finding solutions for urban life and culture. He discussed how architects can overcome these barriers by using language that is based on technical and non-technical knowledge, as well as their social skills. Dahl’s research explored how informal housing, which often arises without official permission or regulation, has influenced and can continue to influence architectural design. Despite these constraints, he was able to design functional and well-organized housing types that responded to people’s needs and desires. Dahl’s work demonstrates how to transform a problem into a solution, and that the opportunity to do architecture often lies where you least expect it.
Professor Per-Johan Dahl’s lecture was very meaningful and interesting, especially in the current architectural environment. As the theme of this lecture, Practice + Disobedience, he introduced some cases, and expressed that technology can be a tool for design, but architecture itself has a perceptual aspect, which carries the needs of people, local society and culture, such as a residential community in Los Angeles, with a backyard residential form, which is very vivid and interesting. This also illustrates the phenomenon that although building regulations and design standards are a mandatory condition, architects should not let them become a hindrance to the design of the building, and through a flexible design and communication, the building can be designed to be more humane based on local conditions. I think this is very inspiring for architects.
The architecture of disobedience: this is the term Per Johan Dahl ascribes to that architectural current that, with knowledge and awareness, originates from illegal design practices and takes shape from the study and analysis of them as models of an attitude that goes beyond regulations and code, often a cause of constraint and limitation for the ambitions of professionals. Who says all evil comes to harm? In fact, it is from these informal patterns and episodes, as well as from Dahl’s own technical, non-technical and communicative skills, that he began his research and work. With the support of two projects, he demonstrated how the possibility of experimenting and updating one’s architectural language is also, if not especially, possible from the curiosity of studying such informal episodes and gestures.
This weeks lecture highlighted the challenges architects often have to face in their field work. Especially in the case of informal housing where solutions arise from the lack of regulations which cause the challenges in the first place. However, Dahl’s research emphasises how these informal solutions can actually be very innovative and respond well to the specific contexts they are placed in. Through informal housing, architects can really have the chance to learn and understand how to respond to the specific needs of the people that will inhabit the spaces we design.
This presentation is based on his own experiences and how he solved aspects of the daily life of his clients through design, which he calls “systems and solutions for societies”. He invites us to put the theory into practice to be able to implement new solutions that are in accordance with the regulations that are presented. Research before starting a project is very important because it directs the project. In conclusion, he tells us that taking into account the growth and constant change of the cities, it is important to analyze the territory but also to reach the volume or architectural part.
Although the lecture given by Per-Johan Dahl initially seemed to me to deviate from the theme of the lecture series, I had to change my mind with the final talk.
The difficulties that an architect encounters during his professional practice depend mainly on his relationship with the authorities and clients, sometimes the use of a specific technical language can help to overcome the imposed barriers, as in the example of the “LOFT” in Sweden. While at other times the architect has to rely on his own skills developed over time to overcome difficulties, these skills are based on both technical and non-technical knowledge and on communication or social skills.
The conference held by Per-Johan Dahl was very interesting both for the projects presented and for the issues addressed during the research phase that led him to explore the types of housing that have developed over time in an informal way, such as those of Los Angeles to independent units that have greatly influenced its architectural design. Although the architecture is still extremely constrained by rules and codes, Per-Johan Dahl has found the key to being able to free himself from these limitations and has managed in some way despite the difficulties to best express his ideas and ambitions, designing functional and well-organized housing types.
Per-Johan Dahl’s lecture and conference highlighted the challenges architects face in their profession, such as navigating relationships with clients and authorities and dealing with codes and regulations. To overcome these barriers, architects can use technical language or rely on their developed skills, which are based on both technical and non-technical knowledge and communication or social skills. Dahl’s research explored how informal housing has influenced architectural design, and despite constraints, he was able to express his ideas and ambitions by designing functional and well-organized housing types.
I found the lecture by Per-Johan Dahl fascinating. It presented a though-provoking idea of illegal architecture as architecture of disobedience (and not resistance) that becomes a sort of prototype and gives possibility to the future typologies to appear. The great point (and great luck) of the lecturer is the ability to test his research with physical prototypes after the completion of more theoretical investigations. Dahl introduced the two projects in Sweden that were the final products of his research: first – the house extension of contrasting to the existing building’s architectural language; second – integration of loft-living into the traditional Swedish house. A peculiar thing about both of these projects is that Dahl challenged further the building typology by moving them out of their native context of research – Los Angeles and New York.
I found the lecture by Per-Johan Dahl interesting. His research focused on how informal housing, which often arises out of necessity and without official permission or regulation, has influenced and can continue to influence architectural design. Despite the constraints of working within the context of informal housing, Dahl was able to use his research to design functional and well-organized housing types that responded to the needs and desires of the people who would be living in them.
Through his work, he demonstrated that informal housing can be a source of inspiration and innovation for architects, and that it is possible to create livable and sustainable housing solutions even in contexts where formal regulations and resources may be lacking. By studying and learning from informal housing, architects can gain a deeper understanding of the needs and desires of the people they are designing for, and can create more responsive and effective housing solutions as a result.
Per-Johan Dahl’s lecture which is called “Practice + Disobedience” was quite interesting and it was about the systems codes that as an architect finding and designing solutions for urban life and culture. Some projects has been mentioned during the lecture. One of them is a project which is located in Los Angeles as different building typology and backyard homes, a project which is located in New York as a loft architecture. Also, there are some obstacles that an architect deal with it. These are can be a problem of permit of building, client’s disagreement of some part of the project. Therefore, architecture is a dicipline and practice. It is an important process that an architect improve and expand his/her knowledge of the project, network and improve communication skill.
Per-Johan Dahl’s lecture highlighted the challenges that architects face in their profession, including dealing with regulations, managing relationships with clients and authorities, and finding solutions for urban life and culture. He discussed how architects can overcome these barriers by using language that is based on technical and non-technical knowledge, as well as their social skills. Dahl’s research explored how informal housing, which often arises without official permission or regulation, has influenced and can continue to influence architectural design. Despite these constraints, he was able to design functional and well-organized housing types that responded to people’s needs and desires. Dahl’s work demonstrates how to transform a problem into a solution, and that the opportunity to do architecture often lies where you least expect it.
Professor Per-Johan Dahl’s lecture was very meaningful and interesting, especially in the current architectural environment. As the theme of this lecture, Practice + Disobedience, he introduced some cases, and expressed that technology can be a tool for design, but architecture itself has a perceptual aspect, which carries the needs of people, local society and culture, such as a residential community in Los Angeles, with a backyard residential form, which is very vivid and interesting. This also illustrates the phenomenon that although building regulations and design standards are a mandatory condition, architects should not let them become a hindrance to the design of the building, and through a flexible design and communication, the building can be designed to be more humane based on local conditions. I think this is very inspiring for architects.
The architecture of disobedience: this is the term Per Johan Dahl ascribes to that architectural current that, with knowledge and awareness, originates from illegal design practices and takes shape from the study and analysis of them as models of an attitude that goes beyond regulations and code, often a cause of constraint and limitation for the ambitions of professionals. Who says all evil comes to harm? In fact, it is from these informal patterns and episodes, as well as from Dahl’s own technical, non-technical and communicative skills, that he began his research and work. With the support of two projects, he demonstrated how the possibility of experimenting and updating one’s architectural language is also, if not especially, possible from the curiosity of studying such informal episodes and gestures.
This weeks lecture highlighted the challenges architects often have to face in their field work. Especially in the case of informal housing where solutions arise from the lack of regulations which cause the challenges in the first place. However, Dahl’s research emphasises how these informal solutions can actually be very innovative and respond well to the specific contexts they are placed in. Through informal housing, architects can really have the chance to learn and understand how to respond to the specific needs of the people that will inhabit the spaces we design.
This presentation is based on his own experiences and how he solved aspects of the daily life of his clients through design, which he calls “systems and solutions for societies”. He invites us to put the theory into practice to be able to implement new solutions that are in accordance with the regulations that are presented. Research before starting a project is very important because it directs the project. In conclusion, he tells us that taking into account the growth and constant change of the cities, it is important to analyze the territory but also to reach the volume or architectural part.