Abstract
Through an ethnographic analysis of the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom and drawing on a Science and Technology Studies (STS) inspired theoretical framework, this article explores architectural space as configured by sociotechnical infrastructures. In the context of the GEIC, by paying attention to the flows of University-employed engineers, prototyped technologies, gas pipes, cables and ventilation, the article illuminates how new spatial configurations emerge through the practices and processes of which the building becomes a part. Such an analysis, it will argue, allows attention to move away from a sole focus on visions of architects and clients or even the agency of users to modify their environment. Instead, the work proposes a fruitful area for future study, paying attention to the connections, components and flows which are modularly plugged into the building and the legacies of “knowledge” which they leave behind.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Architectural Theory Review |
Volume | 28 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 18 Apr 2024 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 18 Apr 2024 |
Keywords
- Laboratory architecture
- academic capitalism
- infrastructure
- modularity
- science and technology studies