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Uncalculated Certainty: Towards a New Plan

Part 2 Dissertation 2010
Cameron Young
 University of Strathclyde | UK
Within the small, dense print of the 1966 Architects’ Journal, a radical proposal with the aim of “totally restructuring the national architectural education machine” was published by the influential architect Cedric Price. The controversial NATIONAL SCHOOL PLAN still presents a challenge to the current model of architectural pedagogy. Cedric Price’s Plan is characterised by the fact that vastly improved collaboration between schools and students would bring about an increase in educational mobility resulting in an overall improvement in the standard and range of architectural education.

To accomplish this, Price employed his impressive understanding of the political, social and economical environments of the time. Capturing the imagination of the students, he proposed to create a national conversation and liberate them from the existing constraints of the model, whilst allowing their positive contribution.

Today, recent financial developments, such as the introduction of Top-Up Fees in England, and the “uncalculated” proposed funding decrease for Scottish students, has served to further isolate the student and the network. In addition, regular media reports announce the ever-increasing figures of graduate unemployment. Current, long-term, funding deficiencies mean the traditional methods employed in the previous decade to surmount this problem can no longer be seen as sustainable. It is therefore imperative for the architectural community to “think its way out of these difficulties”. (Atlee A, 2010)

If there is one forum which should be at the heart of this solution-focused conversation producing new models or paradigms, it is the collective architectural academic community of Universities. Universities are in a unique position as being places with an abundance of fresh ideas, talents and abilities.

UNCALCULATED CERTAINTY: TOWARDS A NEW PLAN examines the potential influence of this document on today’s pedagogical systems in architecture, from a student’s perspective.
A modern evolution of Cedric Price’s proposals in the form of ‘Polyark II: The Railway Project’ is analysed and compared to the original ‘Polyark I’. The new model regenerates the network within architectural education that enables a greater collective environment in which to study: towards a new, more inclusive and collaborative architectural plan.



A politically and economically relevant piece of research, this dissertation presents both a critical understanding of the development of architectural pedagogy and an introspective analysis of the author’s own experiences. The author questions what the future of architectural education and practice may be in an economically unstable climate.

With specific reference to the proposed funding cuts within higher education the author examines the development of studio culture, including; the 19th Century academies of the Ecole des Beaux Arts, the radical 1966 National Schools Plan proposal by Cedric Price and more recently Polyark II: The Railway Project. Polyark II is a re-envisaged version of Price’s 1971 Polyark I, the Red Bus. The author participated in the recent Polyark II project, and draws on his own experience, collaborating within a network of 8 schools of architecture to successfully critique Price’s 1966 proposals.

The topic chosen is of timeous significance and critically reviews contemporary pedagogic examples and sets out proposals for the learning environment of the future resulting in an original, valuable piece of critical writing.

This is a coherently written, ambitious piece of research, which explores the relevance of architectural education to the social, political and economical time in which it inhabits.

Tutor(s)
Jacqueline Lister
Lesley Palmer
2010
The logo of my dissertation. The document is presented in a custom envelope, adorned with a Cedric Price Stamp to highlight his ideas of educational mobility. The post mark introduces his proposal for architectural education: Polyark.
The image depicts a student protest at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris two years after the time of the publication of the "National School Plan" intersected by a modern architecture institute potentially effected by Scottish Funding Council cuts.
This image introduces the second chapter titled "Uncalculated Certainty". By placing an application form on a drawing board, it is used to exemplify the difficulties the current economic crisis, which this chapter discusses, is having on the profession.
A Price drawings of a carriage from his Potteries ThinkBelt proposal frames two images which the connection between the teacher Price and John Lyall, once his student and previous colleague, who created Polyark II.
The main image presents theatre performers performing an "Agit-Prop" which was employed throughout the Polyark II project to practically test theories and proposals created during the project.
A collection of some of the documents used throughout my investigation of this dissertation. I found they all had a certain graphic style which I aimed to employ in the presentation process of the study.
An image of John Lyall, one of the creators of Polyark II: the Railway Project, presenting his ideas on the future course of architectural education at a lecture organised by Polyark II students.
An image of one of the participating schools of architecture practically exploring one of Cedric Price's ideas of educational mobility - by presenting a lecture on the train!
The original Polyark Bus Tour. The originality and creativity of the project has ensured its important ideologies has been fondly remembered amongst its participants, which has allowed its reincarnation.
Some students of architecture participating in the Polyark II project.
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