Drawing as a site of critical knowledge production in design research

Abstract

 The question of critical representation is discussed within architectural design for its potential to provide other ways of exploration and production. This study focuses on drawing within the extensive field of critical representation discussions. There has been a growing interest in this area (which is distinguished from the earlier architectural representation discussions) due to its reference to the scope of criticality. This reference is taken as a starting point since it reveals the transformative relationship between content and methodology. The aim of this article is to discuss drawing as a critical practice within architectural design by focusing on the actions that are involved in the process of drawing. It is argued that through this approach, practice has a potential to become a site of critical knowledge production in design research. The article provides an understanding of how criticality is discussed within architectural design with an emphasis on design research and how these discussions have affected the scope of drawing within architectural representation. The study suggests a connection between the methodology of design research and the discussion on critical drawing through the aspects of proximity, objectivity and reflectivity. These aspects propose a way of discovering the actions of drawing which are explored through two case studies. The focus is therefore shifted to the process of drawing, not merely the final product, and how this process can be considered as a critical practice.