Interpretation is everywhere in architecture.; it is evident in the very act of architectural creation. This collection of essays captures the reflective experience of teachers in the architectural design studio who take interpretation as the core of architectural production and hence of architectural understanding. The introduction of the computer in the design studio revived expectations of a more scientific approach to architectural design. This revival in design methods has been largely eclipsed by a more lucid approach to method. But in many respects the studio climate is similar to that in which eighteenth and nineteenth century humanists defended interpretation as the mode of reasoning in the humanities and social sciences. This anthology is structured around six interpretive themes: play, edification, metaphor, authority, otherness and equipmentality. This book is unique in drawing together strands of thought informed by the diverse reflections of hermeneutical scholarship, the uses of digital media and studio teaching and practice.

Introduction: Architecture and Coherence Section 1: Play Architectural Hermeneutics. Playing by the Rules. Creativity as Commonplace Section 2: Edification The Disintegrated Curriculum. Ethics and Practice. Design Assessment. Design Amnesia Section 3: Otherness The Fusion of Horizons. A World of Difference. Myth, Mandala and Metaphor. Translating Tradition. Thinking Through the Gap. Random Thoughts on the Way