Building Material 23: Fields

Fields
The 23rd edition of Building Material seeks papers on the idea of the field in architecture.

The notion of fields is used in architecture to connote ambiguity. Whether used spatially or figuratively, it introduces into the discourse a tension in the acknowledgement of boundary. It is like a fabric, a carpet, a pattern with the potential for endlessness (or at least an ill-defined edge), yet the terminology of the field equally embodies concepts of containment and segregation. It slips between roles as an all encompassing terrain while remaining one part perhaps of a greater whole. Within the discourse of architecture, fields can capture a range of concerns, including: the imagery and nature of non-hierarchical space; the extents of professional and disciplinary knowledge; and the possibilities of boundaries, not as rigid delineating barriers, but instead as rich transitional zones. In all this, there may be many fields of shifting centres.

Topics for consideration may include (but would not be limited to) the following:
– How are the limits of architectural knowledge defined and where does it transition with other disciplines?
– In what ways does the architectural design process respond to multiple physical, cultural and social conditions?
– What has been the impact of field-based compositional principles on the history of architecture?
– How, and in what form, do boundaries manifest themselves in the areas of urbanism, building, and technology?
– If the extent of a given field may be mapped, what does this tell us of its central focus?

Building Material 23 invites submissions that explore the range of architectural possibilities inherent within the word ‘fields’ in Ireland and elsewhere. Submitted articles must not have been published, nor be under consideration for publication, either online or in print. Written submissions should be a maximum of 4000 words and should be analytical and critical rather than descriptive. While inviting submission of academic papers, it also seeks and encourages interesting essays that fall beyond the academic pale. Shorter articles are welcome, as are graphic works.

Building Material is a peer reviewed journal and selected submissions shall be assessed by two independent reviewers. Submissions not intended for peer-review are also welcome. A distinction will be made between peer-reviewed research articles and other material.

Completed articles should be addressed to the editor(s) by 01 March 2019. To facilitate the process of double-blind peer review, please ensure that all contact details are contained in a covering email and that authors’ identifying details are not included in the article file.

Acceptance decisions will be communicated by 29 March 2019. Articles should be prepared in MS Word, double-spaced at a minimum 11-point font size. Notes should adopt the UWA Oxford Referencing style (footnote format), as outlined in the linked document. Single quotation marks should be used throughout. Image files should be formatted as individual jpg files at 300dpi.

Informal queries regarding submission may be addressed to the editor(s). All submissions and correspondence should be addressed to buildingmaterial@architecturalassociation.ie.

Previous issues of Building Material are now available to view on JSTOR. Hardcopies may be purchased via architecturalassociation.ie.

Building Material is an annual architecture journal, joint published by the Architectural Association of Ireland (AAI), the All-Ireland Architecture Research Group (AIARG), and the Irish Architecture Foundation (IAF).

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