Continuing the trend started by the last year’s editors, this issue of Retrospecta emphasizes excerpts from the conversations and dialogues on architecture that we believe make Yale a diverse and living institution. These discussions are charged with insight, argument, and wisdom, and are found throughout the lectures, symposia, exhibitions, critiques, and jury reviews that are an essential part of the school’s curriculum.
We have asked students to submit not only images of their projects but also the definitions of one or more terms that embody the issues that their designs address. As you encounter these redefined words in a transcript or description, we encourage you to refer to the definitions provided to discover both an alternate meaning and the reasoning behind it. The definitions of “architecture” provided by members of the faculty serve as the starting point for the book.
We hope that this issue will provide you with a fuller view of the culture of Yale and a chance to explore the relationships between projects, discussions, and the myriad ideas that define the Yale School of Architecture. —William Martin, Janet Ho, William West