volume 6/ SYSTEMS.

As designers, planners, theorists, and historians, we are uniquely situated—and ethically responsible—to engage systems of all scales: from the global to the detail. We understand that component parts are better understood as participants within a network of relationships and interconnections rather than in static, figural isolation. We celebrate fields, flows, and feedback loops, acknowledging that cause and effect are nonlinear rather than direct.

Systems-thinking liberates design from formal exercises and locates our disciplines within a wider range of methodologies and discourse. Consequently, it binds our disciplines to diverse fields, necessitating active and thoughtful collaboration among peers.

In this sixth volume of lunch, we explore the range of systems-thinking at the School, the greater University, and our larger community. The projects and transcripts represent the rapid growth of our disciplines as they engage an unprecedented range of issues and dialogue.

Editors
Beth Bailey
Jack Cochran
Joey Hays
Charles Sparkman

Image by Ronan Bouroullec.