Speculation as design process in architectural studios: hermeneutic memory at the edge of meaning

Purpose This paper aims to establish a notion of speculation in the design process in architecture studios as a way to invent new ways of thinking and making beyond narrow pedagogical approaches in the service of designing buildings. The notion of speculation is formulated on the basis of the concept of practical judgment, and articulated as a way of going beyond habitual ways of teaching architecture. The article discusses a design studio process where different cultural artifacts are juxtaposed on each other in an iterative process that sets out a hermeneutical horizon for new possibilities of seeing and understanding to emerge. Design/methodology/approach Unrelated to each other, a filmic narrative and a cityscape are combined in collage studies to initiate imaginative readings of both. These initial studies are followed by other constructs in various media, to form the history of a thinking process where the constructed objects open up in iterative reverberations to establish a sense of place in the design process. A tectonic and spatial emphasis on lived experience underlines the speculative and improvisational aspects of this iterative/generative procedure. Combined through certain experiential threads, the design studio project emerges as the culmination of this history of thinking and making. Findings The design studio shows the effectiveness of using different cultural artifacts to establish a conceptual/poetic framework in the design process where the constructs are infused with creative narratives in the pursuit of meaningful places. It also shows the viability of an iterative/generative design sequence that moves between various scales and media, from hand drawings to physical models to digital makings and reflections. A key discussion in the process is the complementary modalities of physical and digital productions where each step not only reflects back on the previous but also projects further experiential possibilities. Originality/value This study is an attempt to bring cultural disciplinary reflection into the design studios at a time when the mainstream cultural narratives and practices that shape our lives continually diminish the range of meaningful human experiences. Architecture today is consumerized on Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok with its sleek forms. The profession of architecture more and more sees itself as a service provider to developers, authority and power, comfortably sustaining an image of individuality projected by consumer and social media. Where more and more students join architectural schools for an architecture degree itself rather than a well-rounded architectural education, and where academia is also being restructured on corporate business models, to encourage the professional degrees over disciplinary thinking, this study brings in a critical voice to architectural pedagogy and shows ways of pursuing architectural design as a creative reflection on human existence.