Title: Studies in Architecture

Description:
Studies in Architecture is a talk supporting the following statement:  In my endeavors as an architect, I have always been interested in a form of practice that considers a position between academia and practice.  In fact, I do not see the two as being different worlds, and I do not agree with the voices that position them in opposition, i.e. the academia versus the “real”.  The academia is one of the practice’s preconditions.  The two should operate in synchronicity and overlap as much as possible in order to generate significant moments of intellectual density that push forward the design discipline.  Therefore, I can affirm that my teaching is a reflection of what I have been practicing, and vice-versa.  It is also clear to me that my role as a teacher is to share with my students something that I have learned myself: to think conceptually, to work collaboratively, to construct of a critical position, to have some knowledge and an interest in the history of architecture, to look carefully at things, to be curious, to be humble, and to have a sense of social responsibility.

Bio:
Adrian Phiffer is originally from Romania. He received his Master of Architecture from University of Architecture and Urbanism “Ion Mincu” in Bucharest, and a Master of Urban Design from University of Toronto. In 2001-2002 he studied at Ecole d’Architecture de Toulouse under a Socrates-Erasmus Scholarship offered by the European Union. He has worked with Office for Metropolitan Architecture in Rotterdam. In parallel to Office of Adrian Phiffer, he teaches at the University of Toronto - John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.