The Anonymous and the Specific in Architecture

Abstract

The definition of the anonymous and the specific is an issue of personal choice and only when it becomes a personal choice can it be a controllable switching mechanism of observation and a practical methodology of design. But what are the values of an anonymous subject? To answer this question, I adopted Rawls’s concept of Comprehensive Doctrines. I applied a similar concept that is practical in the architectural field, namely, the anonymous and the specific. The definition of the theory is that an anonymous subject is a set of beliefs affirmed by precedents concerning a range of values as well as beliefs about architectural virtues and philosophical beliefs about the way architecture ought to be arranged. Multiple values are organized and compatible in an anonymous subject. In addition, the anonymous subject gives us a view of what is a good architecture that is understandable and practical. In order to enable different anonymous subject to coexist, a freestanding and inclusive specific frame should be designed. It should focus on articulating and defending a clear frame instead of testifying the anonymous subjects. I explored the concept in three courses. Two of them narrowed down the concept into the anonymous structure and specific environment. And the other one narrowed down the concept into the anonymous techniques and the specific policies. In these cases, I tried to explain the values behind the anonymous subjects and the process of designing or recognizing a specific frame so that the plurality of anonymous subjects can coexist in it.