When Routine Bites Hard

Abstract

In 1982, Alejandro de la Sota writes 'For a logical architecture', an undercover manifesto in which he describes the process of architectural production as a sequence of efficient reasonings in the form of precepts that almost irrevocably result in 'Architecture'. This notion, transferred to contemporary architectural production beyond the productive efficiency associated with commercial architecture, is demanded in certain current practices that advocate

a sort of 'creative pragmatism' removed from the trends of the 90’s of practices like those of OMA, MVRDV or Alejandro Zaera Polo. Opposed
to this, a re-conceptualization of
the notion of efficiency associated with the production of architecture
is explored. The operative modes
of Estudio Herreros, Office KGDVS and Lacaton & Vassal are examined, exploring concepts like 'creative efficiency', 'necessary efficiency'
or 'behaviour efficiency', somehow connecting back to the 'Logical Architecture' argued by de la Sota in his 1982 manifesto.