Unit 20 2014 - 2015: Incredible India
Liminal Geometries - Radical Materiality - Extreme Reality - Awesome Beauty
 


Marcos Cruz, Marjan Colletti, Richard Beckett


India is one of the most incredible places on earth. With its amazingly diverse culture and history, deep spiritual dimension, social richness, as well as extraordinary landscapes, it forms a (sub) continent in its own right. India is growing and changing at a phenomenal pace, yet maintains great economic and infrastructural disparities. For example, medical facilities range from non-existent in rural areas to world-class in some cities and still only 60% of homes have toilets, whilst Bihar State authorities have unveiled a model of the world's largest Hindu temple... Similarly, the very latest machinery and IT skills may be used in some construction projects, whereby most workers do without mechanization on construction sites. Around 16% of the nation's working population depends on construction for its livelihood.

Additionally, increasingly extreme weather conditions are affecting India’s climate, which is leading to regular droughts and floods on unprecedented scale. In this context, Unit 20 will explore notions of the extreme, a phenomenon implicit to our times. Not only India, but also the world by and large is becoming more and more extreme and overcrowded, leading to unparalleled contrasts, scales and complexity, especially in what concerns our beliefs, habits and technological capabilities. The unit is interested in exploring the extreme geometric (form), material (perception), social (reality) and aesthetic (beauty) dimensions of architecture.

Liminal
- Relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process
- Occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold

Extreme
- Maximum, greatest, ultimate, supreme, paramount, acute, major, enormous, severe, exceptional
- Drastic, serious, forceful, desperate, dire, far-reaching, momentous, consequential, substantial
- Extremist, immoderate, exaggerated, intemperate, outrageous, unreasonable
- Fanatical, revolutionary, rebellious, subversive, militant, combative, dangerous, risky
- Utmost, furthest, highest, most distant, final, last, terminal, remotest

Radical
- Total, entire, absolute, comprehensive, exhaustive, complete, far-reaching, extensive
- Fundamental, basic, quintessential, thorough, serious, rigorous, profound, deep-seated, profound
- Severe, drastic, draconian, stringent, violent
- Revolutionary, progressive, reforming, revisionist, fanatical, militant

Awesome
- Breathtaking, amazing, stunning, stupendous, staggering, extraordinary, incredible, magnificent
- Unbelievable, phenomenal, awe-inspiring, sublime, miraculous, wonderful, spectacular
- Formidable, imposing, impressive, mind-boggling, mind-blowing, out of this world