LA+ Interruption

Design can be used to challenge the status quo, interrupt the jargon, disrupt and redirect ecological and socio-economic flows by injecting something different into a given context to effect new meanings and functions, questioning what design does, who it is designed for, what it looks like, and what it means.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 120 pages
Publication date: 12 June 2023
Publisher: Oro Editions

Design has the potential to challenge the status quo, break down jargon, disrupt and redirect ecological and socio-economic flows. The fourth international design ideas competition organized by LA+ Journals invited designers to take an established place and create something that would productively interrupt both its cultural and spatial context. This means introducing something different into a given context to generate new meanings and functions. It involves questioning the purpose of design, its target audience, its visual appearance, and its underlying meanings.

Issue #17 of LA+ Journals presents the outcomes of the LA+ Interruption design competition. In addition to showcasing the award-winning designs and a comprehensive Salon des Refusés, the competition features interviews with jurors Fiona Raby, Martin Rein-Cano, Mark Raggatt, Rania Ghosn, and Jason Zhisen Ho. An essay by Katya Crawford, coauthor of The Design Competition in Landscape Architecture (forthcoming), also accompanies the issue.

The LA+ Interruption design competition aimed to encourage designers to think beyond traditional boundaries and explore innovative ways to disrupt and redirect ecological and socio-economic flows within established places. The designers were challenged to create designs that would challenge the existing quo, break down barriers, and provoke thought and discussion.

The winning designs showcased a range of approaches and strategies. Some designers focused on creating physical interventions that physically interrupt the existing context, such as temporary structures or installations that occupy public spaces or redefine the boundaries between different areas. Others used design to challenge existing systems and processes, such as designing new economic models or creating alternative transportation systems that reduce carbon emissions.

The Salon des Refusés also provided a platform for designers to showcase their rejected ideas and explore the potential for further development. The exhibition showcased a diverse range of designs that pushed the boundaries of traditional landscape architecture and explored new ways of thinking about the relationship between humans and the natural environment.

The interviews with the jurors provided valuable insights into their thought processes and the criteria they used to evaluate the designs. The jurors discussed the importance of creativity, innovation, and social impact in design and how designers can use design to address complex social and environmental challenges.

Overall, the LA+ Interruption design competition showcased the power of design to challenge the status quo, break down jargon, disrupt and redirect ecological and socio-economic flows. The winning designs and the Salon des Refusés provided a valuable platform for designers to explore new ideas and push the boundaries of traditional landscape architecture. The competition also highlighted the importance of creativity, innovation, and social impact in design and how designers can use design to address complex social and environmental challenges.

Dimension: 267 x 222 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781957183299