Academical Village

In City of Bits William Mitchell writes about different types of virtual spaces and how they draw on real spaces. But what models do we have for hybrid spaces – institutions that are designed to have both physical and virtual extension? How do we think through what we can make if we were to design a new research learning space both for information technology and through it?

In chapter 4.6. Schoolhouses / Virtual Campuses Mitchell draws on Jefferson’s design for the University of Virginia. Jefferson’s “academical village” was designed to bring students and faculty together in a place of residence and learning. What do we want to bring together in a new media village?

Here are some random thoughts on the subject:

1. The buildings are surfaces that show and hide. The surfaces are screens and should therefore be programmable like the Kunsthaus Graz museum which has computer driven surface panels on the outside. Read about it at Art in America: Austria’s friendly alien.

2. Surfaces define spaces for activities. They shouldn’t exclude. Imagine something that is open for peeking in. A learning space that anyone can look into – every studio has a web cam. (Panoptic dystopia?)

3. Space away from technology – quiet rooms without wireless.

4. Walk and talk spaces – courts with boards to stop and write on.

Here are references on the academical village:
Two sites from the University of Virginia on the academical village
http://www.virginia.edu/academicalvillage/, and http://etext.Virginia.EDU/jefferson/.

From City of Bits by William Mitchell see School Houses/Virtual Campuses.

Here is the home page of the online version of the book.

Also see a project at MIT combining studio and academical village.