ADS1: The Cave and the Tent

ADS1 wager that cultures can be read through their buildings, and that through close readings of architectural history the various ways by which spatial form contributes to the organisation of society can be discerned. As a studio, we investigate intellectual and cultural matters through the medium of the architectural project. We believe that the crises of our time (political, economic, ecological etc.) pose questions not only of technique, organisation and representation but also of architectural form, culture and expression.

In 2019/20, ADS1 investigated the twin archetypes of the cave and the tent, in order to open up a space for speculation on questions of ecology and temporality. Through a study of ‘ancestor’ projects ranging from neolithic burial mounds through to plastic nomadic living pods, via Roman baths, sheds, bunkers and greenhouses, questions of weight, duration, energy and programmatic specificity were put forward. In a world where vast edifices have a planned lifespan shorter than that of a human, we asked if new buildings today should last for hours, centuries, or both.

Douglas Murphy and Andrea Zanderigo