The Cybernetic Relevance of Architecture: An Essay on Gordon Pask’s Evolving Discourse on Architecture

Abstract

Gordon Pask, as one of the leading figures in the field of cybernetics, had an extensive impact on architecture through his lifelong connections with architectural circles in the UK and the USA from the early 1960s until his death in 1996. He is mostly known to architects by his collaboration with Cedric Price on a number of occasions; however, his affiliation with architecture include several other instances that involved designing architectural projects, teaching in architectural schools, writing on architectural issues and more. This paper aims to review these instances to scrutinize how his discourse on architecture unfolded in time by addressing his evolving understanding concerning the relationship between architecture and cybernetics. In doing so, the paper examines key aspects of his own work in relation to key instances of his relationship with architecture.