On Architecture and Work: The Political Economy of Space, Vol. 3 confronts architecture's studied silence on labour — asking why design culture remains so distant from the workers who build it, and what a genuinely class-conscious practice might look like.
About This Book
Architecture has long maintained a comfortable distance from the labour politics that govern construction sites and, increasingly, design offices themselves. This third volume in the Political Economy of Space series breaks that silence with a collection of essays examining the relationship between construction, architecture, work, and labour. From gruelling site conditions to underpaid studio roles, the contributors ask a pointed question: who can actually afford to be radical? The book pursues what solidarity between designers and construction workers might produce — both in terms of practice and political imagination — making it essential reading for anyone concerned with the structural conditions of architectural production.
Key Features
- 120 pages of critical essays on architecture, labour, and the political economy of construction
- Edited by Charlotte Malterre-Barthes
- Third in the Political Economy of Space series, following On Architecture and the Greenfield (2024) and On Architecture and Greenwashing (2024)
- Published by Hatje Cantz, 2024
What You'll Discover
- Why architecture as a discipline has remained largely insulated from broader labour struggles and collective bargaining
- The class dynamics that separate the architectural firm from the construction site — and what acknowledging that divide might change
- First-hand accounts of working conditions in the construction industry and what they reveal about architecture's political economy
- What new design practices could emerge from genuine solidarity between architects and construction workers
About the Author
Charlotte Malterre-Barthes is the editor of this volume and the broader Political Economy of Space series published by Hatje Cantz. No further biographical details are available in the source description.
Specifications
- Format: Softcover
- Pages: 120
- Dimensions: 17.8 x 10.8 cm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9783775760652
- Publisher: Hatje Cantz
- Publication Date: 2024
Perfect For: Architects and designers interested in labour rights and political economy; students and academics working at the intersection of architecture theory and critical theory; practitioners questioning the ethical structures of the construction industry.