News & Events

A new book by Dean Professor Xing Ruan (coauthored with his UNSW colleague Dr Ainslie Murray), titled Hand & Mind, profiles architectural and design practitioners who are paired with writers to explore their inspiration, the genesis of their projects and problems encountered. This image-rich and strikingly designed book profiles a series of projects from distinguished practitioners and academics, from Glenn Murcutt and Sam Marshall to Felicity Stewart and Matt Hollenstein. The book brings together projects and critical writing to provide a fascinating insight into the study and practice of the design professionals. 

In the leading essay of the book, "Architecture by Hand and Mind: Why the usefulness of an architectural education lies in its uselessness", Professor Ruan asks us to consider the instrumental capacity of architecture beyond a visualisation of our built world. By revisiting the humanist roots of aesthetics and the academic education of the architect in both Indo-European and East Asian tradtions, Professor Ruan reminds us that the salutary communion in architecture between aesthetics (in the pre-modern sense) and technology defeats any artifical dichotomy between usefulness and uselessness - between hand and mind. 

For more details, please check：

 newsouthpublishing.com

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