Abstract
The chapter explores disruptive uses of serious games to achieve radical urban visions through the presentation and critical discussion of three recent case studies developed in graduate and postgraduate university courses. The chapter addresses the underpinnings of game-based design practices and discusses their untapped potential to spark imagination and bring about new urban visions. The focus is on subverting the expectations of the aims, methods, and results of spatial design projects in the context of higher educational institutions. Most importantly, games and play are used to radically address pressing technical, societal, and environmental topics in a disruptive way, generating new urban visions that push the limits of what is considered probable, desirable, and even imaginable.
TopIntroduction
The book chapter explores disruptive uses of serious games to achieve radical urban visions through the presentation and critical discussion of recent case studies developed in postgraduate or postdoctoral educational environments associated with programmes in architecture, design and urbanism. Based on the author’s practical experience in graduate and postgraduate university courses at ELISAVA (Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya) and ETSALS (Universitat Ramon Llull)
Figure 1. Dalia Al-Akki, Jana Antoun, Juan Arizti, Marta Borreguero, Elena Caubet, Ines Fernández, Tanvi Gupta, Stephanie Ibrahim, Tracy Jabbour, Yunling Jin, Jad Karam, Selen Kurt, Alexa Nader, Joelle Nader, Assil Naji, Mokshuda Narula, Tiago Rosado, Eirini Sampani, Montserrat Sevilla, Brentsen Solomon, Kuan Yi Wu [faculty: Roger Paez, Toni Montes, Bhavleen Kaur and Atrey Chhaya], 2020. Community Plugins
Figure 2. Xenia Armengol, Dorian Bella, Victoria Caballero, Agustina Cainzo, Albert Chavarria, Alex Font, Ronald Grebe, Marco Mosca, Alaa Osman, Charisa Paredes, Laura Prudence, Carlota Puigrefagut, Aurora Santallusia [faculty: Roger Paez and Jordi Mansilla], 2018. El Núvol [The Cloud]
The chapter addresses the underpinnings of disruptive game-based design practices and discusses three case studies that illustrate their potential to generate and communicate radical urban visions. The author’s personal research and his involvement in all of the case studies presented allows for an in-depth discussion of the opportunities and the shortcomings of these explorative practices.
Figure 3. Author [faculty: Enric Miralles, Carme Ribas, Ton Salvadó], 1998. EisTenPolin [Towards the City]
The main objective of the chapter is to present and discuss the ability of playful environments and game-based practices to articulate radically explorative approaches to urban futures. Often used in merely instrumental ways to address problem-solving, participation or simulation, urban-oriented serious games have a mostly untapped potential to spark imagination and bring about new urban visions. In a nutshell, the aim of the chapter is to put the ‘game’ back in serious games.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Disruptive Design: Innovative and ground-breaking design beyond the desirable/undesirable dichotomy.
Playful Environment: Informal ambiance conducive to ludic interactions between participants.
Urban Vision: Sudden and bold visualisation of potential urban futures to collectively redefine our relationship to (existing) reality.
Speculative Design: The space between foresight and fantasy, driven by imagination and with the purpose of proliferating reality.
Constraints: Self-imposed or consciously accepted limits within a given spatiotemporal setup.
Game-Based Format: Formal organisational setup following the features of games, such as agreed-upon rules or the introduction of chance, applied to a context of design or research.
Radical: Affecting the fundamental nature of something.