Speculative Realities

The Illinois School of Architecture lecture series Speculative Realities serves as a platform to open the narrative about the imaginary that is part of the theoretical and physical worlds. It explores possible environments and scenarios in the process of design and Architecture but pushes these ideas beyond the current, known realities. As Speculative Realities, they are possibilities that challenge the status quo of our work and inspire innovation in design thinking, materials, research, and practices. These possibilities are actualized in the physical world, understanding that design as a process culminates in an outcome that is humanly thought-provoking, experiential, and physical. Speculative Realities, therefore, serve as a tool to challenge correlations and question how we, as designers and architects, explore and responsibly apply the impact of our ideas and emerging technologies to the social, cultural, and environmental implications we face today.

Speculative Realities, at the core, look at narratives and stories of who we are, of what we know, and how we do it to parallel them to explore future possibilities, creating our histories as part of the world we are part of. This lecture series will bring designers, architects, educators, authors, and activists worldwide to see how Architecture projects directly impact the places we live by the power of design. Therefore, these Speculative Realities will offer a powerful way to explore and question the world around us, using imagination and creativity to envision alternative futures and challenge the existing status quo by creating responsible actions in our histories, bridging the gap between the present and the possible.