CALL FOR PAPERS - Navigating boundaries: architectures beyond human (closed)

01-Apr-2023

Abstract Submission Due: 30 April 2023

About Edinburgh Architecture Research Journal  

The Edinburgh Architecture Research Journal is a non-profit, peer-reviewed academic journal, published annually by the research students of the Department of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, at the University of Edinburgh since 1978. The journal has undergone a complete re-brand from print to online, from closed to open issues, from only publishing traditionally formatted papers to incorporating more discursive modes of enquiry and presentation. With this in mind, we are inviting authors to submit abstracts on the theme of 'beyond human' for contributions of up to 5000 words, in formats including articles, short essays, field reports (WIP) or book reviews. We are also hoping to make use of the online format and will be accepting abstracts in alternative forms including film, audio, and photo essays.

Theme: 'Beyond human' 

For EAR38, we are accepting proposals that tackle the dominance of anthropocentric approaches to architecture. These may include investigations into the position of humans within the environment, more-than-human architectures and posthuman studies. We welcome and encourage inter/multi/transdisciplinary approaches with links to spatial practice/architecture where these issues are addressed.  

With the climbing environmental concerns and the pandemic, the dominant role of humans on the planet has been brought into question. Investigations include exploration of human influence on ecosystems through the lens of Anthropocene. Another area of exploration about the place of human concerns the blurring distinction between the human and the artificial through technological advancements that has been a matter of concern in posthumanism studies. Following from our last issue, EAR37: Moving onwards: Methodological exploration where we brought together novel approaches that examined various interactions between the past and the future, the digital and the physical; we now probe ecologies beyond human, and ask for contributions that tackle, investigate or shift the place of human in the built environment to envision alternative futures anchored in contemporary issues.  

List of Potential Topics  

Some of the potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

  • Posthuman architectures 
  • Anthropocene and post-Anthropocene 
  • Planetary futures 
  • More-than-human architecture 
  • Planthropocene/plant-human relationships
  • Indigenous knowledges
  • Ecological approaches
  • Pluriversal imaginaries 
  • Alternative forms of knowledge production
  • Architectural singularity/singularity in architecture

Abstract Submission  

For your work to be considered for this issue, please submit an abstract of 300 words along with author name(s), institutional affiliations, and contact details by 30 April 2023. Please send abstracts and papers with the subject “Your Name EAR Call38” to EAR.journal@ed.ac.uk. Make sure to indicate in your proposal how your work responds to the human/non-human matter and the relevance of your work to spatial practice/architecture.  

Format of Papers   

Papers should be between 3,000 and 5,000 words long including endnotes, headings, and a 300-word abstract, exclusive of references; and up to 2,000 for book reviews. The types of submission can include (but is not limited to) articles, short essays, photo essays and field reports. All papers should be referenced using the Chicago Author-Date referencing style. We encourage the use of images but would request a limit of six. Please note that authors are responsible for obtaining copyright for the use of images. Authors will also be required, upon acceptance, to sign a copyright agreement acknowledging the statement above, whilst retaining all copyright to the article itself. Books reviewed must have been published within the last two years.   

Please visit Submission Guidelines on http://journals.ed.ac.uk/ear/about/submissions for further information on how to format and submit your work. 

Selection Process  

Abstracts will be reviewed by the editorial team. Full papers will be reviewed by one to two members of academic staff from the University of Edinburgh, mostly from within the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at Edinburgh College of Art. The selection of submissions will be based on how well the work responds to the call, the level of its academic rigour and the clarity of its contribution to architectural studies as elaborated in the submission.

Timeline:

  • Submission of Abstracts: 30 April 2023
  • Notification of Acceptance: 8-12 May 2023 [new dates] 

  • Full Paper Submission Due: 14 July 2023
  • Publication of the Issue: 22 December 2023

The dates are provisional and subject to change.

Editorial Team  

  • Estefania Piñeiros, PhD in Cultural Studies | University of Edinburgh
  • Hafsa Olcay, PhD in Architecture | University of Edinburgh
  • Katherine Vyhmeister, PhD in Architectural History | University of Edinburgh
  • Lama Said, PhD in Architectural History | University of Edinburgh
  • Rory Lamb, PhD in Architectural History | University of Edinburgh

Contact Details   

For any queries regarding the above please contact EAR.journal@ed.ac.uk   

Visit our latest issue [EAR37] here: 
http://journals.ed.ac.uk/ear/issue/view/532