Asterix on the West Coast

The ‘Adventures of Asterix’ is a collection of comic books written by the French illustrator Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. The story line describes the entirety of Gallia as occupied by the Romans with the exception of one settlement. The village of Asterix and his eccentric fellow Gauls resists the Roman territorialization with their smart, clever and sophisticated ideas as well as the support of a magic potion. Stimulated through the intake of this special elixir, the villagers are able to fight off the Romans with their temporary superhuman power. Asterix, the main character of the adventures, is a brave, shrewd warrior of somewhat diminutive size, who eagerly volunteers for all perilous missions. Obelix is Asterix’s closest friend and works as a sculptor. He is a tall, obese man with two notable attributes: his phenomenal strength and his voracious appetite for food, especially wild boar. His superhuman power results from having fallen into a magic potion cauldron as a boy.Getafix is the village druid. In appearance, he is tall with a white beard, white robe, red cloak. He is usually seen in possession of a small golden sickle. While his age is never stated, in the story of Asterix’s birth (in which all but the oldest villagers are seen as small children), he appears unchanged.SCI-ARC, the Southern California Institute of Architecture based in Downtown Los Angeles, mirrors the faith and stamina of this Gallian village in many ways. It is a small renegade architecture school situated within an ocean of overpowering large institutions with highly acclaimed reputation. Yet, since its inauguration, SCI-ARC has been able to not just compete against these academic giants, but fully resist the mainstream paradigm of the discipline and profession. For many decades now, the program has constantly managed to stay outside the box while constantly pushing the boundaries of architectural innovation. So, what is the magic potion behind the SCI-ARC Model and how does it maintain its unique status within the ordinary architectural landscape?The full paper will critically evaluate the opportunity SCI-Arc offers its faculty to engage in design/build projects with and for the School. From small scale installation within the school building to large scale pavilions for graduate ceremonies the faculty is able to implement a range of design/build projects and hence keep the status of a contemporary place of education.The paper will discuss the unique role of the schools mission; identify its contribution for practitioners and educators; specify its achievements and production; and conclude with its potential contribution to contemporary models of design/ build in an academic environment.

Volume Editors
Sergio Palleroni, Ted Cavanagh & Ursula Hartig

ISBN
978-0-935502-94-7