—office ca
—projects


—what?
Our relationship to the cosmos could be said to be a geometric one. Meaning that throughout history, most objective ontological research has involved vectors, positions, and the mathematics of relational systems. Thus, if one were to seek out a single truth out of the messiness of human existence, geometry might be a good place to start.

Within architecture we can assume that geometry is indispensable to the discipline. But it also has a mystical autonomy, which allows it to flutter in and out of discussions on form, shape, forces, perception, and function. Despite all its supposed veracity, geometry’s inherent mysticism often yields extremely non-objective narratives (think: Malevich’s squares or Hejduk’s diamonds). And so as architects we are tasked with revealing this burden: that orthography ≠ objectivity.

office ca is a design research collaborative led by Galo Canizares that examines this paradox. We posit that a search for absolute truths often involves doubt and speculation, and so we exaggerate these conditions to closely examine their role in the production of cultural narratives. Our work therefore recalls at times the mythological (doubt), and other times the science-fictional (speculation). In these contexts, examining geometry is our way of reconciling human beings’ evolving relationships to virtual worlds, modes of communication/representation, and mutable objects. Some projects trap users in oversized diagrams as a means of revealing the mechanisms of virtual space. Others manifest themselves as live simulations or war-game scenarios. Regardless of the format, our objective is always to highlight hidden oddities or curiosities that constitute our daily interactions with spaces, and objects. We make material things, which we smash, inflate, knock over. We write down thoughts about fictional worlds and alternate realities/timelines/futures. We research curious objects, such as software, duct tape, mylar, and bean bags. We are fascinated by the absurdities of constraints, codes (in every sense of the word), and histories of architecture. Through the act of designing and making, we strive to continue a dialogue about physical/virtual realities, distant memories, and weird hallucinations.

Galo Canizares is a designer, writer, and educator. He holds an M.Arch from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and teaches at The Ohio State University’s Knowlton School of Architecture. His ongoing work concerns the production of architectural media after the rise of digital culture.

—frequent conspirators
Stephanie Sang Delgado / Jose Canizares / Enio Dajko / Ekin Erar / Eric Randall Morris / Kyle Altman

—say hello!

hello[at]officeca.com
@officeca

—updates

08.22.2018 - Galo is the 2018-19 Christos Yessios Visiting Professor at the Knowlton School of Architecture.

06.13.2018 - The 2018 Ragdale Ring opens in Lake Forest, IL featuring a live performance!

03.23.2018 - office ca wins the 2018 Ragdale Ring Competition! More info here.

03.15.2018 - Galo Presents More Translations (from Drawing to Building) at the 106th ACSA Annual Meeting in Denver, CO.

11.27.2017 - Galo lectures at Kent State University’s College of Architecture and Enivronmental Design, following the opening of The Field Guide to Martian Landscapes at the Armstrong Gallery.

07.26.2017 - office ca is invited to participate in The Unsolicited Sideshow at the Chicago Architecture Biennial. Support the show here!

06.01.2017 - @theorymachina is featured in POOL issue 2: Rules.

04.12.2017 - Three Acts of #Architecture opens at the Banvard Gallery, Columbus, OH. The show runs from April 12th through August 31st.

04.12.2017 - Galo presented "2 or 3 Things I know About #Architecture" at the Knowlton School of Architecture.

12.02.2016 - Reviews at the Knowlton School of Architecture.

8.25.2016 - Galo begins work at The Ohio State University as the 2016-17 Howard E. LeFevre ’29 Emerging Practitioner Fellow.

7.08.2016 - Reflector goes up in Conifer, CO!

5.2.2016 - Syracuse Architecture reviews.

5.1.2016 - Galo's essay "Licensing Creativity" is published in PLAT 5, License.

3.24.2016 - The Valley of the Giants receives an honorable mention in the 2016 EVOLO Skyscraper Competition.

3.15.2016 - Afterstate.co, a new project for collective criticism and short reflections on contemporary art and architecture, is online.

3.10.2016 - office ca is selected to design the set concept for Finish Line, a new play by the Boston Theater Company.