The Existential Project as the Locus of Sustainability in Design

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The paper aims to propose a theoretical frame that articulates the problematic of sustainability apprehended as an attitude of the agency in design. The theoretical framework draws on the ontology of Jean-Paul Sartre to situate the issue of sustainability within the dialectical process that takes place between the existential project and the design project of the agency in the context of design education. The main concept of fundamental project from Sartre is the grounding paradigm to articulate the problematic. The conclusion argues that, from such a Sartrean ontology and the existential concept of project, the ethical dimension appears to be intrinsic to such a comprehension of the problematic of sustainability in design education and in design in general.

Stream: Aesthetics, the Arts, Design

Paper: A paper has not yet been submitted.

Philippe d'Anjou teaches in architecture in the fields of design (studio), design philosophy, and design theory. He has been teaching at university level in Mexico, in Costa Rica, and in USA. His research focuses on philosophical and theoretical issues of design such as ontology, epistemology, and ethics. He is specially interested in the relationship between existentialism and design with an emphasis on the philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre. Professor d'Anjou has published and presented his work in different international conferences worldwide.