Bucky gave a talk in 1960, entitled Prime Design, in which he referred briefly to “the world educational (system)” [5], and another in 1962, issued as Education Automation, which he devoted to the new educational system [6]. Since then few architects have involved themselves in Bucky’s recommendation. CP, of course, has been the notable exception. The Potteries Thinkbelt [7], in particular, represents a radical alternative to the traditional university, followed by his proposals for educational facilities at Atom [8], Detroit [9], and Birmingham [10], for example. It is therefore worth noting what Gordon Pask had to say in 1969 [11]:

“A University need not be conceived as a set of buildings around a courtyard with living accommodation and lecture theatre. The educational system might, in certain circumstances, be spatially distributed rather than localized. In any case, architects are positively encouraged to anticipate trends such as the development of educational technology and to provide for their impact upon whatever structure is erected. By token of this the architect quite often comes into the picture at the time when a higher educational system is being contemplated, without commitment to whether or not it is called a university.”

The Edukit project - ie world educational system - is an early entry project of this type [12] and a new design for new learning for the “one-town world” Bucky anticipated half a century ago [13].

25 years later, in the introduction to an exhibition at the AA in London in 1984 [3], Cedric Price (CP) wrote that:

“In this instance, ACTION refers to that taken by me, and subsequently the office, in response to requests by others. Such requests are not necessarily of an architectural nature and are frequently in the form of a challenge which does not necessarily suggest an architectural response.

In such cases, an architectural response has first, and quickly, to be compared within the office to the alternatives of firstly, a proposal related to other disciplines, activities and non-architectural products or secondly, a clearly explained reason for no response at all. The latter is the first construction ‘inaction’ that architects can offer, having satisfied themselves that they are of no use. To enable this response to be constructive, it must be fast and authoritative. Indeed this is one of the finest reasons for architects to involve themselves continuously in anticipatory design as recommended by Buckminster Fuller.”

Now, today, a further 25 years on, the 2009 call for entries to the Buckminster Fuller Challenge has been announced and is looking for “comprehensive anticipatory design solutions that address multiple problems without creating new ones” [4]. I am therefore making a prime example of such design the focus of my initial research proposal and of my initial pilot research, namely, ‘Edukit’.

Buckminster Fuller (Bucky) delivered the Annual Discourse to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in June 1958 at the RIBA, entitled Experimental Probing of Architectural Initiative, in which he defined his work as “comprehensive anticipatory design science” [1].

The following year, in a talk given at the AAA in Oregon [2], Bucky said that:

“Architects, if they are to be really comprehensive, must assume the enormous task of thinking in terms always disciplined to the total world pattern of needs, its resource flows, its recirculatory and regenerative processes.

Architects might join one another to carry on their work in laboratories as do doctors in anticipatory medicine. Architects might solve design problems of world-resource use before people get into resource troubles. Architects might thus join forces, as do scientists, with the integrity of inter-self accrediting of the respective abilities of each individual on the team. Architects might begin the laboratory pooling of their resource capabilities at the university level.

Architects should tell architectural schools that they also favor research and development in the university.”

To architects attending, such words would represent a clear recommendation for ACTION.

“To maintain a valid role in a constantly changing society, continuous anticipatory design is required of architects. Instantaneous response to a single isolated architectural demand is too slow. Architecture is too long in gestation to be a serious problem solver.” (Price, C., 1981, Anticipating the future, RIBA Journal,  September 1981, p.42).

“Architecture should have little to do with problem solving - rather it should create desirable conditions and opportunities hitherto thought impossible.” (Price, C., 1984, Works II, Architectural Association, p.92).

“Only when Agadir and Aberfan are recognised as likely events will the necessary legislation and management enable ‘disaster’ planning to afford sufficient anticipatory design effort and product.” (Price, C., 1970, Cedric Price Supplement, Architectural Design 10/70, p.508).

“To maintain a valid role in a constantly changing society, continuous anticipatory design is required of architects. Instantaneous response to a single isolated architectural demand is too slow. Architecture is too long in gestation to be a serious problem solver.” (Price, C., 1981, Anticipating the future, RIBA Journal,  September 1981, p.42).

“To enable (an ‘alternative’) response to be constructive, it must be fast and authoritative. Indeed this is one of the finest reasons for architects to involve themselves continuously in anticipatory design as recommended by Buckminster Fuller” (Price, C., 1984, Works II, Architectural Association, p.18).

“Constant up-dating of information and data held by the Office becomes an internal design excercise in its own right. This process helps towards maintaining the efficacy of the Office’s prime approach to architecture which is one of continuous ANTICIPATORY DESIGN.” (Price, C, 1992, quoted in Price, C., 2003, Re:CP, Snack 42).

“Architecture is slow and therefore requires anticipatory design.” (Price, C., 1996, Anticipating the unexpected, The Architects’ Journal, 5 September, p.27).

Buckminster Fuller first drew attention to the world educational system in Prime Design (1960).

Architects, however, appear to have completely ignored it, with the notable exception of Cedric Price whose works include a whole series of anticipatory schemes, ranging from the Pilot Fun Palace (1960) to the Generator (1976).

Norman Fellows Archiblog will therefore shortly be publishing a beta version of the office’s design for the world educational system, namely, Edukit.