Guided Distractions 1.0 was the first iteration of an undergraduate Architecture course in which experimental and critical thinking was encouraged for a specific site within Parkdale - a neighbourhood in the west end of Toronto undergoing gentrification and large-scale development. The continuous displacement in Parkdale has resulted in an active community taking matters into their own hands by forming a landtrust, organizing and developing a community benefits framework, amongst other actions. Parkdale is a strong community demanding to be heard and they certainly played an important role in the formation and inspiration of this course and a relevant physical site to use as a base for some experimentation.

The aim of this 12 week course was to use alternate materials and techniques in a studio setting to look beyond the typical architectural toolbox. Architecture can play an important role in difficult socio-economic city-building issues, and GD1.0 was a way to experiment with how a trans-disciplinary approach to this process can be more effective - architectural thinking, and not necessarily (and only) building.

We studied this wide range of past and present experimenters in a variety of disciplines including poets, musicians, artists, designers, and writers. Different experimental practices and processes were explored with distinct parameters throughout the semesters as individuals and within groups. Inspirations included John Cage’s “chance protocol”, Buckminster Fuller’s iterative process and re-thinking of “failure”, and poet Harryette Mullen’s thoughts on making rules to break rules.

Thanks to Haiqa, Andrew, Alejandra and Victoria for helping compile all these works together in one volume.