1

Grounding the flying triangle: activity theory and the production of spaceFrederick van Amstel, PhD Researcher Construction Management & Engineering Dept.

Co-authors: Hartmann, T; Voort, M. van der; Dewulf, G.P.M.R.

The materiality of visual representations

11Drawing by Valérie (6 years old) http://valeriezsc.blogspot.nl

The materiality of visual representations

11Drawing by Valérie (6 years old) http://valeriezsc.blogspot.nl

My dear, where is the shadow under the

person? Is she flying?

Is this triangle flying?

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Subject

Rules Community Division of Labor

Object

Instruments

Outcome

The activity system model. Redrawn from Engeström (1987)

Activities like that can happen anywhere in the world

11Blood donor association in Italy (Ivaldi, Ripamonti & Scaratti, 2014)

Is the triangle becoming a symbol of change instead of a tool for change?

11US Great Seal and one of the symbols of French Revolution

For revolutions to succeed they need to create a new space. 17

Henri Lefebvre

Medical imaging center case

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Medical imaging center

Southeast HospitalNorthwest Hospital

Different activities occupying the same space

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How to categorize space?

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Subject

Rules Community Division of Labor

Object

Instruments

Outcome

The activity system model. Redrawn from Engeström (1987)

Space as an instrument

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Designers Retrofitted building

Construction site

Users

??? ??? ???

???

Medical imaging center

Space as a shared object

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DesignersSpace to be built

Drawing

Space to be used

Users

Sketch

Medical imaging center

Sketch 1 – space as a baseline for activities

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Radiology education

Medical imaging research

Technology develop.

Imaging diagnosis

Medical imaging centerDesign Project

University of Twente

Inspired by Henri Lefebvre’s The Production of Space (1991)

Sketch 2 – space as contradictions in activity

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Subject

Rules

CommunityDivision of

Labor

Object

Instrument

Outcome

Space

Inspired by Henri Lefebvre’s The Production of Space (1991)

Sketch 3 – (social) space as community

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Subject

Rules Space Division of Labor

Object

Instruments

Outcome

Inspired by Henri Lefebvre’s The Production of Space (1991)

Space as the first outcome of any activity

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Subject

Rules Community Division of Labor

Object

Instruments

Space Coexistence, Simultaneity, Order

Inspired by Henri Lefebvre’s The Production of Space (1991)

Space as intrinsic to activity

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Space of the subject

Space of the rules

Space of the community

Space of the division of labor

Space of the object

Space of the instruments

Space of the outcome

Inspired by Henri Lefebvre’s The Production of Space (1991)

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My Research Interests

▪ Participatory Design

▪ Activity Theory

▪ Frederick van Amstel f.vanamstel@utwente.nl

▪ Twitter @fredvanamstel

▪ http://fredvanamstel.com