Do you feel a vague sense of unease when you hear those lyrics from the REM song? — Good, that means we have some common ground. Stagnation and impotence may be common patterns of behavior, but they can certainly be overcome. As architects, we should feel directly challenged by this to question the relevance of what we do.

Earth and its ecosystem are undergoing massive and irreversible changes that are partly man-made. Maps and images can make the extent of these changes clear, but abstract as they are, they do not tell us anything about manmade changes and their dramatic consequences.

The scale illustrates magnitudes — not just in terms of size; it is also a social measurement. For the architectural discipline this raises the question if thinking in terms of proportions and relationships makes it possible to create new standards. The film »Powers of Ten« by Charles and Ray Eames and the book »Cosmic View« by Kees Boeke are impressive depictions of a voyage to the ends of the universe along a vertical spatial axis. Throughout the voyage, our gaze penetrates diverse spheres, depicting the structures, beings and things that influence them in various magnitudes. The film and the book can serve as methodological models for expressing such universal processes through a multitude of animated drawings and plans.

 In general, it is not space itself that is depicted, but those elements that seem to define its boundaries. This is probably related to the preconception that space has shape, but no matter. However, if we understand space as a product of shape and matter, it is a synthetic concept that defines space as substance, and thus makes it possible to depict it. Geodata offer a good means of describing matter, and thus space itself. Geodata, collected in satellite images, can convey enlightening information on ecological processes.

 »Powers of Ten« is a reframing technique that supports a process-oriented perception of space. The surface of the Earth is marked by thousands of acres of destroyed land and contaminated spaces. How must we reprogram processes in order to transform these disposal sites of our society into creative terminals that have a future?

The studio brief, the accompanying workshops, the students and their projects are part of a dialogue across studio boundaries and of an interdisciplinary exploration.