Appropriations: a methodology for designing through graphic fragments and materials

Abstract

The article presents a teaching methodology for architectural design education based on appropriation, understood as the critical and creative use of pre-existing graphic and material fragments. Unlike traditional linear and reproductive methods, this approach promotes non-conventional learning processes that emphasize reinterpretation, manipulation, and recombination of architectural and constructive references. The conceptual framework draws on appropriationism in visual arts and literature, as well as contemporary architectural and pedagogical practices. The methodology is organized in five stages: repetition of graphic fragments, systematization of found materials, conceptualization through diagrams, intensification with partial models, and simulation of the complete project. Implementation occurs through progressive submissions, collective workshops, and tutorials, fostering creativity, self-criticism, and synthesis. The ultimate aim is for students to construct their own design narratives, moving beyond uncritical reproduction and developing skills for innovative architectural production.