What can sites of extraction teach us about conditions of labor, energy use, resource management, and the transformation of the environment, in physical as well as conceptual terms? How do they challenge ideas about sustainability, and conversely, what can they tell us about biodiversity, Artificial Intelligence, or even environmental finance?
Drawing on historical studies as well as contemporary ethnographies, this seminar challenges students to understand “extraction” outside of the industrial mine. Moving from plantations and conservation parks, to data centers and space colonies, we will considers the impact of extractive processes, sites, and cultures on the disciplines of architecture, urban planning, and landscape architecture since the mid-twentieth century.