Design as Information: Storytelling & Architectonic Research

The participants are invited to explore drawing as both, an architectonic methodology and an inspirational narrative tool. From conceptual diagrams that initiate projects to sketches of specific places that later shape design character, we will investigate how graphical representation supports the storytelling of phenomena and ultimately evolves into complex ideas.

The course combines an online phase focused on brainstorming and conceptual development with an in-person phase in Weimar dedicated to intensive visual inquiry workshops, graphical storytelling, and collective critique sessions. The course will be conducted by Pappal Suneja (Bauhaus-Universität Weimar) and Twinkle Kataria (Mumbai, India), together with guest lecturer Dr. Endrit Marku (Bauhaus4EU Allianz partner, Polis University, Tirana). Pappal Suneja (PS) will lead both the online and in-person phases, guiding students through visual research methods, diagrammatic storytelling, and critical reflections on drawing as narrative. Twinkle Kataria (TK) will contribute during the online teaching phase of the course, offering her insights and guidance remotely in support of the conceptual development and narrative framing sessions. Guest lecturer Endrit Marku (EM) will lead a two-day workshop on narrative ideas and storytelling strategies within architectural research, enriching the course with intercultural and interdisciplinary perspectives.

In a relatively short span of time, the participants’ projects will navigate the twofold concept of time — both chronological and experiential. They will be challenged to shape narratives, as storytelling is our only way to make time and space intelligible. In his essay Architecture and Narrativity, Ricoeur writes: "Architecture would be to space what narrative is to time.". This quote will be the foundation and starting point of the process. If architecture is considered - space configuration through narrative, then building
form and drawing (the latter is the mean through which architectural form is generated) can be seen as semiotic means through which meaning is expressed. We will practically explore the potential of drawing as a visual representation of language, of narratives, and as an alternative to writing. The typical process of prefiguration, configuration, and refiguration — through which time becomes narrative — will be translated into a process that expresses architecture, places, and memory through drawing.

Participants will learn to see graphical representation as a powerful research method that generates knowledge and communicates ideas effectively across diverse audiences.

NOTE:
This course includes an attendance phase in Weimar from March 12 to March 21, 2026.