ABSTRACT
Regarding his approach to structural design, Rem Koolhaas pointed out the necessary intervention of the architect as a “thinker” through a critical dialogue with other disciplines converging on the project. Based on original documents drawn from his Office for Metropolitan Architecture’s archives, this paper explores Villa dall’Ava (Saint-Cloud, France, 1984–1991) as a means to address two issues. The first is the difference between rational and conceptual order, where structure operates according to spatial and perceptive conditions. The second encompasses research methodology and tools, where 3D modeling and drawing will be used to re-enact building processes and reveal hidden relations and logics that will help us understand the real value of the final version.
