4Bks of Archiculture

Discovering Palladio in Central PA and Beyond
A folio of 25 laser-engraved woodcuts; travelling exhibition

Celebrating Andrea Palladio’s 500th birthday, A+M had collected their nearly-Palladian experience studying and working within the vernacular context of rural Central Pennsylvania. Taking clue from Palladio’s Four Books in separation of content (Book I – architectural orders, wall types, details, site selection; Book II – private residences & housing; Book III – bridges, fountains, site planning, miscellaneous typologies; Book IV – places of public assembly) and presentation technique (wood cut – the most common way of dissemination drawings in Palladio’s times, but produced from blocks designed in AutoCAD and laser-engraved – thus also using the most common commercial architecture tools of today) emerged the 4BKs of Archiculture, Discovering Palladio in Central PA. This edition presents built work as well as speculative projects, musings, directions, guidance, and a touch of wisdom assembled by A+M in Central PA and beyond.

The strict discipline of black & white line drawing, with limited line weight range, enforced by the laser-engraved wood-cut technique, had made an impact on the work, both existing, speculative and proposed, biasing, just like in Palladio’s times, towards formal legibility.