Tentokali Vana

Designing the space*
My scientific and research interests:
●stem from two fundamental for the architectural education questions: First, “what is the starting point of design”. Second, “what is its process”.
●focus on the inquiry of the design, not only as an educational, but also as a research experimental subject following a few of contemporary, rather post-structuralistic trends according to which architecture is intrinsically interconnected with more than one epistemological fields (philosophy, literary criticism, psychoanalysis, gender studies, history) («research by design»). For this trans-disciplinary interconnection among the above fields, a design approach is adapted which:
●is not based exclusively on the picture, but equally on the picture and the text
●is based on the “reading” and the “writing” of the space
●puts emphasis on the structure of the space in terms of its bipolarity: “full (built)” and “void (un-built)”
●unifies space through the “architectonization” of the “void”
●reveals in the “void” the palimpsest of the urban and suburban tissue through the excavation of the multiple layers of history.

(during the first decade of 1990)
Theories of deconstruction of space and gender
Exploration of the meeting point between the theories of deconstruction of space and gender

(during the first decade of 2000)
Socio-psychological parameters in the architectural design
Environmental Psychology

*The proposed approach of design deals with the following scales:
Small: interior, industrial, stage design, architectural
Medium: architectural, urban, landscape architectural
Large: planning.

Post-graduate Studies
Participation in Post-graduate courses with the professors:
M.I.T. (1982-83 και 1983-84)
Department of Architecture: S.C. Howell, Ch. Sprague, S. Anderson, J. Beinart, G. Ciucci
Department of Urban Studies and Planning: Ph. Clay και L. Peattie
Department of Humanities: J. Jackson
Boston College (1983-84)
Department of Social Anthropology: D. Iatrides
Harvard University (1984-85)
Graduate School of Design: E.F. Sekler

Individual research in U.S.A. universities
●Visiting Scholar in Department of Architecture, Μ.Ι.Τ.: 1982-1985
Member of the «Behavioral Science Research Group in Architecture», professor: S.C. Howell.
Subject of individual research: Theoretical exploration of the raw material collected from the field survey of my ongoing that time doctoral dissertation: «The spatial organization of the house as a reflection of the family structure: the Organi case».
Advisors: S.C. Howell, W. Porter και L. Peattie.
●Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Architecture, Μ.Ι.Τ.: 1992 (spring semester)
Program «History, Theory, Criticism»: Research collaboration with the professors: W. Porter, S.Anderson and R. Landau (visiting professor).
Subject of individual research: «Theories of deconstruction in Architecture and Gender Studies».
●Visiting Fellow in the Program in Hellenic Studies, Princeton University, Princeton: 2008 (fall term).
Research collaboration with the professor of «History and Theory of Architecture»: Spyros Papapetros, as respondent.
Subject of individual research: «Leading to the Vacuum: The Process of "Undoing" in Architectural Design (Greek Cities as Case Studies)».

Participation in research program of the Department of Architecture, M.I.T.
(U.S.A.)
Participation in the research program: «Domestic Ρrivacy: Gender, Culture and Development Issues» of the «Behavioral Science Research Group in Architecture», Professor S.C. Howell, Department of Architecture, Μ.Ι.Τ.

Participation in the following associations, organizations (among a number of others)

●As member of the International Editorial Board of the “Journal of Architectural Theory” D.A.T.U.T.O.P. (Department of Architecture Tampere University of Technology), Tampere (1995-2002).
●As regular associate in the:
“Center for Research on Women”, Wellesley College (Wellesley MA USA) (1984-1985)
“Women-Art and Architectural History Group”, Rhode Island School of Design (Providence RI USA) (1984-1986). “International Association for People-Environment Studies” (IAPS) (1986-2000)
●As National Contact of Greece for the:
“European Network for Women’s Studies” (E.N.W.S.) (since 1990) and
“Women's International Studies in Europe: (WISE) (since 1998).
Lectures
●M.I.T (Cambridge MA, ΗΠΑ) (1984),
●Rhode Island School of Design (Providence RI, USA) (1985 and 1986),
●Tampere University of Technology (Tampere Finland) (1999),
●Master Program of Semiotics of the New Bulgarian University (Sofia) (1999),
●Sushant School of Art and Architecture and I.P.Estate (New Delhi India) (2001).

Conferences, symposia, seminars

Participation with a paper in 26 conferences abroad and 42 in Greece.
After invitation participation with a paper in 10 congresses in conferences abroad and in Greece.

Publications
Two books, an entry in the “Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women”, two entries in a Greek architectural encyclopedia, 16 chapters in books, 33 papers in Proceedings of conferences, 14 articles in scientific journals and 3 in catalogues for exhibitions and on a theatrical play.
The most representative are:
Tentokali V. (1989) Η Οργάνωση του Χώρου της Κατοικίας ως Έκφραση της Δομής της Οικογένειας: Η Περίπτωση της Οργάνης. Θεσσαλονίκη: University Studio Press.
Howell S.C., V. Tentokali (1989) "Domestic Privacy: Gender, Culture and Development Issues", Low Sh. M., Chambers E (eds), Housing, culture and design: A comparative perspective. Philadelphia Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press, pp. 281-297.
Tentokali V. and the students G. Katsavounidou, P. Kourti (1995) "Housing single families in Greece", Ottes L., E. Poventud, M. van Schendelen, G. Segond von Banchet (eds.) Gender and the built environment. Assen - The Netherlands: Van Gorcum, pp. 83-91.
Tentokali V., S. Druckert, G. Gumpert (1997) "Space and Time in Domestic Life", in Druckert S., Gumpert G. (eds.) Voices in the street. Explorations in gender, media and public space. Cresskill NJ: Hampton Press, pp. 43-58.
Tentokali V. and the students G. Katsavounidou, P. Kourti, G. Melissourgos (1994) "The brothel as the space of 'desire'?", Proceedings of the Fifth Congress of the International Association for Semiotic Studies: Semiotic Around the World: Synthesis in Diversity", Berkeley CA: Mouton de Gruyter, 12-18 June, (offprint).
Tentokali V. (1999) "Chora: Understanding the origin of space", in Tarasti E. (ed) Understanding –Misunderstanding. Contributions to the Study of the Hermeneutics of Signs, International Semiotics Institute, Helsinki: Hakapaino, pp. 406-417.
Tentokali V. (1999) "The understanding of the city through the self-understanding of gender", in Tarasti E. (ed) Understanding – Misunderstanding. Contributions to the Study of the Hermeneutics of Signs, International Semiotics Institute, Helsinki: Hakapaino, pp. 418-429.
Tentokali V. (1999) "A play with the architecture of the social 'absence'", in Kaiji L., Youguo Q., Lingling Z. (eds) Architecture in the 21st Century. Academic Treatises, Vol. 2, (Proceedings of The XXth UIA Congress Beijing '99), The Architectural Society of China. Beijing: Baihua, June 23-26, pp. 307-311.
Tentokali V. (2000) "Built environment", Kramarae Ch., D. Spender (general editors) Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women. Routledge: NY NY, pp. 126-127.
Tentokali V. (2001) "What is missing from Eisenman's houses?", in the Journal of Architectural Theory: D.A.T.U.T.O.P., 21, pp. 91-99.
Kallipoliti L., Tsamis A., Zavoleas I., Fernandez J.E., Sinistera M.A., & Tentokali V. (consultant) (2006) “Fecund city spaces: Ephemeral structures for the Athens Olympics 2004”, in Thresholds, 31, pp. 40-43.
Tentokali V. (2007) «Absorbing the virtual and topological: As a perspective or as a technique?», in Spiridonidis C., Voyatzaki M. (eds) Teaching and Experimenting with Architectural Design: Advances in Technology and Changes in Pedagogy, ENHSA-EAAE Architectural Design Teachers’ Network Meeting, EAAE Transactions on Architectural Education 35, School of Architecture, University Lusiada, Lisbon, 3-5 May 2007, Thessaloniki: Charis, pp. 73-81.
Gourdoukis D., Pantazi M.E., Tentokali V., Trifonidou K. (2009) “Kentin yayilma alanina Deleuze’un kat kavramiyla yaklasim: Selanik tersaneleri ornegi”, in Bilsel C. et al (eds) XXII Dunya Mimarlik Kongresi’nden Secme Bildiriler: MimarlikLARin Pazaryeri, UIA 2005 Istanbul Kongresi Etkinlikleri Dizisi. Ankara: TMMOB Mimarlar Odasi, pp. 77-86.
Tentokali V. (2010) “Why the index of the context?” in the Antonopoulou E., Setaki F., Tzoka T. (eds) Citi Index. Athens: School of Architecture NTUA, pp. 47-48.
Tεντοκάλη B. (2011) «Τι υποκρυπτει ο δημοσιος χώρος», στο Αδηλενιδου Γ., Γουδινη Α., Κουρτη Π., Μπεκιαριδης Β., Ταρανη Β. (επιμ.) Δημοσιος χώρος αναζητειται. Θεσσαλονικη: Cannot Not Design, σελ. 460-463.
Τεντοκάλη Β. (2012) «Ο τρόμος του Pascal», στα Πρακτικά του Συνεδρίου «Η σημασία της φιλοσοφίας στην αρχιτεκτονική εκπαίδευση», Τμήμα Αρχιτεκτόνων, Πανεπιστήμιο Πατρών, Πάτρα, 9-11 Οκτωβρίου 2009. Αθηνα: Ιδρυμα Παναγιωτη και Εφης Μιχελη, (σελ. 360-371.
Tentokali V. (2013) «Digging the surface» (as key note speech), in the Patsavos N., Zavoleas Y. (eds) Επιφανεια/Surface: Digital materiality and the new relation between depth and surface”, EAAE Transactions on Architectural education no 48, Technical University of Crete, Chania 1-3 Σεπτεμβρίου 2010, Athens: Futura, pp. 34-48.

Architectural Projects
●Participating in 8 architectural competitions (7 Greek and one international), among them 4 with disticntion (one prize, two redemptions and one honorable mention at the international competition).
●15 architectural projects, 7 of them individually and 8 in a group.



Emeritus Professor

Subject area:
Designing space, Theories of deconstruction of space and gender,
Environmental Psychology

Contact info:
fanvan@arch.auth.gr

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