The distinction between town and countryside often carelessly implies that the former is developed (tainted) whilst the latter is undeveloped (pure). This opposition is ingrained even in local planning policy (ODZ; Outside of Development Zone, and DZ; Development Zone) and has become hotly politicised during the recent construction boom. One need only point to the frugal structures dotted across remote areas to recognise that the undeveloped/developed polarity is questionable. Perhaps, putting aside this polarity opens up a space for a different articulation and understanding of the landscape; one which includes the many forms of peripheral architecture into local architectural discourse.
The documentation here will focus on objects and structures that may be situated at the geographical periphery, away from the everyday mass and density of towns. The occupation of the periphery however is not limited to a geographical location on a map but rather that peripheral space in History and Culture. Indeed, these structures have largely been ignored by the established historical narratives or have not been disseminated effectively into contemporary culture.
The Peripheral Occupations series hopes to open a fresh perspective onto such structures, not in terms of their singular form but rather as a collection of documents describing a rich sample of territorialisations in a landscape otherwise perceived of as untouched.
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