This thesis is a reflection of the diagram from the introduction into architectural discussions of a new theoretical "image" of the philosopher Gilles Deleuze in the mid 90s. Following the introduction, a debate around the diagram has emerged with traits of an editorial mania, the "diagrammania" (Confurius, 2000), attracting architects, theorists and publishers. In an environment of opportunity and opportunists, the term diagram gains prominence while its definition collapses among different discourses (Garcia, 2010). Thus, I propose to investigate the diagram from an "image of thought'' (Deleuze, 1988) that it entails. From this concept, This thesis proposes two approaches that guide the operation of a diagram, two types of
"images" that guide contemporary diagrammatic thinking: "structural" (representational logic) and "rhizomatic" (logic of sensation).
In order to understand the role of these two images in the development of the architectural diagrams and the project's production, this thesis investigate a world between theory and practical working: (a) the theoretical and philosophical knowledge related to these two images and description of the diagram in architecture; and (b) the use of diagrams in practical activities from three architecture offices in the Netherlands - Neutelings Riedijk Architecten, MVRDV and UNStudio. In the theoretical part, the material on the architectural diagram published between 1996 and 2013 is analysed, as well as their semiotic roots since the early twentieth century to the present. While in the practical reasearch I pursue the "images" of diagrammatic thinking in a heterogeneous group of firms labeled "SuperDutch", known for their breakthrough experiences and the use of diagrams. In this practice deepening I try see beyond publications related to this firms .Ffrom an investigation in the Netherlands, was added to the thesis the author's experiences with visits and stays in signatures-for analysis. Besides interviews with teachers, critics and Dutch architects as support were included.
The thesis proposes the existence of two images of architectural diagrammatic thinking, from which the architects can guide their diagrammatic way of understanding the architectonic object, the repetitions in their design process and the evolution of architecture. The first is defined by a "form without substance" (Saussure, 1945) and consists mainly of line + point scheme, a kind of modular and strategic thinking. The second is characterized by a "formless matter'' (Deleuze and Guattari, 2004) essentially composed of dynamic lines of force, a sort of modulated and tactical thinking. Then, the first diagram seeks to repeat recognizable structures from representational logic, while the second disturbs the stability of a structure from its differences and dissimilarities; in other words, the two images deal with repetition and difference. Nevertheless, it is necessary to understand that the two types of diagrammatic thinking are complementary; and one diagram does not replace or evolve the other, although the preponderance of one or the other could mean changes in the way of understanding the design process and degree of more dynamic experimentalism.
Finally, the subject of the thesis may be understood as a kind of sub-chapter in the history of the design expression of contemporary architecture in its path towards more dynamic, abstract and non-determinant processes . In this sense, this study collaborates with conceptual analysis tools of expression of analysis of expressions with diagrammatic characteristics and their role in the contemporary processes of design, more specifically on the performance of these tools in the repetition and insertion of the difference.
Esta tesis trata de una reflexión sobre el diagrama en la disciplina arquitectónica contemporánea a partir de la introducción de las ideas teóricas del filósofo Gilles Deleuze a mediados de los años 90. La tesis plantea la existencia de dos imágenes del pensamiento diagramático arquitectónico, a partir de las cuales el arquitecto puede orientar su modo de entender el objeto arquitectónico, las repeticiones en su proceso de diseño y la propia evolución de la arquitectura. Para comprender el papel de estas dos imágenes en la producción del proyecto, propongo una profundización de esta investigación desde dos mundos: (a) el conocimiento teórico-filosófico y la descripción del diagrama en la arquitectura; y (b) el empleo de los diagramas en las actividades prácticas en tres firmas de arquitectura en Holanda – Neutelings Riedijk Architecten, MVRDV y UNStudio. De modo general, el tema de la tesis puede ser entendido como una suerte de subcapítulo de la historia de la expresión del proyecto arquitectónico contemporáneo, en su trayectoria hacia procesos más dinámicos, abstractos y no determinantes. En este sentido, el trabajo colabora con herramientas conceptuales de análisis del uso de notación diagramática y su función en los procesos de diseño en la contemporaneidad, más específicamente sobre la actuación de estas en la repetición y inserción de la diferencia.
