Competency in the Mirror. Competenza allo specchio

There are two reasons why referring to the contribution of linguistics and psychoanalysis helps to focus on the problem of competence with regard to architectural design. Firstly, through the problem that Lacan poses in the mirror state we are able to perceive the opposing tension between an individual- internal definition and a social-external definition of competence. We can therefore distinguish between competence ascribable to single individuals (in the sense of linguistic competence) and an external competence, understood as a resource available to all that distinguishes a certain collective (in the sense of Saussurean langue). Secondly, in the design process it is important to distinguish between the relational recognition of competence in individuals, i.e. the ability to train one’s image, and the various forms of competition that are structurally connected to the formation of this image.3 We can therefore distinguish between two types of action (and politics) associated with what is recognised as “competence”: on one hand relational training, dissemination, socialisation and development actions, which aim to provide competence, or at the very least strengthen it; and on the other, measurement, comparison, training and reward-based selection actions, which pose the problem of how to associate merit with competence, and therefore introduce the question of competition.

Ci sono due ordini di ragioni per cui riferirsi al contributo della linguistica e della psicanalisi aiuta a mettere a fuoco il problema della competenza rispetto al progetto architettonico. In primo luogo, attraverso il problema che Lacan ci pone nello stadio dello specchio possiamo cogliere la tensione oppositiva tra una definizione individuale-interna e una sociale-esterna della competenza. In secondo luogo, nel processo progettuale ha rilevanza distinguere tra le operazioni di riconoscimento relazionale della competenza che opera nel singolo, come capacità di formazione della propria immagine, e le varie modalità di concorrenza e competizione che sono strutturalmente legate alla formazione di quell’immagine.