Building Codes: The Programmable City by the Center for Urban Pedagogy

Building Codes presented an in-depth tour through the frequently obscure and mystifying subject of building codes in New York City. The work in the exhibition portrayed the constantly contested process of translation between the realms of political action, legal codification, and administrative application, from social movements to built work. Presenting research into modes of representation alongside projects and proposals from building code stakeholders, the exhibit investigated processes in the programming of the city and beyond, thereby seeking to contribute to a broader appreciation, understanding and democratization of the building process. The installation included about two dozen exhibits on topics ranging from the 1901 Tenement House Act to the Rent Guidelines Board to zoning laws.