Robert Cowherd
Bio
Robert Cowherd's research and publication focus on the history and theory of architecture and urbanism in the global south. He is the author of several dozen book chapters and journal articles examining the interplay between urban form and the socio-cultural dynamics of cities. His "Batavian Apartheid: Mapping Bodies, Constructing Identities" examines the instrumental use of urban form and strictly enforced dress codes in the 17th-century Dutch East India Company port city of Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia). His "Decolonizing Bamboo" explores the colonial era suppression of communitarian home-building practices and the contemporary revival of bamboo construction. His “Notes on Post-criticality: Towards an Architecture of Reflexive Modernisation,” in the Delft journal Footprint, tests the notion of a “second modernity” to account for emerging design approaches beyond the false dichotomies of modern-postmodern or critical-postcritical periodizations.
Education
Research Interests
Robert Cowherd, PhD, is Professor at Wentworth Institute of Technology. He has taught at MIT and the Rhode Island School of Design. He received a Fulbright Grant for research in Indonesia, a Fulbright Scholar Grant for research in Colombia, and a Fulbright Specialist Grant for supporting research and teaching efforts overseas. His work on Latin America has yielded three international "Designing For Life" symposiums organized with Manuel Delgado and Ignacio Cardona (WIT).
He is a former Board member of the Global Architectural History Teaching Collaborative (GAHTC) and the former President of the New England Society of Architectural Historians (NESAH). His work is informed by extensive fieldwork in Asia, including post-tsunami reconstruction in Aceh, Sumatra, the restoration of the Royal Palace Karaton Surakarta in Solo, Java, and a performing arts center in Solo. His prior work as a builder and engineer informs his design practice in the Boston area.