The term “flow state,” popularized in the West by the psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, is a state of concentration and complete absorption also known as being “in the zone.” During flow state—which is often characterized by a state of mind in which all of one’s attention is devoted to a single task—slower, conscious processing decreases, and faster, subconscious processing increases. The outcome is a fluid sequence of actions and decisive clarity in complex situations—a porosity between the experience of oneself and one's environment.
 
As architects, achieving flow state is a way of being in the past, present, and future simultaneously. In this nonlinear relationship to time, the design process becomes a continual feedback loop—between the archive, iterative studies, and speculative futures—navigating the chaotic conditions of our contemporary world. Flow state transcends the relentless acceleration of technology while remaining immersed within it. The act of making architecture can take years of effort and significant resources. And yet, creating environments that manifest our collective desires and unlock new perceptions is a relentless pursuit. How can architecture embrace the accelerating complexity of the world, while simultaneously slowing it down? Can architecture be fast and slow at the same time?
 
This exhibition presents the work of Leong Leong, an internationally recognized, New York-based architecture and design practice. It is a collection of twenty-three in-progress and completed works produced over the past thirteen years at a variety of scales, from urban housing to everyday objects. Through an ongoing interest in working with legible forms and ambiguous materialities, we seek to create spaces that render moments of coherence and invite curiosity. Working as designers and thought partners, we believe that architecture is a transformative act of imagination and care. 

Located in the Third Floor Hallway Gallery of the Foundation Building at 7 East 7th Street; open to Cooper Union students, faculty, and staff.