space laboratory for architectural
research and design
"A really good school of architecture should be an uncomfortable place -
with that special discomfort that comes from even the smartest
person believing that the guy over the screen may have
come up with something even better."
Peter Cook, London 1986
Do not seek praise. Seek criticism.
Technical progress and social change have traditionally ranked among the main challenges to the architecture discipline. Do we simply accept the changes in our living and working conditions or do we make an active attempt to influence them? Often, when a city becomes too comfortable, where perhaps there are two or three buildings of international fame and the local architectural milieu is basking in self-reflected glory, it is at this time that a clever group of architecture students will produce and exhibit projects that challenge complacency and suggest an active attempt to rethink these conditions, intriguing the critics, and capturing our attention. Some students develop ways and proposals which are so startling and unexpected that they make us reconsider the status quo. They begin with something so fresh that it opens our eyes, and they produce something so uncompromising that it is uplifting.
At QUT we strongly believe in the potential of the studio model in architectural education. Our design studios are intended as the point of integration for all other coursework and educational experiences, with the students participating in the creation of the studio culture. This culture aims to encourage critical questioning, to reward visionary schemes, and to serve as the base for further exploration of ideas and creative discovery. A recent report by the AIAS proposes five values for a successful studio culture. These are the values of Optimism, Respect, Sharing, Engagement, and Innovation. In our studios we aim to proactively address and incorporate the changes that occur in the 'real world' and in the architecture practice. The studios can be active sites for students to engage and undertake projects with social relevance in real situations. I firmly believe all student projects should demonstrate a distinct relationship to a real problem. Whether it be housing or a community centre, a schoo l building or a concert hall, each project should be set in a realistic urban context and should demonstrate an intensive analysis of architectural history.
At QUT students are exposed to many different approaches to design and our teaching staff do not merely hand out formulae or design rules. There is a multiplicity of possible individual approaches and the students must structure their own schedule, monitor their own creativity and be responsible for their own direction. It is important for students to understand that the creation of architecture is neither a solo, artistic struggle, nor that collaboration with other students means giving up the best ideas. The creation of architecture involves many individuals all of whom have important ideas to share and roles to play. However, the need to increase collaboration within studio education must always be balanced against the importance of individual student development. I always find the 3 rd year architecture design studios particularly exciting, as a student who is unselfconscious of his or her skills is more prepared to take chances and risks.
Tendencies to standardize architectural education can be seen everywhere. Schools that do not primarily attach importance to conventional design methods but rather to new concepts and ideas that might lead to new means of expression are today even more essential, as these are the schools most likely to characterize the future of architecture. Our still relatively new School of Design and Built Environment is increasingly gaining and extending a significant reputation as a leading, inter-disciplinary school of architectural education. We are interested in developing the discipline with a philosophy which is scholarly, coherent and outward-looking. We offer an optimistic outlook; every style of architecture is possible as long as it is done well.
The extent to which a student develops his or her creativity in the studio surroundings greatly depends on the sensibility and engagement of each individual. The student begins his or her design with their own concept and strategy. The development of strategies might then follow with small, miniature diagrams, elemental and simple at first, but with enough diagrammatic method to succeed in making clear and convincing connections. The teaching staff do not provide the starting concept however they will discuss alternative possibilities and identify the positive aspects with the students. From this point, the student must make their own commitment to the start of engagement. From time to time, however, it is important to encourage a timid student into being bold. Often, the design ability of the students varies widely, and one must resist favouring better students. From time to time, it is also important to stretch the concepts that architectural values should be pluralistic at the same time emphasis ing that architectural activities are highly refined. The principles on which the design studios are based are: (i) site analysis and problem analysis; (ii) design speculation; (iii) an action plan; and (iv) the design review.
With the ongoing restructuring of architectural education at QUT, we aim towards a refined studio culture that treats projects as a form of intensive shared research. In this way we can value the ever-shifting parameters in the profession and keep the discipline outward-looking. An ideal studio scenario might be described as follows. Each student is reviewed weekly by his or her tutor and we ask all students to sit and listen to the criticism and to take part in the discussion. Additionally, the students receive independent criticism from visiting guests and tutors, and it is very likely they receive differing advice. They must make up their own minds, selecting and rejecting this advice according to what they think most appropriate for themselves and their project. This requires the students to be confident enough to cope with the different ideas and personalities of the teachers and to be able to draw from the rich advice on offer.
I am especially grateful for the ongoing support of our indispensable team of tutors and guest critics. During and at the end of each project, students present their studio work in public reviews, which includes staff and outside guest critics. In my ten years of teaching architecture, I have always insisted on a large number of juries and the composition of those crits being as mixed as possible. Just as things are getting a bit comfortable in the studio I like to have visitors on the juries that imply alternative strategies and challenge our activities. It is also essential that the assisting tutors are independently opinionated and suggest their own directions, as ultimately that is what it is all about, the sharing of different attitudes and ideas. The role of juries and critiques in the studio is to serve as a celebration of student work, and as benchmarks for growth. The design studio needs to nurture a culture where students are optimistic about the skills they are learning, hopeful that arc hitecture can make a difference to society, and confident that they will succeed within the profession.
The design studio is the most important educational environment and will continue to lie at the core of our architectural education. It teaches critical thinking and creates an environment where students are taught to question all things in order to create better designs. We are all focused on giving our students the ability to handle the myriad of issues confronting our designed, planned and built environments. According to the Boyer Scholarship Model (1990), the design studio represents the integration of the three environments of teaching, discovery (research), and application (practice).
Australian contemporary architecture with its willingness to experiment is now gaining increasing world-wide recognition. The sub-tropical architecture of Brisbane is probably the most original and distinctive of all the Australian cities, with a unique regional typology, traditionally defined by wide verandas, elevation from the ground, and steeply-pitched roofs. I believe these are fantastic times to study, live and work in Brisbane . It is a lively, dynamic and fast changing city, and is very much still taking shape. Today there is a shift in the evolution of Brisbane 's architecture, and our task is to strengthen the conceptual basis of what that new architecture for Brisbane could be. Currently South-East Queensland is again experiencing an intensive boom in the building sector, and most architects are busy building their commissions. In the meantime, as teachers, we listen and occasionally explore the underside of the keyboard. The 'city', the 'context', and the 'room' are only starters, mere excuses for getting a dialogue going. In such restless and fast times the role of the university is also to serve as a think-tank, to question rushed development, and even to slow down unreflective processes. The Architecture discipline as a whole continues to renew itself through the energy, dedication and unusual talents of a well-placed, distinguished group of teachers. By constantly redefining and reshaping architectural education, we remain fully committed to our strong links with the local profession, and will continue to promote an awareness of the value and need for good architecture to the public.
