space laboratory for architectural
research and design
This is a competition project with a strict deadline and the opportunity for official publication/exhibition; with sponsorship by a state authority.
A Brisbane site: The schemes will be dealing with specific response to specific place.
A large-scale planning exercise in an existing Brisbane context, informed by a complex program and site. The student will develop an individual proposal for one of two controversial sites, in South Brisbane (59 Melbourne Street, rectangular site, ca. 3.000 sqm) and in Kangaroo Point (44 River Terrace, triangular site, ca. 3.500 sqm), to be seen in conjunction with the river and CBD. Both sites are in areas that are likely to see further rapid change over the next decade. These two particular inner-city sites are chosen for their specific context and detailed urban analysis is recommended. See list for site / group selection.
A higher density on both relatively tight sites is encouraged and likely to require a compact multi-storey approach (3-5 stories). The task is to integrate the new school in its difficult urban surrounding and to define its character as public building. Ca. 5-10 % of the site area is given over to public space (footpath, etc.). The urban recess yard has to be oriented towards North to catch maximum sun.
Working method: Conceptual diagrams to introduce the urban strategies, site analysis, and observation of the urban situation are expected. A shared model showing the larger urban context is recommended to enable an immediate test of the proposal and response to the site conditions / topography. Small scale organizational diagrams and working models (physical or CAD-based) are required in the early stage.
An inner city school building with a civic component. Total: ca 6000 sqm floor area for the school plus 1.000 sqm for a public function, to be decided by the student.
You are required to develop a design solution for a senior level school encompassing years 10-12. The design project will look into the future of education influenced by e-learning philosophies and interactivity with tertiary institutions. A detailed operational and functional brief will be provided in week 4 (hand-out on 06th August).
What are the new typologies for a contemporary school building?
Emphasis is given to inventive ways of thinking about the conventional program and typology for a school with workshops. Students will be asked to develop their own more specific briefs and to derive a possible strategy from these parameters.
The new school building has to satisfy various user needs in the broadest sense. The organizational scheme adopted for the building should be clearly articulated and readable from the inside and outside; it should reflect a clear attitude about this public building on this particular site. Precedents, especially with respect to this issue, need to be studied.
Spatial sequences: Which classroom configuration do you choose? Show at least one typical classroom furnished. Do niches in the well-lit classrooms (preferably lighted from two sides) allow work in small groups? Should long corridors become ramps to connect the various levels and classrooms with the school library?
Composition: We are especially interested in new spatial orderings and in a variety of different site arrangements. Produce a figure-ground drawing; how do you formulate the edges?
Do the school building's individual elements form a 'kit of parts', contributing to the architecture's clarity?
The operational criteria will include:
Environmentally sustainable development considerations should be maximized. The program intends to introduce students to a range of issues arising from a process driven brief, including pragmatic problems such as fire staircases, delivery areas and car parking. The brief also asks for underground car parking and a public path through the site to be included.
The students are asked to investigate and consider notions such as:
Technical aspects in tectonics, construction method, technical systems, materials, facade solution, sun shading devices, etc. can be further developed as a Technical Submission. There might be a focus on the control of light, shade and breeze.
During this second project members of the Studio will meet local city planners and architects for discussion. Visiting critics will be invited to contribute to the Studio and to present various aspects of educational process, school building and design trends.
First analyse precedents of multi-storey school buildings as group work. Each tutorial group will be given two buildings - divide into two groups to discuss these. On August 20, the six student groups are to present their research results and information about the chosen examples of the following public buildings for education:
Study the plans and sections of these buildings. What defines the particular public character of these buildings?
Professor Steffen Lehmann will be offering optional and additional tutorials on Thursday evening, between 4.00pm and 7.00pm (see list to sign up available during Wednesday afternoon tutorials).
To help in the evolution of an independent approach, the unit will meet each week to review work, with weekly in-class reviews (pin-ups) of the project work. Special focus is given to the development of the work at early stage and the inclusion of comments in the work from the previous week. You will be issued with a tutorial feedback sheet to record weekly discussions. This feedback is formative and tutorial attendance will be part of the overall assessment. Visiting critics will be invited to contribute to the Studio. Supporting lectures on critical themes that shape current issues in architectural theory extend over the semester.
Our goal is to help students with starting to think like an architect in the sense in which we understand that term, and to help in applying this way of thinking when designing. Therefore, architecture is understood as an assembly of formally related parts whose relations with each other are not arbitrary. To develop compositional skills, we intend to introduce strategies to a) interpret works of other architects as compositions, and b) develop students' own compositional skills.
The intention of the unit is to guide students to a point where they start to enjoy designing because they trust their own judgement and possess the confidence on which this trust depends. It is expected that in the major project, students will apply their basic understanding of architectural vocabulary and be developing a language of their own.
There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks or health and safety issues associated with this unit in its day-to day experience.
The unit may require you to partake in a field trip, of either a supervised or self-guided nature. A risk assessment for the trip has identified only low impact risks. You will be provided with relevant safely guidelines prior to any field trip. You will be required to obey all safety guidelines and directions while attending field trips.
This unit may also require you to attend tutorial sessions in the school workshop facility. Participation will require previous attendance at an induction course offered by the school workshop staff. You will be required to comply with safety clothing requirements, and with safety directions given by workshop staff.
Students are expected to produce exterior sketches of the volumes and interior sketches of the multi-storey entrance hall, and to find an appropriate name/theme (max. 1 phrase) for their proposal. Use photomontage technique with streetscape photos and aerial photos of the site.
A site plan in scale 1:500 and a complete set of standard drawings in scale 1:200 (floor plans, sections, elevations) is expected for competition submission. All drawings to be submitted in the same set format (A1). A model is part of the requirements.
The minimum submission requirements will be described in detail.
Discuss your proposal and concept at early stage with your tutor, not later than 20th of August.
10th of September: pin-up session with working model in scale 1:500.
Interim Crit - Wednesday 10 th September from 12.30pm.
Submission date for the Competition: Friday, 10th October 2003, until 13:00. Students may only enter the competition as individuals or in teams of no more than two persons. Final presentation with invited jurors on Wednesday, 15th of October 2003, from 11.00 am onward. Students will present their schemes in a five minute summary to the jury panel.
The two crits are important events; students are asked to pin-up their work in the morning, to attend the entire crit session, and to engage in discussion.
elective advanced studio
year 3 studio