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40 618 Scarcity & Creativity: Workshops for the Louna International Architect’s Village

Full course name in Norwegian Bokmål: 
Scarcity & Creativity: Workshops for the Louna International Architect’s Village
Credits: 
24
Course code: 
40 618
Level of study: 
Master
Teaching semester: 
2018 Spring
Assessment semester: 
2018 Spring
Language of instruction: 
English
Year: 
2018
Maximum number of students: 
15
Person in charge
Christian Hermansen
Solveig Sandness
Required prerequisite knowledge

To be a 4th or 5th year student. Most important is to be enthusiastic and positive. Architectural design skills are very important. Skills in Rhino will come in handy. Previous building experience much appreciated. This is a full time course, all students are expected at the studio from 10:00 AM to 17:00 PM Monday to Friday, in addition to traveling to the building site for a period of around 5 weeks.

Due to the travel requirements of the studio students joining SCS will have to enrol in the 6 credit course which runs with the studio.

Course content

Introduction:

Under the background of ‘Beautiful Countryside’ and rural revival, promoted by the China Building Centre (CBC) and the Urban Environment Design Magazice (UED) have invited  architects from all around the world, including the Scarcity and Creativity Studio, to design and build facilities for the new  Louna International Architect’s Village. The initiative aims to provide a model for rural constructions in China.

Louna International Architect’s Village aims to set a model for the transformation of rural construction in China  through design, culture, and art. The organisers say “ Louna Practice gathers international architectural masters to demonstrate their philosophies about futuristic country life, and eventually create a Utopia by their joint efforts.”

“All the technologies and materials applied in the construction of Louna Village should be ecological and low carbon, as well as low cost and adaptive  to local conditions, which then could be promoted as a model for future practice in the countryside. The lifestyle at Louna International Architect’s Village should be poetic and ideal country life.”

The Setting:

Louna International Architect’s Village will setup the Louna International Architecture and Art School who will cooperate with will cooperate with schools of architecture and academies from around the world.

Louna International Architecture and Art School has three main objectives:

  1. Forward Looking: international cooperation in curriculum development and research.
  2. Uniqueness and inclusiveness: bring together high quality and diversified architectural course world-wide.
  3. Site work: a full architectural process, from design to construction.

The Project:

The project SCS has been asked to design and build workshops for the Louna International Architecture and Art School. However, at the moment the program of the building is being discussed, so there may be changes.

The Site:

In Xingyi’s Dingxiao town lies Louna village, whose residents are all of the Bouyei ethnic group.

The population of the village has moved to another site and the village is today almost empty. Louna International Architect’s Village will use the site of the abandoned village.

The ancestors of the villagers settled here at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Louna River meanders through the village providing water for the residents living in the rows of Bouyei-style houses at the foot of the mountains. In summer, the plants in the fields form a green sea waving with the wind blowing by.

The village puts on a Rice Seedling Planting Festival on the sixth day of the fourth lunar month as a way to express gratitude to nature and pray for favorable weather. On the day, people compete at rice seedling planting in the fields and catching fish in the river. In recent years, the village has been developing modern agriculture, such as the bonsai and flower industries, to help villagers increase their incomes. Money is also being invested in rural tourism and more visitors are being attracted to make a tour to the village, helping to further boost the locals’ income.

Learning outcome

On completing the course, the student:

  • will know about, and develop skills and competences related to designing for the needs of a foreign local community
  • will know about, and develop skills and competences about detailing and specifications of small communal building.
  • will know about, and develop skills and competences about local building regulations and building practices.
  • will understand the requirements of buildings in their local climatic settings.
  • will know about, and develop skills and competences about building costs and budget management during construction
  • will have acquired the skill for using manual and mechanical tools for building
  • will know about, and develop skills and competences about designing and building in conditions of scarcity.
Working and learning activities

Form of Examination

The assessment will be on the basis of submissions, performance and participation in the studio.

Students will be asked for specific submissions during the semester. These submissions are part of the development of the project in Galapagos. As much of the work is done in groups, participation is of the utmost importance.

The final assessment will be made by the sensor and will be based on:

  1. The individual submission for stage one of the project.
  2. The level of participation and contribution to the collective work.
  3. The assessment of the work achieved by the studio as a whole.

The minimum attendance to the studio activities is 80% of organised events.

The final decision as to the performance of each student will be taken by the external examiner (sensor) on the basis of both group performance, the report on individual participation done by the teachers, and a portfolio showing the extent of individual and collective contributions to the studio. The assessment of participation and contribution of each student to the studio will count for 60% of the final mark while the submission of the group and individual work will count for 40%.

Working and learning activities

The development of the work during the semester will follow a pre-determined path which has been thought out in order to provide the pace and logistics which the studio needs to follow if it is to fulfil its aims.
We will work as if we were one architectural studio fulfilling a commission, some of the work will be individual, mostly architectural design, but most of the work will be done in groups. Everyone is expected to contribute to this joint effort performing those tasks which are for the benefit of the whole studio. Except for the start of the semester the studio will focus on joint production rather than individual expression. In the end the chosen project which is built will be the product of all of the members of the studio, regardless of the individual roles each may have played. This set-up very much reflects the way in which contemporary architecture is produced.

In the first couple of weeks in the studio we will sharpen up Rhino skills and learn about the potential of digital fabrication. The later will be done with the collaboration of Fellesverksted’s staff and facilities. The influence which this will have on the final design will be determined by the degree to which the studio members can exploit the potential which digital fabrication offers. We view digital fabrication as a tool, not as an end in itself.

Work Effort:

This is a full time studio and an elective course which will supplement it. It relies both in individual and group effort. The studio compresses a rather complex design and build project into one semester. This requires full participation of every individual in the course. All absences during the semester that are not justified by medical certificates or equivalent will not be tolerated. This is not a studio for those that are not fully committed or have responsibilities outside AHO which get in the way of a full commitment.

Teaching Methods:
The studio will be based mainly on one-to-one and group discussion of student work supplemented by  discussions, workshops, and lectures.

Students who join this studio will have to also enrol in the Traditional to Digital Timber Joints

Course because its contents and scheduling are linked to the studio program development.

It is a requirement of the course that students spend the time needed to construct the building in China. Although it is difficult at this stage to determine the length of the period of construction our estimation is four to five weeks. Students will have to fund their own travel to China. Insurance which covers each student during the time abroad is required and will be the responsibility of each student. It is expected that the trip to China  will be around April May 2018. EHS rules regarding students at construction sites will apply during the period in China.

 

Curriculum

The development of the project:

Step one: Each student will develop individual proposals for the project.
Review one: review of the individual projects and choice of projects which continue. Individual contributions must meet minimum design development standards that one would expect for an AHO graduate student.
Step two: Students will form teams of two or three. The composition of the teams will be based on similar/compatible/complementary characteristics of the individual projects delivered in Step One. Each of these teams will develop one joint design initiated by others, which will bring together characteristics of the individual designs.
Review 2: Review of the team projects and choice of projects which continue.

Step three: Students will form teams of four or five. The composition of the teams will be based on similar/compatible/complementary characteristics of the individual projects delivered in Step two. Each of these teams will develop one joint design initiated by others, which will bring together characteristics of the individual designs.
Review 3: Review of the team projects and choice of the project which continues.

Step four: The Studio will choose one project to build for which it will develop a complete set of architectural drawings, a detailed list of all materials required for the construction, assembly instructions, and costs.
Review 4: Review of the mock-ups, lists of materials, cutting schedules, assemblies, and construction phasing with a view to discussing construction difficulties which may arise during the construction period.
Step Five: Construction, period of four or five weeks will be spent in Galapagos. Students will have to pay for all travel to and from the site and for food and lodging while there. Students must also take out insurance that covers them while abroad. Norwegian students will get a grant from Lånekassen which is likely to cover travel and lodgings.
Step six: Preparing the work for the AHO WORKS exhibition.
Final Review: Final examination/review to assess the work of the semester will occur during the last week of the semester. The exact date will be determined further on, but please do not plan to leave Oslo prior to the end of the semester.

Bibliography

Herzog, Thomas, and Kathrin Draeger. Timber Construction Manual.  Basel: Birkhäuser, 2004.

Hugues, Theodor, Ludwig Steiger, and Johann Weber. Timber Construction: Details, Products, Case Studies.  Basel: Birkhäuser, 2004.

Kjellberg Christensen, Kasper, Elisabeth Kron, and Morten Carlsbæk. Sanitary Aspects of Composting Biodegradable Waste: Towards a Nordic Evaluation Model. Vol. 2000:512, København: Nordisk ministerråd, 2000.

Liddell, Howard. Eco-Minimalism: The Antidote to Eco-Bling.  London: RIBA Publ., 2013.

Lowenstein, Oliver, and Juliet Bidgood. Inspiring Futures: European Timber Architecture for the 21st Century.  Exeter: Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World, 2007.

McLeod, Virginia. Detail in Contemporary Timber Architecture.  London: Laurence King, 2010.

Mussard, Maxime. A Solar Concentrator with Heat Storage and Self-Circulating Liquid. Vol. 2013:164, Trondheim: Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet, 2013.

Proctor, Rebecca. 1000 New Eco Designs and Where to Find Them.  London: Laurence King Publ., 2009.

Ross, Peter, Andrew Lawrence, and Giles Downes. Timber in Contemporary Architecture: A Designer's Guide.  Buckinghamshire: TRADA technology, 2009.

Schittich, Christian, ed. Small Structures, Detail, 2010.

Shannon, Kelly. "Eco-Engineering for Water: From Soft to Hard and Back." S. 163-82. Dortrecht: Springer, 2013.

Smith, Peter F. Architecture in a Climate of Change: A Guide to Sustainable Design.  Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2005.

Staib, Dörrhöfer, and Rosenthal. Components and Systems. Detail. 2008 Edition

Stoner, Carol Hupping. Goodbye to the Flush Toilet: Water-Saving Alternatives to Cesspools, Septic Tanks, and Sewers.  Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1977.

Wenz-Gahler, Ingrid. Flush!: Modern Toilet Design.  Basel: Birkhäuser, 2005.

Kolarevic, Branko. "Digital Fabrication: Manufacturing Architecture in the Information Age", Proceedings of the Twenty First Annual Conference of the Association for Computer-Aided Design in Architecture, October 2001, Buffalo, New York: Gallagher Printing, 2001.

Ryder, Gerard, et al. "Rapid design and manufacture tools in architecture", Automation In Construction, 11 (2002), p. 279-290.

Mandatory courseworkCourseworks requiredPresence requiredComment
Presence required RequiredThe minimum attendance to the studio activities is 80% of organised events
Obligatoriske arbeidskrav:
Mandatory coursework:Presence required
Courseworks required:
Presence required:Required
Comment:The minimum attendance to the studio activities is 80% of organised events
Form of assessmentGroupingGrading scaleComment
Portfolio assessment (Vurderingsmappe)IndividualPass / fail The final assessment will be made by the sensor and will be based on:

The individual submission for stage one of the project.
The level of participation and contribution to the collective work.
The assessment of the work achieved by the studio as a whole.
The minimum attendance to the studio activities is 80% of organised events.

The final decision as to the performance of each student will be taken by the external examiner (sensor) on the basis of both group performance, the report on individual participation done by the teachers, and a portfolio showing the extent of individual and collective contributions to the studio. The assessment of participation and contribution of each student to the studio will count for 60% of the final mark while the submission of the group and individual work will count for 40%.
Vurderinger:
Form of assessment:Portfolio assessment (Vurderingsmappe)
Grouping:Individual
Grading scale:Pass / fail
Comment: The final assessment will be made by the sensor and will be based on:

The individual submission for stage one of the project.
The level of participation and contribution to the collective work.
The assessment of the work achieved by the studio as a whole.
The minimum attendance to the studio activities is 80% of organised events.

The final decision as to the performance of each student will be taken by the external examiner (sensor) on the basis of both group performance, the report on individual participation done by the teachers, and a portfolio showing the extent of individual and collective contributions to the studio. The assessment of participation and contribution of each student to the studio will count for 60% of the final mark while the submission of the group and individual work will count for 40%.