Freeness in Architecture
Emnenavn på Norwegian Bokmål:
Freeness in Architecture
Credits:
24
Course code:
40 615
Level of study:
Master
Teaching semester:
2017 Spring
Language of instruction:
English
Person in charge
Neven Fuchs-Mikac
Required prerequisite knowledge
Passed 7 semesters
Course content
The Guest Professor Studio ‘Space & Technique’ offers an advanced master course in architectural design. In the spring semester 2017 the guest professor in the studio will be Japanese architect Junya Ishigami, from architectural practice Junya Ishigami and Associates in Tokyo.
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The studio ‘Freeness in Architecture’ will be about exploring ideas on contemporary architectonic space. The title of the studio might be somehow misleading: it will not be about the freedom in architecture, but about the autonomy of architecture.The project assignment will be definitely decided in the late autumn 2016, after the meeting with Junya. No doubts, it will be about creating conditions for an architecture relieved of various preconceived concepts, uniform building types, functions, scales and other requirements, investigating the relationship between construction, material and space in a new way, by making the project. The size of the ‘program’ is not decided yet either. Most probably, we would like to test ideas in the medium or large scale urban/andscape projects.
“Freeness in architecture is a concept that absorbs many things like a black hole. Alternatively, it could be something that cannot even be referred to as a concept. I believe it is a genuine pursuit, which considers the possibilities of the abstract and specific aspects of architecture simultaneously. My understanding is that our current age not only accepts such possibilities, but also seems to need them….. I would like to mention the following ones a sexamples:
- Architecture that is free from uniform functions
- Architecture that is free from all format
- Architecture that is free from the existing scales in architecture
- Architecture that is free from the existing environment
- Architecture that is free from the existing architecture
"I believe that by aiming to achieve these five goals, we will somehow be able to reconsider architecture in a new light in our contemporary context”
Junya Ishigami
Learning outcome
formulating the independent and prejudice-less thinking about architecture and about working with its constituent material
- stimulating the individual awareness of todays positions in architecture
- stimulating the awareness of one's own architectural position and one's own attitude toward the work with architecture
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After finishing the course, the student should:
- be able to discover and sharpen his/her own working method
- be able to develop principles for structuring of both basic and complex architectural tasks and develop them into a final project
- be able to develop and structure the architectural knowledge on the base of specific project themes chosen to work with during the studio
- be able to learn how to creatively use architectural research in the work with architecture.
- be able to present and communicate his/her architectural ideas and his/her final project through the appropriate forms of presentation/re-presentation, with drawings, models, diagrams, photos, 3Ds, etc.
- benefit from the work with a foreign guest-teacher and from the confrontation with his architectural thinking, knowledge, experience and imagination.
Working and learning activities
The focus of the studio will be two-folded:
- an investigation of the architectonic space free of traditional constraints and to define its possible design principles,
- an attempt will be made to describe it in specific and precise architectural terms.
The main aims of the teaching will be:
- to create motivation to the analytical thinking and the causal architectural expression
- to stimulate, cultivate and articulate personal discussions with teachers, as well as open public discussions within the studio, on the development of the projects
- The work during the semester will be followed in 4 steps. The duration of each step will be approximately 1 month, ending with a public presentation and discussion/critique of the individual work within the both groups.
Work load:
- texts, drawings and models in different scale, photographs and 3D illustrations
- the prepared public discussions and reviews of the individual work
- the digital- and hand-production of models in different scale
- the final project will be presented with the pictures, texts, drawings and models and 3D renders
Curriculum, study-trip, other support:
The teaching will consist of the work in the studio, the individual discussions and desk-crits, case studies, public discussions, seminaries, films and lectures, structured in-between 3 public reviews. After the first working phase there will be organized a study-trip to Japan, a kind of project in itself, following the premises of the studio.
| Presence required |
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| Not required |
| Form of assessment | Grouping | Grading scale | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio assessment (Vurderingsmappe) | Individual | Pass / fail | the active presence and work in the studio during the whole semester. The assessment will focus on: - student’s architectural sensibility and awareness of architectural problems, - the clarity of argumentation, built-up during the process - the ability to evaluate the quality of the project idea, - the strength of “conversion” of idea into an architectural project, - the evaluation of the intellectual and architectural capacity to confront the creative risk involved in the project - the developed presentation material and presence at 3 public reviews during the semester - the delivered complete project material for the exhibition AHO Works and for the final review. - The studio-work is evaluated with Passed or Not Passed, jf. Regulation for Master Studies at AHO‚ pt. 6-14. |