2019 Høst

This master studio course in landscape architecture is the first in a series focusing on the natural- and cultural heritage relating to the extraction of raw materials. The overall field of study is landscape transformation – how to deal with landscapes undergoing significant reconfiguration following changes in use and or appraisal. In this particular case, the core objective is to explore alternative approaches to the proposed mining reclamation at Svea coal mine on Svalbard.

As the name suggests, the mining activities at Svea was initiated by the Swedes back in 1917. In 1934 the mine was purchased by Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani AS which has operated an active mining community until 2016 when the mining activities was put on hold due to unfavourable market conditions. In 2018 the Parliament of Norway finally decided for a permanent shutdown and termination of mining activities at Svea and launched a “clean-up” project.  

The idea of cleaning the site might be seen as an obvious and environmentally sound response reflecting the immediate contrast between an industrial complex in a wild and pristine natural landscape. At the same time, coal mining can be considered an essential part of the cultural history of human presence on Svalbard, which is directly tied to the specific landscape and its material qualities. As such Svea constitute a heritage site requiring not cleaning, but a clarification of the entanglement of human and other-than-human actors – hence the need to explore alternative approaches to the proposed mining reclamation.

The course builds on the strong solidarity between the concepts of heritage and that of landscape. Both are unifying concepts; they bring together previously separated aspects of the world into a stronger whole; both sit at the interface between people's perception of the world and the world itself.[1] A central task will be to investigate how landscape architecture can help negotiate between different and potential conflicting understandings of the landscape by highlighting existing nature-culture assemblages or creating new stronger “naturecultures”.[2]

[1] See Graham Fairclough (2009) New heritage frontiers. In: Heritage and beyond, 29-42. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing.

[2] See Rodney Harrison (2015) Beyond Natural and Cultural Heritage: Toward an Ontological Politics of Heritage in the Age of Anthropocene, Heritage & Society, 8:1, 24-42

This theory course will introduce reflections on the character of Arctic and Subarctic landscapes and territories. At a conceptual level the course will discuss historic and contemporary ideas of landscape and territory. At a more material level it will discuss how different ideas of landscape informs policies and facilitates industries.

Determining what differentiates Arctic landscapes from more temperate and more densely inhabited landscapes, the course will be looking at forces that are working upon the territory, as well as on the materialities that contribute to defining the territory, including natural and built heritage. Particularly we will be looking into the Svalbard minerals and their agency. 

Students will be familiarized with basic theories on place and territory. They will be trained in reading and analyzing an Arctic landscape, particularly with regards to identifying the operational forces in the landscape. 

Students will be required to submit a written paper at the end of the semester. They will start this during their study trip to Svalbard and work on it throughout the semester. 

On the subject

The studio is project-based and the assignment is to design a couple of single family houses with a working studio for an artist (a member of the family).  These projects will share the same program and the same client but will be located in two different sites, one in Portugal and the other in Norway. The sites share certain similar conditions so that the students can recognize their significance and influence in the design process. 

The students are thus asked to reflect on the following questions:

• How does the place contribute to the problem that one’s architecture responds to?  And how does the architectural create “place”? 
• How can a building be both a physical object and a cultural meaning at the same time? Do architects control, or even influence, what cultural meanings they produce when they make buildings, cities and places?
• Does the way one approach the site matter for questions of identity and timelessness in architecture?

The projects are to be designed for a family of 4 people and must bring together spaces for living, dwelling, working, as well as landscape and outdoor areas.

Prior to starting any design, the students will be asked to conduct an analysis of both sites and simultaneously reflect on the sociological and psychological aspects of built environments and their influence on human beings. The architectural site analysis will look at issues such as site location, size, topography, vegetation, climate, traffic conditions and any future developments within the area. When working on the site analysis the students will be asked to consider the buildings placement, orientation, form and materiality, and how it can influence its structure, sustainability, etc.

The students will be given a reference program but are encouraged to suggest changes to it based on their interpretation of the site. The program areas of one house may differ from the other. In the architectural design, students must consider local building culture, local climate, building materials,  technology integration, multipurpose space and relation to the outdoors and local landscape.

The studio will focus on an iterative design process to test and evaluate performative aspects of designs in relation to environmental impacts and functional inquiries. This is done through a range of parametric analysis that is based on the focus of each design project in the studio. The expected general evaluations include daylight inquiries, natural ventilation and dimension of various spaces in addition to materiality, etc.

During the design process the students will be introduced to the work of different architects (among these Christian Norberg-Schulz and Álvaro Siza Vieira) and how or if “place” influences their architecture.

Study trip: Sites and projects in Norway and Portugal with a focus on single family house projects.

Teaching staff: Søren S. Sørensen and Sofia Martins de Cunha

The course gives students an introduction to the field of interaction design. Interaction design is about designing how we use and experience technology. Interaction designers develop digital products and interfaces, such as mobile apps, games, online services and social media. The field is closely connected to digital developments in society, and is an increasingly important part of the work of designers. The course provides an introduction to digital materials and design methods used to create experiences and expressions through technology. Traditional design materials like wood and plastic are used in the design of interactive products, but also technical materials and tools such as electronics, user data and programming.

The course focuses on products at the intersection between the physical and the digital, and thereby builds on practical and aesthetic skills acquired in previous courses. In addition to providing an introduction to interaction design, the course also addresses the relationship between culture, design, communication and technology. We ask: How can design shape our digital lives? How can design be used to understand and interpret technology creatively, and thereby create good user experiences and aesthetic expressions?