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Architectural Design V-IX: Making Meandering Meaning (a.o. Prof. J. de Vylder)
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:42:26
Abstract
The studio is organised in two movements. The aim is to understand the relation between the making—construction, material and detail—and the meaning—context, culture and tradition—. At the start of Movement 1, the students are divided into groups of 3 persons. In Movement 2, the studio shifts towards individual work.
Objective
EPILOGUE Architecture is not a matter of architecture. AUTONOMY Perhaps it is a matter of autonomy. Autonomy of the architect. Yes, scale. Yes, context. Yes, references. Yes, materials. Yes, colours. Yes, as much as it is always the case. But to find a distance all of a sudden. And to celebrate the autonomy. Which makes a difference. UNIVERSE Perhaps it is a matter of the universe. The rearrangement of what can be rearranged as a new world. A different world. Or at least as a different perspective on that world. A world known by no one but desired by everyone. BRAVOURE Perhaps it is a matter of bravoure. A matter of always and everywhere making things possible again. As possibilities no one expected. As to make possible that which was not and could not be expected. LIFE Perhaps it is a matter of life. A matter of how life can be understood and how life can be imagined. How it can and should be differently imagined. But how it really makes life. How it is allowed to make life. As a part of making life. And doing so. WENDUNG Perhaps it is a matter of wendung. A matter of going somewhere and bringing things found along the way. The wendung as the direction where to go. PLEASURE Perhaps it is a matter of pleasure. The pleasure of seriousness. The seriousness of pleasure. With pleasure things go better. And become better. Giving more pleasure afterwards. MAKING Perhaps it is a matter of making. The making of things. How to make them. How to make them just so differently. Differently, yes, but definitely as making.
Content
PROLOGUE A cool glass of white wine on a Sunday afternoon. How you drink a glass of cool white wine with friends visiting on a Sunday morning, while you prepare lunch in the kitchen. At first sight, this question has little to do with architecture. It is not really a question about a structural issue. Nor is it a question about a conceptual idea. But it is perhaps the only real question architecture should pose itself. How architecture can contain real life. Or rather, to make a difference for those moments. To capture those moments of life with students. It is a start. A chance for architecture. RE-PRACTICE PRAC-TEACH Re-practice and prac-teach underlines the idea of ‘teach-ing’ and ‘re-search’ from out of a practice based perspective. A perspective which is about making and meaning. About realising and reflecting. About meandering between the making and the meaning. But also between worlds—finding other universes—and ideas—ongoing and revolving—and cultures—the journey in between. UNIVERSUM CARROUSEL JOURNEY This studio is called universum carrousel journey. This studio’s atelier will be given the title universum. The lectures will be held under the title carrousel. And the travels will be named journey. But they will be interchanged at times. As the studio is named universum carrousel journey. MAKING MEANDERING MEANING The studio is organised in two movements. In the first movement, the studio will study five different exemplary houses though three different cultures. Belgium, Switzerland and America. For each culture five houses. One will be about ‘architecture history’, one about ‘typology and tradition’, one situated in ‘the 20th century history’, one ‘the 21st century history’ and one of a ‘non defined quality’. The study will happen by section drawings and detailed scale models. The aim is to understand the relation between the making— construction, material and detail—and the meaning— context, culture and tradition—. In the second movement the studio will design for each house two neighbouring houses. Of course each time based on the ideas of the other cultures. Like for example next to the American exemplary house two new houses will arise but based on the Belgian and Swiss understandings built up in the first movement. Drawing and modelling are once again key. REGARDING THE FIRST MOVEMENT Each group will study each time 3 reference houses. Each time another culture (a Belgian, a Swiss and an American). And each time of another time or quality frame. As pointed out under ‘making meandering meaning—see above—. REGARDING THE SECOND MOVEMENT Each student of each group will work on 2 houses and implement them as neighbours towards the 3rd house. Each neighbour house will be a transcription of the reference houses studied in the first movement. - The Belgian reference will be flanked by a Swiss and an American transcription. - The Swiss reference will be flanked by an American and a Belgian transcription. - The American reference will be flanked by a Belgian and a Swiss transcription. The choice of cultural transcription will be proposed by the students but each neighbouring situation should embrace all the different cultures. THE ATELIER The studio environment is a place to debate the production since the last studio moment. Presentation and reflection are the keywords of the studio meeting. All material since the last studio moment is available as also eventual specific presentation material illustrating that production. Students will attend each studio moment.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- BSC
- Frequency
- Semesterly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| exercise |
Architectural Design V-IX: Making Meandering Meaning (a.o. Prof. J. de Vylder)
Permission from lecturers required for all students.
No course on 17./18.3. (seminar week), on 14./15.4. (Easter Holiday) as well as on public holidays (s. room reservations)
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16 h weekly |