Architectural Design V-IX: Elemental Living (E. Mosayebi)

Abstract

How do we want to live? Hardly any building task in architecture is so fundamentally and so strongly determined by conventions as housing. The focus of the work in the studio is the critical and experimental examination of new forms of living in different climatic regions of Switzerland.

Objective

• Knowledge of history, theory and typology of basic elements. • Design of new forms of housing • Pictorial representation of complex narratives in the form of miniatures • Constructive Details • Experimental photography

Content

How do we want to live? Hardly any building task in architecture is so fundamentally and so strongly determined by conventions as housing. The focus of the work in the studio is the critical and experimental examination of new forms of living in different climatic regions of Switzerland. The comparatively small scale allows the projects to focus on the themes of interior space, living form and basic architectural elements. These basic elements are understood comprehensively and mean not only structural elements such as load-bearing parts, windows, doors, stairs, but also include secondary components such as beds, tables, curtains. Is it conceivable to develop the living form starting from an architectural element or furniture? Can we imagine a habitable elevator? How would a floor plan be designed starting from a refrigerator? Who would inhabit such spaces? The basic elements represent the thingness and craftsmanship of architecture. In the discourse on social and ecological building, the importance of everyday elements is often forgotten, even though it is the things themselves that create meaning or absurdity between life and the world. Starting with a basic element, you will analyze at the beginning of the semester the specific characteristics and the variety of manifestations in different geographical contexts. You will ask: What functions does the element serve, what histories has it gone through, what norms has it cemented, in what materials and principles of construction is it created, and what future potential can it unlock? In addition to political, social, gender, and climatic contexts, you will also address the interaction of space, body, and scale, and thus the perception, impact, and use of architecture. The semester takes place in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Ákos Moravánszky. In workshops with the artists Taiyo Onorato and Nico Krebs, experimental images of the projects will be created.

Resources