Architectural Design IV: Public Space Behaviorology in Switzerland (Kaijima)

Abstract

Through the method of public drawing, students learn to observe, analyze, and improve a public Further, students propose and build a furniture scale intervention to improve the usability and potential for interaction on the given public space. Research based design, in accordance with architectural behaviorology is a guiding design principle of the course.

Objective

Public space observation by “Public Drawing” (2 weeks) Student groups • are able to identify relevant actors using and shaping a public space. (2) • are able to use observational skills to identify the interactions between different actors such as humans, plants, animals, weather, etc. on a given public space. (3) • are able to draw connections between those activities and key actors / elements of the public space. (4) Design Competition (2 week) Each individual student • is able to come up with a small-scale intervention to strengthen one or several of the observed interactions. (6) Public space research and design (4 weeks) Each individual student • is able to understand the basic principles of evidence-based design. (2) • is able to define relevant characteristics and metrics to evaluate a design on. (2) • is able to us and analyze different methods and sources to find relevant information on their research topic. (3) • is able to evaluate different research findings with the goal to find an optimal design solution based on objective criteria. (5) Student groups • are able to improve a given design according to their individual research finding. (6) 1:1 construction (5 weeks) Student groups • are able to draw construction plans for a furniture scale intervention. (6) • are able to plan the construction process for a furniture scale intervention, including identifying key steps, necessary tools, necessary safety equipment as well as estimating time and money costs. (3) • are able to construct a small furniture scale intervention. (3) Each individual student • remembers and understands basic safety guidelines for construction. (2) • is able to use different tools for construction. (3) Cognitive scale (1) Remember (2) Understand (3) Apply (4) Analyze (5) Evaluate (6) Create Link Grading Criteria: The submissions will be graded before each review. Each submission is graded according to the following criteria: • Completeness and punctuality of submission • Research method, the ability to find and analyze information • Implementation of the concept of Architectural Behaviorology within the design • Choice of Typology, Design and Expression of the project, in connection with the concept of Architectural Behaviorology • Structural design, construction details and choice of materials in accordance with the design idea and the method of Architectural Behaviorology • Visualization, the ability to communicate a design effectively with compelling drawings, models and text. The final grade consists of the following partial grades: • Mid review 1 submission 30 % (group work: 15%, individual work: 15%) • Mid review 2 submission 30% (group work: 5%, individual work 25%) • Final review submission 40% (group work 30%, individual work 10%)

Content

Public spaces fulfill an important role in our civic and urban life. They are places of spontaneous gatherings, demonstrations, markets but also offer spaces for everyday mundane activities such as eating lunch, having a drink, excercising etc. How well the public spaces of a city or neighborhood work has a big influence on life quality for most of the nearby residence. But what makes a space a good public space? To answer this question, we will use the methods of Architectural Behaviorology as well as follow into the footsteps of previous public space research. By observation of public spaces in and around the forest we try to find the natural, typological and human actors and the rules of interplay between those, which lead to people using a certain place. We will look at what activities are happening in a public space and how the individual actors are enabling these activities. We will explore the tool of drawing as a way of representing gathered data as well as a tool for design. With these observations in mind, we will work on improving these spaces. By designing a small structure or furniture we try to make people more conscious of the interplay between different actors at these spaces and making the spaces more enjoyable. By working with models, mock-ups and 1:1 installation we also gather a better understanding of materials and construction and learn different building techniques hands on. The working method of the semester will be design accompanied by research. Questions of design are questions of research. Students are asked to formulate one key questions on the relationship between users and public spaces. Students will individually research on how this relationship could be used, strengthen, or changed to improve the quality of the public space. This research will influence the design of the furniture or small-scale structure. Finally, we plan to place the structure onto the chosen public space and will observe, if the design has the desired effect on the space. This loop between observation, research, design, construction and observation again serves as a basis for students to question their design work, further their individual interests and philosophy of design and motivates everyone involved to keep continuously learning.

Resources