Architectural Design V-IX: Forever Young (GD O.Lütjens/T.Padmanabhan)

Abstract

In the design studio FOREVER YOUNG, we will work on the transformation of a neighbourhood in the village of Buchs, located between the historic village core and the commuter train station.

Objective

- immersive and intuitive working methods to overcome the linear analytical approach to design - non-linear design processes to provoke new ideas - combination of seemingly contradictory aspects to create optimistic architecture - sensibility towards the work of others and towards one’s own work - radical reconsideration of architectural form to find new ways of living together - understanding of form as the springboard for programmatic innovation - continuous model making to bring abstract ideas into the physical reality of a tangible artefact - ability to dicuss questions of form and architectural expression in a non-dogmatic way - new approaches towards working with the existing - usage of constructive parts as compositional elements

Content

Switzerland’s housing estates from the 1980`s and 1990`s are approaching their first renovation cycle. Unlike their feeble predecessors from 1920 to 1970, these estates are robust constructions with apartment sizes and layouts that are still valid today. If we combine their renovation with substantial extensions, we can easily double the current density without tearing down a single building. How do we approach this gigantic task of rejuvenation? Is every estate a singular problem with its specific solution or can we develop new housing typologies? Could this eventually lead to new urban morphologies, and a new way of life? In the design studio FOREVER YOUNG, we will work on the transformation of a neighbourhood in the village of Buchs, located between the historic village core and the commuter train station.

Resources