Architectural Design III: One to One to One to Ten Thousand (COMTE/MEUWLY)

Abstract

Everything is transformation. The world we live in is being increasingly densified, not only in terms of what is built but also of ecosystems, social interactions, economic interests, political relations. In this context, we must look seriously at the existing: What qualities are there? What is really obsolete? What can we enhance? How to start with what is already there.

Objective

As a collective space of research, teaching and design, the studio explores the relation between construction and the climatic, political and economic conditions its context entails. It is about how they inform each other and how this relation can be enhanced and transformed positively. We will explore different transformation strategies to make the most out of every existing potential: from one-to-one construction over specific site explorations to critical project proposals, from the territorial scale to the detail. Each scale entails new constraints - and with them, new opportunities. The working environment is based on reciprocal respect and responsibility. The learning objectives for every student in this semester are: THINKING BY MAKING: Use hands-on construction as a tool to test and question an architectural proposal, from the beginning on. Develop skills to conceive, execute and adapt constructions with a variety of materials and tools, staying sensible to a given context not only in the decision making but also in its execution. Integrate prototypes and material tests as steps in the design process. Collaboration is essential: demonstrate the ability to work, learn and communicate as a group. INVENTORY OF POTENTIALS: Explore different modalities of research to assemble an inventory of existing potentials; including (but not limited to) photography, drawing, geographical, social and historical research as well as on-site (inter)actions. Cultivate the ability to be surprised by the unexpected or the overlooked. Synthesise this information into a cohesive narrative. Develop a subjective reading and a personal understanding of a place that contributes to a shared and evolving base of knowledge for the studio, while also learning to work collectively, to share and assimilate knowledge. PROJECT STRATEGY: Develop a critical understanding of a specific context, including the general notions of sustainability, economy and efficiency. Use these constraints as an opportunity to formulate an attitude towards the existing and develop a site-specific transformation strategy. Use the articulation of details to demonstrate a critical understanding of the larger site and vice versa. Show an understanding of structural and constructive performance. TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE: Present work and ideas concisely, coherently and comprehensibly. Produce and use architectural (re-)presentation methods to convey a critical stance, including precise hand and computer aided drawings, sketches, models, one-to-one construction, text, photography among others. Transfer the knowledge you gathered and developed in the studio to other students, external guests and a general audience. Integrate the previous work of the studio into your personal knowledge base to develop and specify a proposal. TRANSDISCIPLINARITY: Open your argumentation to broader perspectives and exchange knowledge with experts, critics and guests from different fields. Integrate their insights into a critical argumentation and substantiated proposal. Understand that there is not only one correct voice: the strength of the project should emerge from the synthesis of many minds. COLLECTIVE WORK: Communicate and engage in the studio responsibly and respectfully. Collaborate inclusively, respecting one another and their ideas, making sure to let everyone have a voice and share knowledge and production equally. The collective result is as important as individual production.

Content

EVERYTHING IS TRANSFORMATION: The world we live in today is in constant transformation. The density of our environment is increasing, not only from a mathematical point of view but also in terms of the high density of interactions, the general frenzy that surrounds us, the almost infinite speed of change and evolution, daily innovations, new norms, new criteria, new relations. In order for these transformations to have a positive impact on the way we live together, we must develop a deep and critical interest in the potentials that already exist. We must take a serious look and ask: What qualities are there? What is really obsolete? What can we enhance? CONTEXT: DENSIFICATION/INTENSIFICATION Today, in Switzerland, in an effort to limit urban sprawl, transformations of the built environment mainly occur within already developed areas: active or abandoned industrial zones, low-density residential neighbourhoods, vacant lots, etc. These situations lead to complex, but above all, extremely rich intervention contexts. In light of the current climate and social emergencies, these environments—shaped by successive layers of use over time—cannot be ignored. We therefore propose to adopt an exploratory approach that embraces the diversity of transformation possibilities of a place, rooted in the richness of the existing fabric. ONE TO ONE TO ONE TO TEN THOUSAND: Working with available substance not only requires a strong and clear architectonic approach. It is a complex process of re-interpretation for the structures to be re-activated, charged with a greater diversity, co-existing in a place where the past, present, and future are merged in an exciting organism. The project is not the pure result of a design, a style, or a form: it comes from a complex assembly of conditions and scales, combined in a precise narrative. We will work from one-to-one construction over narrative cartography to critical project proposals. These exercises are a series of steps, iterations, trials, attempts, and hypotheses, aimed at specifying a position, determining a way of acting. CRITICAL CONSTRUCTION: We will develop an attitude that seeks to constantly reconsider the questions, to redefine problematics, to challenge what we take for granted. We cannot answer a specific question with a general answer or a standard detail. We will draw and build specific construction details, focusing on the relationship with existing buildings. The goal is making the most out of every opportunity, out of every resource used, to achieve maximum efficiency. There are no preconceived solutions. It’s about being opportunistic, in a positive way.

Resources