Architectural Design V-IX: Living Together (M.Conen)

Abstract

Living together means rethinking housing and investigating how architecture could host not only human needs, but also the presence and agency of plants, animals, microorganisms, water etc. Moving beyond an anthropocentric approach, it requires new spatial typologies, porous structures, generous thresholds, systems for managing water and enhancing biodiversity. .

Objective

Critical thinking: - develop a critical position to a sight and an an exercise - understand work requirements, manage your time carefully and prioritize being aware of your personal skills. Working methodology: - conduct qualitative site analysis through photography and observational drawing - use archives to conduct systematic analysis into social history, uses, materials, etc. - assimilate small, fragmentary observations into a broad understanding of the site and the project - clearly and effectively convey your ideas through oral presentations Architectural project: - develop a structural, societal, constructional and environmental concept for the project - develop this concept into an architectural project whilst understanding technical, spatial and programmatic conditions - situate your position using references of historical, cultural or other creative fields - incorporate information and inspiration from input lectures Representation: - develop a way of looking of your site by using photography - develop model making skills of small conceptual models, as well as working models made of everyday household materials with precise conceptual purpose - develop an understanding of using different media of representation to strengthen your project idea - choose the frame of a plan, drawing, image etc. What do you need to tell your story? - each project may find its own method of representation based on its concept. Engagement in the studio: - actively participate in group projects, workshops and open discussions - actively listen to others and try to understand their perspective - at all times demonstrate honesty integrity and respect for fellow students, teachers and staff

Content

Living together calls for an architecture that makes ecological processes visible and tangible, where domesticity and landscape are intertwined. It opens up the possibility of inhabiting the city differently — through reciprocity, care, and coexistence across species. The 80s in Zurich were marked by intense political, economic and ecological unrest. Issues long pushed to the sidelines – such as gender equality, environmental pollution, and the consequences of unlimited growth – moved more to the center of public debate. The dissatisfaction with traditional family structures led to new forms of collective living and led to more and more resistance. The newly vacated industrial buildings were squatted, serving as laboratories for alternative housing practices. This was the context in which the most innovative Zurich housing cooperatives emerged and renewed the discussions of how we could live together. Architecture became an active tool to rethink forms of domesticity and communal life. The most emblematic projects out of that era (Hellmi, Dreieck, Karthago, Brahmshof) evolved through action, negotiation and in some cases conflict. A new sensibility emerged: the value of a neighborhood centered social networks (“kommunikative Architektur”), the understanding of living as a process with changing housing needs (“Flexibilität”), and the urgency of inexpensive and adaptable building structures (“Sparsamkeit”). The ideas forced architects to experiment with new floor plan solutions. This semester, we will engage with this heritage and examine its potential in the face of today’s challenges : housing crisis, re-use of existing structures, cohabitation with other species and water management. We will focus on the Badenerstrasse: A street shaped by more than a century of housing debates and urban renewal. Along the street changes in housing policies and urban development are highly visible and fast evolving. From perimeter blocks from the 1920 on to Albisriederplatz - to highrises of today - with many of the Genossenschaften, the Baderstrasse tells a fragmented story of collective housing, political resistance and urban speculation. We will explore those possibilities through a direct experience of these great past examples, collaborating with artists and experts who will guide us through the analysis of the state of things and the embedded qualities of the sites. We will be working with the careful drawing and redrawing of plans, the development of photographs and the construction of models.

Resources