ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN V
The module is a design studio that emphasizes the idea of ‘place-making for the urban communities. Students will undertake a studio-based exercise that deals with urban blocks within a dense urban environment. The emphasis in this module will be on exploring the notion of ‘place-making’ and architecture that respond to this notion. Developing your design thinking as an architectural narrative, forming proposals that are poetic expressions of ideas. Projects will not promote complex programmatic and organizational problems but will rather allow in-depth exploration and interpretations. The two major parts of the studio are a) urban contextual study and b) architectural design development. The final outcome is an architectural design that is responsive to its urban character. In their preliminary design work, students engage with urban studies and strategy/concept development to develop an appropriate program and massing studies responding to the urban conditions. Subsequently, the major project involves the development of a design scheme that engages with the spirit of urban places and the everyday life of the urban community. The design work explores the plan-section-elevation relationship to achieve an architecture that acts as a vibrant block exploring the maximum potential of the urban space.
PRELIMINARY STUDIES
PROJECT 1A
The Preliminary Studies comprises of three components: Site analysis in macro and, more focused to, microscales and Precedent Studies of urban blocks and programs.We were to make a comprehensive study on urban form, activity, and movement patterns. Ian Bentley’s ‘Legibility Analysis’ (Bentley, 2013) which is a method through the exploration of Kevin Lynch’s Elements of legibility (Lynch, 1979) is employed here. The students are to establish possible opportunities (such as routes and attractions) to sustain the building.
ARCHITECTURE FOR PLACE MAKING
PROJECT 1B
We were to concentrate on designing an architecture for placemaking within an urban block corner site. This is an individual assignment. The design of the building consists of appropriate & problem-solving architectural responses that address the aspects of the urban street context and user behavioral patterns as discerned and analyzed in the Preliminary Studies. Research informs design here. The studio employs content-driven design approach in which architecture becomes a solution to relevant issues. The solution is in design as a purposeful narrative to powerful questions relevant to the context (Low, 2010).
PROJECT 1C
ARCHITECTURE FOR PLACE MAKING
Apart from developing an appropriately formal and elevational strategy in response to the character of the street, the design should take into consideration a holistic application of structural, spatial, technical, environmental, UBBL & services requirements to address the user needs for an urban program. This will include a focus on tropical design, services, as well as the design of the façade and building envelope that is of a coherent language to the overall design scheme within the urban context. The design outcome will exhibit a strong rigor in underpinning and applying theoretical explorations such as elements of legibility.
