Reading Response 3

Review

1.) Design studio is widely thought to be at the center of architectural education. Is this true in our times? Should it be? Studio time seems to be the most important aspect of an architecture student’s career, and that is certainly true for UofM’s architecture degree.  I agree with the fact that it should be the center of education because it is my personal philosophy that quantity of work teaches craftmanship and ideation skills over one or two quality works.

2.) What skills does an architect need to acquire in order to conceptualize, coordinate and execute an architectural project today?  Some skills that an architect must acquire is to be able to do research. What has been done before and what does the space need in terms of architecture. After that, design skills followed by the ability to communicate with businessman, engineers, and a construction team.

3.) What (other) fields of study might be included in the architect’s contemporary education? Some other fields of study that might be included in an architect’s education might be psychology, business, material studies, and theory/philosophy.

Louis Vuitton Storefront in Osaka designed by Jun Aoki & Associates and Peter Marino.

Document

8 perceived fields of study necessary to successfully conceive the building above:

1.) Mythology – Mythology because the shape of the building inspires wonder and delight and the ‘billowing’ glass sales seem to reflect imagery from famous mythology.

2.) Material Studies – It’s important to learn about different materials that can be used during construction that will help realize the vision of the architect.

3.) Engineering/Physics – An understanding of curves and weight distribution is apparent.

4.) Environmental Systems – Understanding how the environment affects the building but also how the building affects the environment.

5.) Real Estate Design and Development – Understanding how commercial buildings are designed and built.

6.) Construction – Helps with understanding construction vocabulary and communication.

7.) Architectural Theory – A historical understanding of other buildings and the ability to reference those ideas and concepts.

8.) Structural Concepts – Same with material studies, learning how different structures can help realize the vision of the architect.

Invent

New Course: Change by Design

Over the course of a semester, students will learn different theories and computational programs to help them connect to different communities and cultures. The first half of the semester will be learning in the classroom with the second half focusing on real-world implementation. Students will have the opportunity to collaborate with a local design firm working with different cultural groups to build engaging community centers.

The appeal of this course would be to engage students in a design process for people and communities that they may not personally belong to. This course will go on to teach design thinking and empathy as well as creating a tool kit on how to approach projects for different cultural and heritage groups. The class itself will structure itself as a design firm with groups of students taking up certain roles. By the end of the class, each student will have an understanding on what it takes to bring an architectural drawing to reality regardless of whether or not their project was successful. This would be a studio course.