Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Proposed Unit Structure



TERM 1: PHASE 1- Searching for Ghosts

The first part of the term will focus upon the development of an individual spatial and material vocabulary, initiated by the translation of Ukiyo-e (images of the floating world) into both surface and volumetric constructs.

Can materials think? The latent properties of chosen materials will be explored via a series of operations and techniques, resulting in the iterative development of physical models with specific volumetric, topological and tactile qualities. Emphasis will be given to production and experimentation via both surface and solid constructs and the introduction of composites. The advent of deformations and mutations may occur via both controlled (folding, laminating, carving etc.) and uncontrolled (casting, evacuating, melting, splitting etc.) processes. Photography will be used to record, reveal and clarify these specific characteristics and deviations.



Crack & warp column- David Nash

Week1 1-5th October
• Student interviews and registration
• 06.10 First unit meeting and introduction to Project No.1- Paper

Week 2 8th-12th October
• 09.10 Tutorials JD
• 12.10 Pin-up JD/DB, review and debrief. Introduction to Project No.2- Stone

Week 3 15th-19th October
• 16.10 Tutorials JD
• 19.10 Tutorials JD/DB

Week 4 22nd-26th October
• 23.10 Tutorials JD
• 26.10 Pin Up JD/DB plus guests, review and debrief. Introduction to Project No.3- Scissors

Week 5 29th-2nd November
• 30.10 Tutorials JD
• 02.11 Tutorials JD/DB

Week 6 5th-9th November (Open Week)
• 06.11 Tutorials JD
• 09.11 Presentation Projects 1-3 JD/DB plus guests. Introduction to Project No.4- Room

TERM 1: PHASE II: Critical Inhabitation

The second phase of the term will focus upon the potential for inhabitation via a critical evaluation of initial constructs and an assessment of their tactile, perceptual and organisational characteristics.

Sectional, axonometric and exploded drawings are constructions in their own right. Representational techniques will be tailored to accommodate and reveal hidden aspects and criteria as each student develops bespoke ways in which to frame and plot tactile, morphological or organisational criteria. Patterns that emerge may be re-described and their definitions explored.

Workshops relating to patternmaking and digital collage will provoke a questioning and crystallisation of initial thoughts about scale, perception and orientation.



A reinstatement of specific qualities will be articulated within a ‘room’ project, to begin to realise potential scale(s) of occupation through their interpretation. Each student will develop a fragment at the scale of inhabitation both through physical & digital exploratory models.

Week 7 12th-16th November
• 13.11 Tutorials JD- review of projects 1-3. Seminar ‘Inhabitation’.
• 16.11 Workshop JD/DB and guests.

Week 8 19th-23rd November
• 20.11 Tutorials JD
• 23.11 Workshop- Collage Room- JD/DB

Week 9 26th-30th November
• 26.11 Tutorials JD
• 29.11 Tutorials JD/DB

Week 10 3rd-7th December
• 03.12 Tutorials JD
• 07.11 End of Term Review Presentation Projects 1-4 JD/DB plus guests.



TERM 1: PHASE III- Fieldwork Tokyo

Week 11 10th-14th December + Week 12 17th-21st December
The unit will travel to Tokyo, Japan. Focusing upon several specific localities, each student will investigate situations analogous to their earlier material, spatial, topological and organisational concerns, immersed within the wider scale and complexity of the city.



Research will manifest itself via an extensive series of individual mappings and notations, diagrams, and three-dimensional model representations. The task will be to unravel, record and redefine latent qualities, intensities and patterns relating to built fabric and its occupation. This will reveal different scales of operations, the relationship with infrastructure, open space, mixtures of programmes, temporal issues etc.

TERM 2: PHASE I: Collective Intelligence

Following a review of the Tokyo research, the second term will focus upon the development of collective site research and strategies for a site in Kings Cross. The site for proposed intervention is a prominent urban block, peripheral to the territory of the Kings Cross Central Master plan. The group will focus upon the investigation of the physical locality, site qualities and an evaluation of policy before publishing a comprehensive site research document reflecting their findings.
An exquisite corpse workshop will yield unexpected group strategies and form a loose series of strategic concerns that will be developed by unit clusters. This work will also form an appendix to the site research publication and a starting point for individual propositions.

Week 1 7th-11th January
• 07.01 Tutorials JD
• 11.01 Review of Tokyo Research JD/DB plus guests.

Week 2 14th-18th January
• 15.01 Introduction of Site Research Brief JD. Seminar ‘Mapping’
• 18.01 Group Tutorials JD/DB.

Week 3 21st-25th January
• 22.01 Group Tutorials JD.
• 25.01 Pin-up/ Progress + Group Tutorials JD/DB.

Week 4 28th-1st February
• 29.01 Group Tutorials JD.
• 01.02 Strategic Workshop JD/DB.

Week 5 4th-8th February
• 04.02 Group Tutorials JD.
• 08.02 Pin-up/ Progress of Strategies + Group Tutorials JD/DB.

Week 6 11th-15th February (Open Week)
• 12.02 Group Tutorials JD.
• 15.02 Group Presentations of site research, group publications JD/DB + guests

Week 7 18th-22nd February
• 19.02 Introduce Project 7- Proposal JD/DB
• 22.02 Individual Tutorials JD



TERM 2: PHASE II: Individual Proposition

The final phase of the year focuses upon individual propositions. Each student will develop a brief positioned within the physical, social and political framework of the site. An individual strategy will evolve from collective proposals and may also reflect earlier concerns within Tokyo research. Workshops early on in the last phase will focus on production through the translation of strategies into the development of skins, surfaces, patterns or layers. The evolution of a pattern may allow individual elements to respond or adapt to local site conditions, creating ghosts of the parent original.



Week 8 25th-29th February
• 26.02 Individual Tutorials JD
• 29.02 Workshop- (Non) Repetitive Pattern- JD/DB + Guests

Week 9 3rd-7th March
• 04.03 Technical Tutorials- Development of Strategy JD/ SA
• 07.03 Tutorials JD/DB.

Week 10 10th-14th March
• 10.03 Individual Tutorials JD
• 14.03 End of Term Review JD/DB + Guests

TERM 3: FINAL PHASE

Within the final term a number of pin-ups will focus upon individual drawings in order to refine the organisation and structuring of each individual portfolio.

The objective will be to develop a scheme from strategy to detail, developing initial spatial, material and organisational approaches. Incorporating the final stage of technical studies, each student will produce material fragments, both drawn and modelled, at a variety of suitable scales. Each will redefine tectonic fabric in relation to technical concerns alongside the inter-articulation of specific spatial, topological and programmatic characteristics.



Week 1 14th-18th April
• 15.04 Review JD/DB + Guests
• 16.04 Tutorials JD/DB

Week 2 21st-25th April
• 22.04 Inter Previews JD/DB
• 23.04 Inter Previews JD/DB

Week 3 28th April-02nd May
• 29.04 Technical Tutorials JD/SA
• 02.05 Tutorials JD/DB

Week 4 5th –9th May
• 06.05 Technical Studies Interim Review JD/ SA
• 09.05 Review- 1:100 Ground Plan JD/DB + guests

Week 5 12th –16th May
• 13.05 Tutorials JD
• 16.05 Review- Axonometric/ Exploded/ 3d Drawing JD/DB + guests

Week 6 19th –23rd May
• 20.05 Tutorials JD + TS Final Submission
• 23.05 Review-1:20 Section JD/DB + guests

Week 7 26th –30th May
• 27.05 Tutorials JD
• 16.05 Tutorials JD/DB

Week 8 2nd –6th June Intermediate Jury Week
• 03.06 Tutorials JD
• 06.06 Final Jury JD/DB + Guests

Week 9 9th –13th June
• 03.06 Tutorials JD
• 06.05 Tutorials JD/DB

Week 10 16th –20th June
• 16.06 2nd year End of Year reviews JD/ DB
• 20.06 3rd year Tutorials JD/ Exhibition meeting/ building

Week 11 23rd –27th June
• 23.06 Intermediate (Part 1) Final Check JD/DB
• 24.06 Intermediate (Part 1) Final Check JD/DB

Week 12 30th June– 4th July
• 01.07 Intermediate (Part 1) External Examination JD
• 04.07 Opening of Exhibition

Unit Structure/ Support

Unit Master: Jonathan Dawes BSc(Hons) AA Dip ARB

Unit Tutor: Dagobert Bergmans Ir.

Visiting Critic: Ellis Woodman, Buildings Editor, Building Design Magazine

Technical Consultant: Scobie Alvis- Technical Director, Structures, Hyder Consulting

Proposed Workshops:

Repetitive Pattern/ Building skin: Drusilla Cole, Author ‘Patterns- New Surface Design’

Tokyo Workshop: Yuji Fukui, Tokyo Geidai University, Ueno, Tokyo

Patternmaking Workshop: Bora Aksu, Fashion Designer

Site Strategic Workshop: Unit Staff & Guests

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