Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Design Studio 0
Other languages of instruction: Spanish
Teaching staff
***Teachers office hours require mandatory booking in advance by email
Introduction
The first year, the focus of our teaching, is to make understand the students what the design process consists of; it means their phases: analysis, decisions, "feedback", "rethinking", etc. and, above all, how this process begins, basically, from the understanding of the requirements of the Program and the Place until the final proposal.
The Thought and Project Process.
The Academic Course is structured in two formats: Theory and Practices.
-Theory of Architectural Project: (3 Credits ECTS)
The course focuses on transmitting to the student the Experience of Space, as the axis on which the activity of the Architectural Project revolves. In these Project Theory classes, students are introduced to the notion of Space through two academic activities:
1- Presentation and Explanation of examples of universal architecture in which the concepts to be transmitted are clearly identified.
2- Visits to nearby buildings of the city in which the referred notions are manifested.
On the first day of class the course program and the evaluation criteria will be exposed.
In addition, there will be learning classes on graphic representation techniques, necessary for the practices of Introduction to Design Studio
-Design Studio Practices: (3 Credits ECTS)
The course consists of proposing to the student practices in which they are implemented notions of minor to greater complexity. Therefore, an evolutionary exercise is proposed in which the student can assume each of the steps of the design process; from the knowledge of human dimensions and the closest domestic space, to the resolution of a program of uses and its implementation in the physical environment.
Through the practice of project exercises, each class is considered a "workshop" of work, not an appointment for correction with the teacher. Therefore, students must be in the classroom during all hours of the class, each working on their projects and attending to group corrections.
On the first day, in addition to explaining the evaluation criteria and explaining the exercise of the course, a class will be held on the teaching methodology, work material and presentation of the practices.
To reinforce this learning, computer screens, tablets or mobile phones will not be corrected in class; They will only be done through the "sketchbook", the drawings or plans and the models.
Above all we will try to understand the project process and assimilate it from the personality of each student, developing our own critical thinking.
Therefore, the acquisition of these skills and understanding of the process will be an important part for the decision on the final grade of the student.
Pre-course requirements
No prerequisites are required.
Objectives
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 03 - To acquire adequate knowledge of spatial representation systems applied to architecture and urbanism .
- 04 - To acquire knowledge and apply it to the analysis and theory of form and the laws of visual perception in architecture and urbainism.
- 05 - To acquire adequate knowlege of metric and projective geometry applied to architecture and urbanism.
- 06 - To acquire adequate knowledge of graphic surveying techniques in all stages, from sketching to scientific restitution.
- 10 - To acquire adequate knowledge and apply it to the fundamentals of topography, hypsometry, mapping and terrain modification techniques in architecture and urbanism
- 1-T - Ability to apply graphic procedures to the representation of spaces and objects.
- 2-T - Ability to conceive and represent the visual attributes of objects and master the proportions and techniques of drawing, including digital forms
Learning outcomes of the subject
The aim of the subject is to get the student to begin to develop their ideas, to turn them into an architectural project, in response to the proposed statement.
The student must acquire an understanding of the nature of the architectural space and the need to work from the dimensions of the human body.
Likewise, it will also become aware of the implications of its analysis and decision-making on its own approaches.
With all of this, he will begin to develop critical thinking skills and the evolution of his project practice through the corrections received from the teaching staff. Starting from a pre-established basic program, the student will work on an idea-force that thanks to a graphic, precise, creative and personal language becomes an architectural project.
In summary, the fundamental learning outcomes that the student must accredit are:
1 Ability to state clearly the objective of their work in terms of:
- Issues to solve.
- Issues to be reached
2 Ability to develop the necessary work tools that allow them to represent and communicate autonomously the requirements and proposals of their projects, while recognizing or distinguishing between optimal or inadequate solutions.
Syllabus
- Theory:
Perception of the Architectural Space: 1 The Diaphragm Space, 2 The Sequential Space, 3 The Empty Space, 4 The Intermediate Space and 5 The Open Space.
- Practices:
The construction from the notion of the Human Scale:
The Corpus Dimensions, The Domestic Space, The Notion of Use, and the Project Proposal.
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The course is divided into 14 sessions during the second semester.
The classes will be structured in two formats:
- 5 Classes of Design Studio Theory from 9.00 to 10:00 h. Complemented below with visits to City Buildings until 2:00 p.m.
- 10 Classes of Design Studio Practices from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 h. Completed with 10 teaching hours of graphic expression correction and representation techniques.
Following the lines established in the academic formation of architecture, the subject of Introduction to Design Studio consists of the so-called "workshop work", consisting of a "work in progress", which each student will develop personally. The work will be individual, although some group work will also be established. Thus, a teaching method is established that aims to promote the student's abilities, both personal and group work.
This type of practice integrates contents at different project scales, ensuring the integration of technical and compositional notions that are acquired in parallel with the rest of subjects. On the other hand, it also responds to the usual professional practice in architectural projects development.
For this, the dynamics of the course will incorporate various teaching methods:
- Corrections that involve all students, with the aim of enhancing the open debate in the workshop. This should offer defense tools for the project's arguments that allow the student to reinforce his intentions before the exercise, while developing his intellectual maturity before the decisions made.
- Customized individual corrections with the aim of reviewing and guiding the development of the exercise.
- Analysis work and collective models.
- Design Studio Theory Classes through the presentation of reference architectural works, useful for the content of the course. They can be taught by invited architects or by the professors themselves.
- Visits to reference architecture works.
- Class dynamics:
In general, in addition to the development and completion of the contents exposed, special attention will be paid to the communicative capacity of the student, through oral communication tools, but above all graphical and volumetric (models). The ability to explain the project through drawing and other representation tools will enhance their preparation to integrate into an increasingly competitive professional environment.
The development will be stimulated with corrections that imply the whole of the students, with the aim of promoting the open debate in the workshop. This should offer defense tools for the project's arguments that allow the student to reinforce his intentions in front of the exercise, while developing his intellectual maturity in front of the decisions made.
Attendance and punctuality are important, as well as a rigorous response will be done to those students who do not follow the course.
On the first day of class will be given to the students the rules of attendance, punctuality and correction systems during the classes. Basically they consist of:
- Attendance to mandatory class.
- Punctuality.
- Permanence in the classroom during classes.
- Systems and Organization of the order of corrections.
- Presentation material for each class.
- Contribution of didactic material through the intranet channels of the UIC.
A detailed calendar will be provided to students on the first day of class.
You can also find information on the intranet page of the subject.
| TRAINING ACTIVITY | COMPETENCES | ECTS CREDITS |
|---|---|---|
| Class exhibition | 03 04 05 06 10 1-T 2-T 34-T | 1 |
| Class participation | 03 04 05 06 10 1-T 2-T 34-T | 0,5 |
| Clase practice | 03 04 05 06 10 1-T 2-T 34-T | 0,5 |
| Tutorials | 03 04 05 06 10 1-T 2-T 34-T | 1 |
| Individual or group study | 03 04 05 06 10 1-T 2-T 34-T | 3 |
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
- Evaluation Systems and Criteria.
The organization of the course is based on the practical classes of the workshops and the set of exercises and partial deliveries that will be carried out.
At the middle of the course, an intermediate delivery is established that will have an indicative evaluation so that the student has a notion of their progress and academic level. This evaluation will not penalize nor be part of the average in the final evaluation.
The intermediate deliveries are organized in an equivalent way to the final one. The public presentation of the students takes place in front of the group of teachers of the course. Eventually a guest is invited. The result is the public exhibition of the exercises carried out during the course.
The final delivery is understood as an open exercise, and it will be structured so that the student publicly defends his / her project in front of the group of professors of the course, and the evaluation Jury (made based on his / her professional affinity with the proposed exercise).
The evaluation criteria will be established as follows: *
Theory: (25%)
- Participation and follow-up of the course (50%).
- Material requested to the student at the end of the course. (50%).
Practice: (75%)
- Statement and approach of the project at a joint scale.
- Implementation and General Regulation Definition and volumetric adaptation.
- Graphic, Volumetric and Expressive Presentation of the Documentation.
- Oral presentation.
- Participation and monitoring of the course.
- General course rules
_Asistance will be check at the begining of every class at 9:00 am.
_It is not allowed to leave the room before the end of the class unless professors allow the students to do so.
_Late arrival will count as 1/2 assistance, so that, if you are late 2 days that will count as one day not assiting to class.
_Every student who wishes to correct the project with the teacher will have to have bring drawings, models or sketches. We Computer screens, tablets or mobile phones will not be checked.
_ For a student to have the right to be evaluated, he / she must attend 80% of the classes.
_Not assitance justifications (medical certificates,etc) should be done by email before the class starts, that means before 9:00 am. Trips not for medical/family urgent conditions will not be considered as a justification for non assitance.
_Sketchbook is a tool that will be needed in every class. Use it, fill it and draw on it.
_Sketchbook should be delivered with the final delivery documents. Fail to do so will withdraw the right to be evaluated.
Bibliography and resources
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BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY:
ZEVI, Bruno: (Versión Castellana: Saber ver la Arquitectura. Barcelona. Ed. Poseidón, 1974).
RASMUSSEN, Steen Eiler: Experiencing Architecture, Cambridge [Mass.] M.I.T. Press, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1962. (Versión Castellana: Experiencia de la Arquitectura. Barcelona, Editorial Labor, 1974).
LE CORBUSIER: Vers une architecture. París, G. Cres, 1923. (Versión Castellana: Hacia una arquitectura. Barcelona, Editorial Poseidón, 1977).
KAHN, Louis: Form & Design, The Voice of America Forum Lectures, Paperback, 1961. (Versión Castellana: Forma y diseño, Buenos Aires: Ediciones Nueva Visión, 2007).
PALLASMAA, Juhani: The Eyes of the Skin. Architecture and the Senses, Chichester (West Sussex), Wiley-Academy Ed., 2005. (Versión Castellana: Los ojos de la piel. La arquitectura y los sentidos, Barcelona: Editorial Gustavo Gili, 2006).
PALLASMAA, Juhani: Toward an Architecture of Humility, 1998. (Versión Castellana: Una arquitectura de la humildad, Barcelona, Fundación Caja de Arquitectos, 2010.
ROSSI, Aldo: L’Architettura della città, (1966). (Versión Castellana: La Arquitectura de la Ciudad. Barcelona, Editorial Gustavi Gili, 1982).
ROWE, Colin y Robert SLUTZKY: Transparency, Basel: Birkhäuser Verlag, 1997.
RUDOFSKY, Bernard: Arquitectura sin arquitectos. Breve introducción a la arquitectura sin genealogía, Argentina, Editorial Universitaria de Buenos Aires, 1973.
VENTURI, Robert: Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture. New York, The Museum of Modern Art, 1966, 1977. (Versión Castellana: Complejidad y contradicción en arquitectura, Barcelona: Gustavo Gili, 1974, 1978).
ZUMTHOR, Peter: Atmosphären, Basilea, Birkhäuser-Verlag, 2006. (Versión Castellana: Atmósferas: entornos arquitectónicos, las cosas a mi alrededor, Barcelona, Editorial Gustavo Gili, 2006).
ZUMTHOR, Peter: Architektur Denken, Basilea, Boston, Berlín, Birkhäuser-Verlag, 2006. (Versión Castellana: Pensar la arquitectura, Barcelona: Editorial Gustavo Gili, 2009).
COMPLEMENTARY BIBLIOGRAPHY:
BENEVOLO, Leonardo , História da Arquitetura Moderna, Editora Perspectiva, 1976 (Versión Castellana: Historia de la Arquitectura Moderna, Barcelona, Editorial Gustavo Gili, Barcelona, 2002, 8.ª edición).
FRAMPTON, Keneth. Modern Architecture: A critical History, London, Thames and Huston Ed.1980. (Versión Castellana: Historia y critica de la Arquitectura Moderna. Barcelona, Estudio Paperback, Editorial Gustavo Gilli, 1987).
GIEDION, Sigfried, Mechanization takes Command. A Contribution to Anonimous History, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1948. (Versión Castellana: La Mecanización toma el mando. Barcelona, Editorial Gustavo Gilli, 1978).
ESPAÑOL, Joaquim: Forma y consistencia, Barcelona: Fundación Caja de Arquitectos, 2007.
ESPUELAS CID, Fernando: Madre Materia, Madrid: Lampreave, 2009.
HEIDEGGER, Martin: Construir, habitar, pensar, 1951, Barcelona: Departament de projectes arquitectònics, Escola técnica superior d’arquitectura de Barcelona- UPC, 1995.
MONTANER, Josep Maria: Las formas del siglo XX, Barcelona: Editorial Gustavo Gili, 2002.
MONTANER, Josep Maria: Sistemas arquitectónicos contemporáneos, Barcelona: Editorial Gustavo Gili, 2008.
QUARONI, Ludovico: Progettare un edificio. Otto lezionidi architettura. Milano, Gabriele Mazzotta Editore, 1977. (Versión Castellana: Proyectar un edificio. Ocho lecciones de arquitectura. Madrid, Xarait Ediciones, 1980, 1987).