Leeds Beckett University BA(Hons) Architecture
2017–2018
TIMETABLE Briefing: Friday, November 17, 4:00pm Research: Tuesday, November 21, 10am Mapping workshop: Tuesday, November 21, 10:30am Collage workshop: Tuesday, November 28, 10am Model making workshop: Friday, December 1, 10am Crit: Tuesday, December 5, 10am Final Crit: Tuesday, December 12, 10am
AD1.1 Temporary Narratives
P2 Break Space
TUTORS Mohamad Hafeda Anna Pepe Ann Stewart
EXCRESCENT UTOPIA, Milo Ayden De Luca 2013
PROJECT AIMS
LEARNING OUTCOME
The project aims to introduce you to the study of an urban context. It asks you to think critically of current practices of public space, and to suggest alternatives that challenge political, economic and social hierarchies that govern public space. You will explore small-scale hypothetical proposals for public interventions through conducing a design research process and working in a range of media and representations to explore context, inhabitation, material and form.
– Developing a design approach responsive to contextual information. – Demonstrating an understanding of the relationship between activity and space. – Exploring hypothetical design proposals as a means to challenge the ambitions of a design project in terms of scale and what is possible to imagine and achieve. – Working with scaled models as thinking and propositional tools. – Exploring narrative drawing as a way to unfold spatial qualities, specificities and possibilities.
BRIEF Propose a Break Space in the site of your P1 public action in Leeds City Centre by appropriating the use of an existing urban architectural element. The element could be a handrail, window, balcony, gate, entrance, step, bench, ledge, fence, edge, stairs, bollard, traffic light, billboard, signage, bus stop, window shop, corner, part of a building façade, threshold between inside and outside, etc. Build your proposal on the findings of P1 Public Action. The design proposal could be a formalisation of the action you proposed by turning it into a public programme. The project suggests a certain interruption in public space and activities for another use. What is it that you want to disrupt/interrupt in everyday life activities, and what is it that you want to insert? What is the alternative use of current public spaces that you want to propose? You need to define: a) What is the purpose of the break space? b) Who is it for? (user), c) And what is the user of the space taking a break from? (programme) Is it a break space for traders to socialize or to have a cup of tea? Is it for a homeless person to have a private moment? Is it a warm space to break from the weather? Is it a place of communal support, a communication space or just a place to meet? Is it a silent space for passersby or shoppers to retreat to? Is it a meeting space for lovers? Is it for an old person to read the paper? Is it for teenagers to occupy and have somewhere to go? Or is it for a couple to converse? What does the temporary occupation of space in the public realm offer? What happens to the break space once it is not used for the purpose it is built for? How does your design, form and material, respond to the particularity of the break activity it offers and the person using it? You do need to have very specific criteria and programme for your design and to relate your ideas through clear social and spatial issues that comment on the mode of practices and conduct in public spaces today. It is important that you spend time at your site to observe and record the site’s spatial conditions and patterns of use, including users’ age, gender, spatial practices, and any other observation. You need to decide on the urban architectural element you want to work on, your client and the type of break space you want to propose. The design you are proposing should be dynamic; responding to when the space is in use and when it is not. It should cater for at least one person and maximum three. It can be temporarily used for no longer than 30 minutes. It should be no bigger than four metres square, and it should not be fully enclosed like a box or a room. STAGES Stage 1: Research – 0.5 Week Observe and map the site’s pattern of use and spatial conditions over a period of time. You need to spend a full day recording the site at different times - morning, noon, afternoon and evening. Your observation should focus on the users spatial practices. Limit your mapping within an area of no more than 100m2 (10mx10m). For the mapping:
1.1 Draw a plan of the site including the architectural element at a scale of 1:50 or 1:20. Transform the information you gathered from the site over the period of one day in the form of notes, sketches, photographs and the photographic collage into a mapping drawing. The mapping includes the site users, their practices and movement and the changes that take place over time, in addition to any other observation/finding that you think is important such as material, textures, traces and the weather conditions. Include a map legend/key. Title your mapping. Locate your site on a map of the larger urban context it belongs to at a scale of 1:1000/2000 (not bigger than 20cm frame). You need to hand draw all the drawings. Employ different line types and drawing techniques to differentiate between the information and to communicate your research findings. Your drawings will act as a timeline of the site over a oneday period. Tuesday, November 21: Research and present on A3 a couple of the projects from the To Research list. Stage 2: Propose – 2 Weeks Develop your design proposal through drawings, material exploration and model making. You need to initiate an explorative and experimental design process. 2.1 Construct a propositional collage using a B&W copy of the site photographic collage as a background or a site photograph. Use cut outs of images of an everyday object, that you choose in relation to the site research, at different scales in addition to images of the architectural element at the site. Use elements from the public action. Employ changing of scale, multiplying, eliminating and adding elements to construct your collage. The collage aims to start the proposal of the Break Space by speculating on imaginative scenarios and forms that emerge from the mix between the existing space and the additional elements. Look at your mapping drawings to extract spatial and social elements and integrate in the collage. 2.2 Use model making to develop your design proposal. The model should include the architectural element you are intervening on and important elements of the space around it (wall, corner, etc.). Refer to the site research and mapping drawings as part of the design process to reach design conclusions. The model is at scale of 1:20. Stage 3: Narrate – 1 Week 3.1 Explore your design proposal in a section, axo or perspective narrative drawing showing the inhabitation (use) of the Break Space in its urban context. The drawing should unfold the stages/sequence of the Break Space use over time, its specificities and spatial qualities using a range of drawing methods and techniques. You need to draw a plan and elevations of the proposal showing the urban context. Note: you need to work on your drawings and layout without using computer programmes.
SUBMISSION
READINGS
Minimum output
Certeau, Michel de. The Practice of Everyday Life. Translated by Steven Rendell. Berkeley, Calif. ; London: University of California Press, 1988. Particularly the ‘Introduction’ and ‘Chapter III: Making Do’.
-Research of precedent projects. -Site mapping. -Propositional collage on A2. -Documentation of design process including models and sketches. -Finished scale drawings of your Break Space proposal including: Plans, Elevations, Sections. Scale 1:50/1:20. -Final models at scale 1:20. -Narrative drawing; section, axo or perspective collage on A2. TO RESEARCH Projects List Milo Ayden de Luca; miloaydendeluca.com. Particularly: Excrescent Utopia. Pascal Bronner; pascalbronner.com. Particularly: New Opera House, Malta - The Symphonic Cannon. Allan Wexler; allanwexlerstudio.com. Particularly: Two Too Large Tables, Pratt Desk, 54 Studies for Chair Transformations, Chairs 1998, Sukkah 1988, Crate House 1990. Michael Rakowitz; michaelrakowitz.com. Particularly: Parasite. Public works; publicworksgroup.net. Particularly: Mobile Porch. MUF; muf.co.uk. Particularly: Dace Road 2011, Feral Arcadia. Assemble; assemblestudio.co.uk. Particularly: Folly for a Flyover, The Cineroleum, Blackhorse Workshop. Febrik; febrik.org. Particularly: Play Pockets. Diller Scofidio; dsrny.com. Particularly: High Line Phase I, II, III, Dancing Trees. Atelier Bow-Wow; bow-wow.jp. Particularly: Furnicycle, Monkey Way, BMW Guggenheim Lab, Linz Super Branch. Sou Fujimoto; Serpentine Gallery Pavillion, Austria Bus Stop, Many Small Cubes (in Paris). Architecture is Everything, installation at the Chicago Biennial. dezeen.com/2015/10/23/sou-fujimoto-architecture-is-everywhere-installation-chicago-biennial-2015-household-items/ The Decorators; the-decorators.net. Ridley Road Market, Chrisp Street on Air. Aberrant Architecture; aberrantarchitecture.com. Roaming Market, Travelling Theatre. http://www.dezeen. com/2012/05/31/tiny-travelling-theatre-by-aberrant-architecture-2/ Studio Weave; studioweave.com. Paleys upon Piler.
MAP OF LEEDS CITY CENTRE
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Mohamad
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