YEAR 1 SEMESTER 2

Picture credit: Ow Yeong Jun Jie Fundamental elements of the architectural project, such notions of programme, site, and user, are introduced at level 1 of the studio process, and expanded in nuance, complexity and scope at every subsequent level. These key elements are addressed across all design studios, even if they are not explicitly listed amongst the 18 themes.

Students are expected to develop an increasingly mature and sophisticated understanding of these fundamentals as they progress to higher levels. These fundamental elements should be seen as dynamic rather than static or given. Furthermore, as students cover the different studio themes, they should gain an understanding that throughout, a thorough examination of these elements, and their associated parameters, should be incorporated as part of the design process.

Ultimately, the 18 design themes are lenses through which to investigate architectural seeing, thinking and making.

While each of the six levels features its own discrete themes, these themes are by no means mutually exclusive. Students are therefore expected to produce design work that displays a wholistic and cumulative understanding of the breadth of knowledge, skills, and thinking from all the different studios they have participated in to date.

Architecture is made through physical forms. Form is therefore the architect’s language. The mastering of this language—whether writing it, reading it, or speaking it—constitutes the non-negotiable foundational skills of the architect. Students will be exposed to different tools, ranging from analogue ones to digital, 2D, 3D and 4D mediums, to aid them in developing and representing form.

The following pages describe in more detail the directions of the six design studios for the academic year 2020-21.