This is a different kind of design studio courses. To begin with, the class is essentially
working on one large group design project.
Unlike a traditional studio course where each student has the freedom to
explore their own ideas (within the limits and context of the project), this
class is working toward the same goal, to design and build one structure by the
end of July. Another difference is that
the build portion of the studio is funded by the COD foundation through a
‘Resources for Excellence’ grant. This
puts a little bit more pressure on us as a class to have a ‘successful’ final
project, as the college is committing a significant resource towards this
activity. Finally, the structure we
build will have a visible presence far beyond a normal studio project. This gathering pavilion will likely live for
several years on campus (outlasting the students in the course who will have
transferred on) and as a result is both a reflection on our class as well as
representative of the Architecture program as a whole.
For all of these reasons, I tend to try to model the class
on a small architectural office. We have
essentially the same challenges as design firm working on a project, which is
to work collaboratively, creatively, as a team to produce a set of drawings and
documents that will ultimately result in a built object. (Unlike a firm, however, we are also
responsible to build this thing as well)
So as an instructor, I tend to be a little bit more hands
on, and involved in the day to day design work.
The challenge for me has been to find an appropriate balance between
demonstrating (teaching by doing) and letting the students drive the
process. Recently I have been attempting
to model expectations through producing work myself, without stifling their creativity, or
worse yet, giving them the impression that I am going to design the project for
them.
As an example, during the first critique I made this sketch
as a response to one of the student models.
Sketching during a crit is not uncommon for me. What is unusual, however, is after the
critique I got on a computer and developed the sketch into a scheme (See design
images below), just to see how it might work.
My hope was to model for the students how to take an idea from an
initial sketch, into something more developed.
As I have written about before, one of my ongoing challenges as a design
studio instructor is to get students to develop an idea into a sophisticated
scheme. Students often seem to get stuck
in the first idea, stuck in a diagram (with potential), yet have trouble developing
the work beyond a sketch. My hope is to
use my quick design study to show the class how I want them to take their first
ideas and push them into a developed structure that we can actually build.
I am not sure if this is working or not? The effectiveness of the experiment is yet to
be determined. I am concerned that
perhaps I overreached and that this was counterproductive, as the team
developing this scheme seemed to initially lose momentum after seeing my
renderings.
I will know more after seeing the developed design studies
this week. None the less, the class
is making progress this toward more buildable, and beautiful schemes. Albeit slower that I would like at times.
And I am attempting to manage the group as if it were a
small design office, not a traditional college class.
In the end, (I think) this will be a positive learning
experience for the students.
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