arch303 201209 intro assignment

SchoolofArchitectureMcGillUniversity

DesignandConstruction1

ARCH303(2‐10‐6)Fall2012

Coursecoordinator:

NikLuka(Sections02/05)nik.luka@mcgill.caOffice:MDHAR418

MorganCarter(Sections07/08)morgan.carter@mcgill.ca

morgan.carter@post.harvard.edu

FranciscaInsulza(Sections03/06)francisca.insulza@mcgill.cafranciscainsulza@gmail.com

PierinaSaia(Sections01/04)pierina.saia@mcgill.ca

pierinasaia@realpaul‐architecte.com

INTRODUCTORYASSIGNMENT:documentingplace

IntheirseminalbookThePlaceofHouses(1974),authorsCharlesMoore,GeraldAllen,andDonlynLyndonproposedthat‘anyonewhocaresenoughcancreateahouseofgreatworth–noanointmentisrequired.Ifyoucareenoughyoujustdoit.Youbindthegoodsandtrappingsofyourlifetogetherwithyourdreamstomakeaplacethatisuniquelyyourown.Indoingsoyoubuildasemblanceoftheworldyouknow,addingittothecommunitythatsurroundsyou.’Theirworkdevelopsourexperiencewith19th‐centurypatternbooksandtheopportunitiestheycreatedtoempowerordinarypeopleinameaningfuldesigndialogue—‘notatalltominimizetheimportanceofexpertise,onlytodiscredititsmysteries.’Theauthorsdescribeinsimpleandeloquenttermshowfinehomesandliveableenvironmentsarecreated.

Yourfirstformalcourseexercisechallengesyoutotellusaboutyouandyourownspacesofhome.

Thetask

Describetheplacethatyoucallhome(whichisnotnecessarilywhereyounowreside).Workfrommemory,usinghand‐drawingtypesthatallowyoutoexpressdifferentideasabouttheplace.PresentyourworkonasingleA1(594x891mm)panelcombiningconventionalobjectivearchitecturaldrawings—plans,sections,elevations,isometrics—withmoresubjectivestrategies(perspectiveviews,partidiagrams,conceptualsketches,analogical/metaphoricaldrawings).

Yourdrawingsshouldaddresslargeandsmallsubjectsinyourattempttoexpressthespecialnatureandqualitiesofthespace.Playwithscale;zoominandout.Considerusingserialdrawings(seeexcerptsfromTownscapeandTheConciseTownscapebyGordonCullenpostedathttp://www.arch.mcgill.ca/prof/luka/urbandesignhousing/U2/):drawingsthatareconnectedthematicallywithconsecutiveimagessharinginformationsuchasapieceofcarpetorwallpaperpattern,ashadowonthewall,afragmentoffurniture,aglimpseofastair,abookonasidetable.Drawingslikethiscanbeconnectedasaseriesofoverlappingviewsfromasinglevantagepoint,ortheymightbeconnectedinrelationtoaparticularwayofknowingtheplace(e.g.,atemporalmovementthroughitsspaces,asenseoforientationinmoreabstractterms).

Imagineyourselfinacaféworkingonthebackofapaperplacematwhileyoutellafriendaboutanewflatthatyou’verented.Contextisvital:thecity,theneighbourhood,theurbanblock,thestreetscape,otherqualitiesofthelandscapeandmicroclimate(includingmoodsandatmospheres),culture,history,symbols,archetypes…whatelse?Howcanoneexpressideasaboutthesensoryqualitiesofspacebeyondthevisual(sound,smell,materiality)?Whatarethequalitiesandcharacteristicsthatmaketheplacesomemorable?

Objectives

1.Reflectiononthepowersofdrawinginconjunctionwiththenatureofexperience

2.Considerationofthemeaningsandprogrammeof‘home’

Requirements

Drawingsshouldbeexpressive,gestural,bold,andquickly‐executedratherthanlaboriously‐(over)worked.Communicateyourideasclearly,demonstratingcourageofconviction.Workininkorpencil,withorwithoutcolour,onasingleA1or24”x36”sheetofheavyweightmattepaper(e.g.,MayfairorBristolpaper),orientedverticallyorhorizontally.

Schedule

Friday7September14h30 Taskassigned

Monday10September14h‐18h Studioworksession

Wednesday12September14h‐18h Studiopinupwithdiscussion

Relatedreading

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architecture(pp.153‐169).NewYork:PrincetonArchitecturalPress.Cullen,G.(1961).Townscape.London:ArchitecturalPress.Cullen,G.(1971).Theconcisetownscape.London:TheArchitecturalPress.Després,C.(1991).Themeaningofhome:literaturereviewanddirectionsforfutureresearchandtheoreticaldevelopment.Journalof

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