This studio forms the capstone project for the Bachelor of Science (Honours) in the Architecture programme, emphasizing the thematic studio wherein it encourages students to fully explore design by looking into multiple layers of exploration, on a programmatic, design and technical aspects. This design studio aims to formulate architectural interventions within the parameters set by the given project.
Progressing from the previous studio where it focused on urban streets, this semester, aims to empower the urban context through a comprehensive study of its people, place, and time. Hence, develop an architectural intervention that embodies sensitivity in the meditation between architecture and socio-cultural needs, the designs of internal spaces, and the demands of the external constraints. Moreover, each studio is set to a more ‘structured exploration’ having a specific theme and direction. The thematic studio is established based on the tutor’s expertise to guide students specifically to focus on their design interests and potential. Subsequently, students are to produce well-resolved and explored designs supported with a final design report. The project is to show evidence of appropriate design flair and technical competence.
DESIGN STUDIO.
6
LECTURER & TUTOR: Ar. Prince Favis Isip
Ms. Teh Beng Siang
project .1A
Pre-Design Studies & Analysis
In this phase, students, in a group are required to conduct preliminary studies to understand valuable components prior to designing. The study will enable students to gain familiarity with the people, place, and time. A comprehensive investigation and studies leading to understanding the users/beneficiaries, history, and current condition and development on site. Furthermore, the analysis and studies must include the site/urban studies, interpretation of the project brief, programme specifics, and initial design responses. With the tutor’s guidance and the studio emphasis, students in a group are expected to conduct studies on relevant projects and buildings as a reference in generating a more specific project intentions and design position. Application of the learnings from relevant readers, such as ‘Life between buildings using public space, Legibility Analysis extracted from Responsive Environments, ‘Cities for People’, How to Study Public Life, New City Spaces, etc. are very critical to understand the site and context in a more in-depth manner. Data and observations are to be properly documented in the form of photos, sketches, videos, survey result tabulations, graphs, and site modelling. An interview or survey is a useful tool to understand the viewpoints of the potential beneficiaries of the project and the main user of the proposed design project.
Presentation Slide
Presentation Boards
project .1B
Design Strategies and Exploration
In this stage and upon clearly understanding the 3p’s people, place and project, students will take the project to the next level. Under the tutor’s guidance and studio direction, students are to progress by exploring the project proposal presented by the group in Project 1a, individually. Each student is to explore design ideas within the proposal into multiple angles and possibilities, looking carefully into the functionality, effectivity, spatial quality, and form composition. The design exploration is to represent the designer’s inquisitive nature and attitude through a series of schemes to analyze, test and challenge the ideas. A full exploration of the design is to be presented and represented in a series of sketches, study models, diagrams, conceptual/schematic 2D Drawings (floor plans, sections, and elevations) and conceptual 3D drawings (axonometric, perspective, and modelling).
At the end of this stage, students are to present both the full exploration and final scheme in a 10 to 15-minute multimedia presentation. During exploration, students are advised to look into the suggested readers and relevant buildings to gain a better grasp and understanding of the project on a programmatic and design level. Likewise, on structural concepts, and materiality.
The process of design starts with exploration but ends with refinement. The best designers carefully move from one idea to the other, making sure they spend enough time exploring before locking themselves into a final design. –Jared Spool
Presentation Slide
project .1C
Pre-final Design (Final Interim)
Upon accomplishing project 1b, the student will proceed to finalize the scheme. Another 3-4 weeks are allotted for this stage. Each is to look and develop the scheme into a more resolved design before the final interim checking or the Pre-final design review. In this phase, students are aided with a series of workshops focusing on improving their understanding of the Environmental and Technological strategies, structural concept, and overall building design and fire safety compliance. The students are expected to incorporate the workshop learnings into their design presentations. The drawings and design are to be reviewed by external or internal guests.
Presentation Boards
project .1C
Final Design Presentation & Report
Subsequent to Project 1b Schematic Design phase, students are required to further develop and finalize the scheme for the Urban Room project. A fully resolved and develop design scheme with the incorporation of environmental strategies and technological strategies and technical resolution. In this phase, students will be aided with additional inputs from a series of lectures focusing on poetics, tectonics, sustainability, building safety compliance, façade, and aesthetic and presentation techniques. Furthermore, workshops on Environmental & Technology (E&T) and Structural Concepts (SC) are included to further enhance the passive cooling strategies and the effect of structure and materiality enhance the user experiential qualities of a building besides its aesthetic and structural purposes. As a final year student, the level of work expected should demonstrate critical thinking skills, structural sense sensitivity to key issues of the environment, compliance with law & regulations, explorative and workability. The students are expected to come up with a comprehensive and clear final design presentation and report aligning with the objectives and requirements of the project.