AA Diploma Unit17

LATENT TERRITORIES: SPACES FOR KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

Inthepastdecadetheexpansionofmaterialandimmaterialnetworksoftransportationandcommunicationhaveallowedustoselectivelyconnecttoanyoneandanythingthroughouttheworld,producingprofoundterritorialtransformationsaswellasradicalmutationsinknowledgeexchangeandofoccupancy.Despiteallofthesecountlessexchanges,acounter-effectoftheseseductivetechnologiesisthecontractionanddevaluationofthephysicalpublicrealmandthehomogenisationofcultureandthebuiltenvironment.Diploma17operateswithinthiscriticalconditionandcontinuesitsinvestigationsintothesocio-politicalroleofinfrastructuralandarchitecturalformindefiningnewmodesforcoexistenceinthecontemporarycity.

Inaworldofdecentralisedandmulti-nodalnetworkstheunitseekstounderstandandassignmeaningtothenotionofcentralitywithinthecity.Weareinterestedinthechangingnotionofpublicspaceandtheconditionsbywhicharchitecturalformistheembodimentoftherelationshipbetweenthecollectiveandtheindividual.Thereforeweprioritisetheperformativeandbehaviouralattributesofformfortheircapacitytomaterialiserelationalspacesandre-positionthebodyinsocietythroughactionandthetriggeringofsenses.

Thisyearwillbespent rethinking theorganisationandexperienceof spaces forknowledgeexchangecon-ceivedbeyondinstitutionalandprofessionalframeworks.Wewillsearchforarchitecturalformsofintegrationofmul-tipledesignobjectivesthroughexperimentationwithstrategiesofregroupingandpermeabilitybetweenactivities.Agreateremphasiswillbeputontheopportunitiesandenablingconstraintsofmaterialandtectonicsystems.

Asaunit,wewillengagewithtechnologynotasanendinitselfbutforit’spivotalroleinthewaywedesignandfabricatearchitecture.Goingbeyondthestatusquowewillusecontemporarydigitaldesignandmanufacturingtech-niquesininnovativewaysallowingustoescapethelimitationsofstandardisation.Diploma17encouragesindividualexplorationsandembracesdiversityofideasallowingstudentstodeveloptheirownvoiceinthefieldofarchitecture.

DIPLOMA 17 2014/2015Unitstaff:TheoSarantoglouLalisandDoraSweijd

Win Assakul (2013-14)

AA Diploma Unit17

PHASE 1 // PRECEDENTS STUDY: SPACES FOR KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGEWeek1-2

IMPORTANTDATESPresentationandgroupdiscussion:Wednesday8/10

Wewillstarttheyearwithagroupsurveyonaseriesofseminalprojectsthataddresstheissueofknowledgeexchangethrougheffectivesocializationmodelsatboththeurbanandarchitecturalscales.Throughtheseprecedents,wewillbefocusingonanalyzingorganizationalandexperientialattributesextractingdesigncriteria,spatialvaluesandmorebroadlyforminganunderstandingontheirroleinshapingcultureandsociety.Thiswillserveasageneralintro-ductiontotheyear’stopicwhiletriggeringadebatewithintheunitontheresilienceoftheseinstitutionalizedspatialmodelsintheageofinformationtechnologies.Wewillconcurrentlysurveynewpracticesofknowledgeexchangeastheyinfiltrateabroaderrangeofspaceswithinthecity.

OUTPUT:Casestudypowerpoint,MappingDiagrams,Drawings.

Centro cultural , Sao Paolo

Mat Building, Josic, Woods, Candilis.

SESC Pompeia, Sao Paolo.

AA Diploma Unit17

PHASE 2 // TECTONIC STRATEGYWeek3–10

IMPORTANTDATESPortfolioPresentationbyex-students:09/10Pin-up:22/10Pin-up:12/11FinalCrit:26/11

Nailu Chen, 2014. Win Assakul, 2014.

DuringtheFirstterm,wewillbecombiningintensedesignexperimentationtoinstigateafruitfuldebatewithintheunitandtriggerindividualresearchagendas.Wewillconcurrently introducestudentstothesubject interestoftheunitthroughseminarsandcollectivereadingsfollowedbygroupdiscussions.Thefirstseminarwillbeonageneralintroductionon‘spacesofknowledgeexchange’followedby‘thebodyandtheworkshop’,‘thecommon’and‘transferoftechnologies’providingtheoreticalandhistoricalsupportforthedevelopmentoftheprojectthesis.AnAnthologyofselectedreadings,willcomplementthereadinglist.Ourfirstpresentationswillbeorganizedinpublicspacesofinterestforthisyear’sunitagenda. Theaimofthiseightweekexplorationistosetoutthetectonicandmaterialsystemfortheprojectbutalsotosubstantiateyourthesiswithageometricalsetofarchitecturalelementsthroughthecreationofaconstructofanover-allmultilevelledspace.Throughintuitiveexperimentationandcontinuouscriticalassessment,wewillbedevelopingaseriesoftectonicstudiesandprototypesintheformofelaboratedigitallydesignedphysicalmodelsanddrawings.Thekeyemphasisofourexplorationswillbetheperformativeandbehaviouralaspectsofformanditsabilitytorepositionthebodyasacentralpreoccupationforthedesignofarchitecturalspaceaswellasenhancethecollective.Aboveall,wewillpursuegeometricalintegrationthatsynthesisesmultipledesignobjectivessuchasoccupancy,structure,circu-lation,theorganisationofperceptionandhumanengagement. Towardstheendofthisterm,studentsshouldhavewellundercontroltheconceptualargumentanddesigndriversfortheirproject.Wewillalsosetoutthetechnicalambitionsoftheprojectasinseparablefromthedevelop-mentofyourdesignthesis.Weaskboth4thyearsand5thyearstoidentifyandpursuetheirDesignthesisconcurrentlywithamaterialsystem.Towardstheendofthetermstudents.

AA Diploma Unit17

// DIGITAL DESIGN AND FABRICATION

IMPORTANTDATESWorkshopallday:Week5Workshop:27/10to30/10Pin-up:30/10

Inadditiontoweeklydigitaldesigntutorialsthatwillberunningallyear,wewillbeorganizingaseriesofin-tensefourdayworkshops.Duringthesesessions,wewill introducecontemporarydigitaldesigntechniques(Maya,rhino,Grasshopperandplugins)andfabricationtoolsthatwillenableyoutohavegreatereloquenceandprecisionindevelopingyourtectonicinvestigationsandurbanscaledeploymentstrategies.Throughaseriesofshortseminarswewillstudyarchitecturalprojectsproducedbycuttingedgedigitalmanufacturersfromtheautomotive,aerospaceandnavalindustriesaspartoftheunit’sinterestintransferoftechnologiesandlargescaledigitalmanufacturing.Thiswilltriggerabroaderconversationwithintheunitabouttheenablingroleoftechnologyanditspivotalroleinreshapingcollaborativedesignpracticesaswellastheirphysicaloutput.

// PORTFOLIO AND DOCUMENTATION BOOK

IMPORTANTDATESSubmission:26/11 Duringweek8youwillbeediting,packagingandre-organizingyourportfolio’scontentanddefiningaclearandconsistentgraphicandmaterialidentity.Thiswillincludewell-craftedportfoliopages,qualitymodelphotos,compositedrawingsandmodels.YouwillalsosumityourThesisAbstract.

// TECHNICAL STUDIES (TS5)

IMPORTANTDATESSubmissions:TS5subjectpresentation11/12InterimTSSubmission(week9Term2)FinalTSSubmission(week1Term3)

Asaunit,wewillengagewithtechnologynotasanendinitselfbutforitspivotalroleinthewaywecollabo-rate,designandfabricatearchitecture.Wewillaimtoinnovatewithcontemporarydigitaldesignandmanufacturingtechniquesallowingustoescapethelimitationsofstandardization.Thisyear’sTSwillemphasizetheroleofinnovativematerialtechnology,productionlogicsaswellasthelatestanalysisandsimulationtechniques(kangaroo,Galapagos…).Wewillencourageexperimentationinsearchofgreatereloquenceindesignandasfundamentalmeanstotest,proto-typeandimplementourideas.WedonotseeTS5asatechnicalrequirementseparatefromtheprojectthesis.OnthecontraryTSformsanintegralpartofthedesignportfolio.

Zach Flucker, Resourcefill, 2012

AA Diploma Unit17

PHASE 3 // PROJECT CONTEXTUALISATIONWeek10ofterm1toweek2ofterm2

IMPORTANTDATESEndofTerm1Jury:17/12Hand-in:12/01FinalJury:21/01

Duringthisphaseyouwillbedefiningyourindividualprojectbriefsandthesis,outliningkeyissuesandinter-rogationsthatyouwillbeexploringbydesignthroughouttheyear.Throughyourpreviousinvestigationsandformalexplorationsyouwillclearlyidentifyfundamentalobjectivesandconstraints.Youwillcollectandcurateallrelevantinformationregardingyourtopicincluding:

_Data(urbansociology,enablingtechnologyaffectingoccupancy)_Socialgroups_Programinventory,activitiesdistributionandrelatedinformation._Mappingofimportantaspectsforyourproject:Landuse,Infrastructure,Circulation&networks,massing,typolo-gies._Diagramsofcomparativestudies._Sitedrawings&mapsprintedtoscale_QualityPhotos

Youwillneedtoarriveatthebegginingofterm2withadefinedorganisationalproposalofchosenactivitieswithallnecessaryresearchanddocumentstosupportyourarchitecturalclaims.

OUTPUT:Printeddocumentationbook,YourThesisText,Yourorganisationalproposalofchosenactivitiesdeveloped

duringthebreak

// UNIT TRIPUnitTrip1//14thVeniceBiennale-ITALYWeek6ofterm1.2days-1night

UnitTrip2//FRANCEWeek5ofterm2

Jean Renaudie, Ivry sur Seine. Centre Pompidou, Rogers and Piano

AA Diploma Unit17

Aswedeveloptheconceptualdriversfortheprojectwewillcontinuetoworkconcurrentlyonthetectonicandurbanorganisationwhileemphasisingtheurbanstrategy.Thelastdecade’srapidexpansionofinformationtechnolo-giesandtransportationnetworkshasdilutedthedistinctionbetweenworking,livingandleisureaffectingthewaywedesignandexperienceboundariesinarchitecture.Whathasbecomemorecriticaltodayistheseamlessinterconnec-tionbetweenthoseactivitiesandhowtheyinterferewiththepublicdomain.Wewillrethinkandimaginetheorganisa-tionandexperienceofspacesforknowledgeexchangeconceivedbeyondinstitutionalandprofessionalframeworks.Oneofthekeyquestionsforarchitectstodayistodevelopnewbriefsandassignnewmeaningstophysicalspacethatacknowledgesthoseradicalchangesofoccupancy.

Theprojectswilladdressadenselypopulatedareafocusingonthedesignofamixeduseurbanunitthatinte-gratesmultipleactivitiesofliving,working,andlearning.Wewillbeshiftingourattentionfromtectonicstrategiestothecouplingofdifferentprograms.Akeyareaofinvestigationwillbetoaddresstheversatilenotionofpublicspaceandtheconditionsbywhicharchitecturalformcanaffecttherelationshipbetweenthecollectiveandtheindividual.BasedonSpinoza’sideaofpluralityofsingularities,wewillsearchwhatcreatestheconditionsforpeopletocreate‘acommon’thatwouldbebasedonthemultiplicityofaspirationsandactsofcollectiveintentions.

Wewillexplorethepossibilitiesofurbanstrategiesofincompleteplanning,challengenotionsofhierarchy,non-determinedfunctionalitiesandexperimentwithstrategiesofregroupingandpermeabilitybetweenthoseactivi-ties.Wewillemphasisethebehaviouralattributesofformanditsmaterialcapacitytore-positioningthebodyinsociety,toinvent“urbanrelationalspaces”seenforusastheinfrastructural“base”ofsociety.

PHASE 4 // URBAN STRATEGYWeek2Term2–Week1Term3

IMPORTANTDATESPin-up:05/02Endofterm2Jury:25/02FinalJury:29/04

Daniel Christiansen, 2014.

AA Diploma Unit17

PHASE 5 // FINAL TERMWeek1–6

IMPORTANTDATES

SuperCrit:20/05

Duringthefinalterm,wewillfocusontheproductionofkeyfinaldocumentsandelaboratephysicalmodels,criticallyaddressingtherelationbetweenthetools,theproductionprocessandtheexpression.Wewillproducegraphicpresentationsnotaspromotionalmeansbutasawaytocapturetheproject’sessenceinalimitedamountofdocuments.

Brian Cheng, Insertion of complex de alemao, Rio 2012.

Ilina Kroushovski, 2014.

EXHIBITION

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AA Diploma Unit17

Selected Bibliography:

PaulVirilio,ParentClaude,Architectureprincipe,Issues1-9.Editionsdel’imprimeur,1966.

GuyDebord,(1958)ContributiontoSituationistDefinitionofPlay,InternationaleSituationniste#1,1958.

RolandBarthes,CameraLucida:ReflectionsonPhotography,1981.

MichaelHardtandAntonioNegri,Commonwealth,2009

RichardSennett,TheFallofPublicMan,1977

KevinLynch,TheImageoftheCity,1960

LinaBoBardi:TheTheoryofArchitecturalPractice

RemKoolhaas,‘SMLXL’,TheGenericcity,1998

AldoVanEyck,DesigningForChildren,Playgrounds,2002

AldoVanEyck,TheShapeofRelativity,1998

JeanRenaudie/IreneeScalbert,GabrieleBasilico,London:ArchitecturalAssociation,April2004

CedricPrice,TheSquareBook,2003

FarshidMoussavi,Thefunctionofform,ActarD,2009.

Team10,1953–1981:InSearchofaUtopiaofthePresent,NaiPublishers,2005.

LefebvreHenri,Rhythmanalysis,Space,TimeandEverydaylife.1992

AugeMarc,Non-places:IntroductiontoananthropologyofsupermodernityVerso,London&NewYork,1995

BarthesRoland,Mythologies.Paladin,1973

TomásSaraceno,CloudCities,Distanz,2011.

ArchitecturesRadicales1950-2000,XYZ2003

Unit Staff

TheoSarantoglouLalisandDoraSweijdarethefoundingPrincipalsofLASSAARCHITECTS(LASSA-ARCHITECTS.COM),aninternationalarchitectureandurbanismstudiowithofficesinLondonandBrussels.LASSAiscurrentlyinvolvedwithcommissionsinChina,Egypt,Greece,KuwaitandKorea.TheoanddorahavebeenUnitMastersofDiploma17attheArchitectureAssociationsince2009focusingonspeculativecities.TheoSarantoglouLalisreceivedhismastersfromtheBartlettschoolofArchitectureinLondon.Hehastaughtpost-graduatestudiosatColumbiaUniversityandHarvardUniversity.PriortofoundingLASSA,heheldprojectdirectorposi-tionsatFutureSystemsandprojectdirectorAsymptote.DoraSweijdreceivedhermastersfromtheBartlettSchoolofArchitectureinLondon.ShepreviouslyworkedatanumberofpracticesinBrussels,LondonandNY.DoraandTheohavelecturedinternationally,leadworkshopsandtaughtundergraduatestudiosatLTUinSwedenandattheAA.