fall 2005
ARC 520M:
Design Five
Course Description
The studio will explore light and matter as the inspiration for the making of architecture. Through the act of CASTING—the projection of light and shadow or the pouring of material in a mold—we will explore how these basic elements can delineate space and inhabitation. In an extensive series of tests on paper and in plaster, the studio will examine the void and presence of both light and matter. It is an exploration of dialectics—mass/void, light/dark, inside/outside—that are seemingly direct but simultaneously provocative and profound—earth/sky, past/future, life/death.
structure
Design 5 is an intermediate-level design studio with an emphasis on theory and research. This studio challenges each student to develop a design thesis (search) and strategies for testing their ideas. While the studio will provide a framework for the research, it is not intended to limit or dictate the individual's direction or findings. Each student will generate a body of work resulting from a fifteen-week interrogation. The content of the work is spatial, experiential, temporal, material and structural. Design 5 is a studio and seminar component that supports the topic and theoretical content of the studio. Through an iterative process, Design 5 will open up the potential for architectural invention.
Seminar will be held every other Wednesday at the beginning of class. Readings will be assigned one week prior to discussion. In addition to being ready for discussion, each student should bring a question (printed on paper) to be posed to the group. The readings will include texts by architects, artists, poets, historians and theoreticians including Robin Evans, Rosalind Krauss, Peter Zumthor, Deleuze + Guattari, Richard Serra, Francis Ponge, Martin Heidegger, Lucretius and others.
The studio will operate as a workshop or lab providing a community for practicing and testing our inspirations. Rather than focusing on a 'eureka' moment or the idea to object transference, the emphasis will be placed on repeated tests that directly engage the subject—the casting of light and matter. Our understanding will come from making and/or drawing everyday.
wk 1-4
CASTING: light
shadow constructions
interior projections
wk 5-9
CASTING: matter
(face) mask
interface—a common boundary
wk 10-15
CASTING: light + matter
building
grading
Grading is broken into three components for each given mark: 1/3 pursuit (your ideas combined with an appropriate process of making), 1/3 product (the resolution of this process or conclusions) and 1/3 grasp (the understanding of the project at hand and its architectural implications). The notion of pursuit is the ability for you to add your own agendas and parameters to the project in addition to those required of the class as a whole. Your work will be evaluated on its rigor and evolution over the semester. Equal weight will be given to all assignments. Preliminary reviews will conclude each phase listed above and will be scheduled with consideration of your other courses. Final reviews (Dec 14-16, 2005) are scheduled by the UTSoA administration.
Attendance is mandatory. Participation is expected. Students with three unexcused absences may be dropped from the course without further notice. The minimum penalty for more than three unexcused absences is a full letter drop in your final grade for the course. Please contact me prior to class if you expect to be late or miss class.
A student who is absent from a class for the observance of a religious holy day may complete the work missed within a reasonable time after the absence, if proper notice has been given in advance of the days to be missed. A student who fails to complete missed work within the time allowed will be subject to the normal academic penalties.
disabilities
Please notify your instructor of any adaptation you may require to accommodate a specific physical need. You will be requested to provide documentation to the Dean of Students' Office, in order that the most appropriate accommodations can be determined. Specialized services are available on campus through the Services for Students with Disabilities, also found via the web at http://www.utexas.edu.
security, safety and the studio
The studio is an exceptional learning environment. Since it is a place for all, it necessitates the careful attention to the needs of the individual. Please see me if there are any problems (music, visual pollution, etc.) that you are unable to resolve on your own. All spraying of fixative, spray paint or any other substance should be done in the shop. Security is a necessary component for a studio that is accessible to you and your colleagues 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please keep all exterior doors locked after hours.