Lecture Programme: TOA - Level Four 2011

1.       Introduction

Introduction to architectural theory, language and thought.

Fundamentals of Architectural Design

2.       The Placing of Architecture:

Site

Orientation

Climate

Materials

Places and spaces

Understanding the city

Understanding the landscape

Perception, memory and understanding

3.       The Architectural Design Project

The Project

The Brief

The Concept

The Analysis

The Design Process

The Details Development

The Finished Building

The ‘system’ of design

4.       The Critique

The critique of the Design Project

The critique of the Design Process

The critique of the Crit

5.       The Phenomenon of Architecture

Types of theories in architectural thought

Explanatory theories

Basic concepts

Generalisations

Schemes of classifications

6.       The Language of Architecture

The Art of Architecture and embodied four kinds of persons - Architectus Ingenito, Architectus Sumptuarius, Architectus Manuarius and Architectus Verborum

The place of language within complex social practices

7.       The Architecture ‘System’

The Architecture ‘system’ and its parts

The Fashion System vs. the Architecture System

The complexity of the Architecture System

The Image and the Commentary

The Image: The Photograph and the Drawing

8.       The Language of Modern Architecture

The Elements of modern architectural language and their meaning

The limits of language

The place of language within social practice

9.       Language and Drawing

The Drawing and the Critique of the architectural drawing

Architecture without drawing

10.   Contemporary Architectural Thought

Contemporary theorists and their theories

11.   Early traditions and theoreticians

Traditional theories and contemporary theories compared

12.   Student Presentations and Discussion

Revision

Some References:

The psychology of space – David Canter

A pattern Language – Christopher Alexander

Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture – Robert Venturi & Dennis Scott Brown

The Image of the city – Kevin Lynch

Learning from Las Vegas - Robert Venturi, Dennis Scott Brown & Steven Zenour

The Timeless Way of Building – Christopher Alexander

Postmodernism: The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism – Fredric Jameson

The Manhattan Transcripts – Bernard Tschumi

Delirious New York – Rem Koolhaas

The End of the Classical: the end of the end , the end of the beginging – Peter Eisenmann

open source software for designers and architects

We have established a new Blog dedicated to propagate the use of open source or free software packages for designers, architects and students. The ultimate aim is to migrate from expensive CAD and other design packages to free or reasonably priced software packages. The blog will attempt to introduce useful software packages / links to anyone who is interested, Also, the blog would act as a forum to discuss ideas and issues related to the software that we will be talking about and may be even as the platform to introduce new open source / free packages.

Trust you will try out some of these packages and will provide valuable feedback.

We are open for ideas and suggestions.

Guest Lecture 21.06.2011 - 9.30 am

Dear Students,

Please note that there is a special guest lecture organised for you on Research and Dissertation by Dr Kapila De Silva on Tuesday 21st June from 9.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m at the Auditorium.

 

Please bring a 1 page document with the following

 

1. Title

2. Why are you doing this study? - The Research Need or Issue

3. What are you going to do? The research question/ problem or task that you plan to handle in your study

4. How are you going to do the research? a tentative method of how you may conduct the study

5. What is the benefit of the study - the contribution of the study.

 

Kind Regards

Dr Shaleeni Coorey

Socially Pop...

Che: the ultimate icon of socialist revolution goes Pop Art, gets Andy Warhol makeover to become the ultimate symbol of capitalist open market sales icon.

Even Otara of Odel fame is now making money out of Che.

Why can't the Fourth Year Archi students?

Design : Priceless
Cost of Printed Bandana: 90 Rupees
Conclusion: Bargain with sadness

Environment Science Workshop 08 June 2011

This one day Workshop is for those who are taking Archt. Narien Perera's module. The workshop will be done by Prof. Rohinton Emmanuel - Former Lecturer and a pioneer in the field.

Date: 08.06.2011
Venue: Level 5 Studio

Your regular level 4 lectures for the day will be rescheduled for a later date. Please contact your Batch Rep for further details.

Reform of the Higher Education System...

What're your responses to the following?

1.       How to make universities world class universities given a period of time?

2.       How to improve total quality of the university?

3.       How to assure employability of students?

4.       How to improve access to Higher Education to a larger number of students?

5.       How to ensure a proper balance in Teaching, Research and Social Service keeping in accordance with the modern international standards?

6.       How to provide more options to students to select the subject which are interdisciplinary in character?

7.       How to utilize existing resources optimally?

8.       How can the private sector contribute to Higher Education?   

The above based on issues raised by the UGC recently asking for recommendations regarding the higher education system reforms.

Those absentees...!

From a recent conversation,
Question:  "there are about ten students who are constantly absent from certain lectures. what's the strategy that's employed to mitigate this..."
Response: "No strategy, No plan. We can send a warning letter about a student not being allowed to sit for the exam if he does not meet the 80% attendance criteria..."
Which begs the question, hopefully will be answered by the students themselves;

1. What should you do with the students who are constantly missing lectures?
2. Should anything be done at all to get these students to attend lecture?
3. As adults, should they not be allowed o decide for themselves whether they want to be part of a particular lecture or not?

What do you think?

Your Identity is important...

It is important to identify the students accurately at all levels in all academic matters such as Crits, Exams, Presentations etc,. Therefore, you are reminded to CLEARLY WRITE DOWN YOUR NAME (as given in the Attendance Register) AND ADMISSION NUMBER when required to do so. Please take this matter seriously as not doing so is causing numerous problems.

Construction Management Lecture Series

Construction Management Lecture series will commence on 30.04.2011 for those who are taking the elective. The lecture will be from 10.30am - 12.30pm. Please confirm the venue with your batch reps.

10.03.2011 - EXAM OVER...! What next...?

Now that your exams are done for this semester, what do you plan to do next?
It is a bit sad that you have to begin the Second Semester works on the 11th of March (Damn, No 'Break'!). Trust you will be able to make the most of your New Year break.

Any thoughts about your 'First Semester'?

Any suggestions about the 'Second'?

Hopefully you will get in to your 'Thesis Mood' soon while engaging positively with the next Design Project.

SCGP - Final Crit 15.02.2011

SCGP - Final Crit is scheduled for 15.02.2011.


Minimum submission criteria:

• Layout Drawings
• All Floor Plans including Roof Plan (scale 1:400/200/100)
• Cross Section and Longitudinal Section (scale 1:200/100)
• Detailed Section (scale 1:50)
• Elevations (scale 1:200/100)
• 3D imagery
• Final Model(s)

All Drawings should be completed and to a high level of presentation standard.

All Drawings and Models should be submitted and Rubber Stamped by 9.00 am on the day of the crit.

Late submissions will not be entertained.

Note: 
It is regrettable that, at Fourth Year Level the tutors have to provide a list of minimum submission criteria as above. By this time, all students should be able to decide for themselves what are essential materials to convey their Design to a Cirt panel. Hopefully this condition may improve in future.

Teaching Design : Design Teaching

Design and Teaching Design
Interesting Read: http://www.igs.net/~mascott/design/design.htm

TOA Revision: Suggested Reading

now that it has been said, can we agree to disagree?

Here are Some More Suggested Readings for Revision and Awareness:

• Paul Rudolph: The Six Determinants of Architectural Form
• Christopher Alexander: Notes on the Synthesis of From
• Philip Johnson: The Seven Crutches of Modern Architecture
• Charles Jencks: 13 Propositions of Post-Modern Architecture
• Mark Wigley: Deconstructivist Architecture
• Peter Eisenman: The End of the Classical; End of the End, the End of the Beginning
• Zaha Hadid: Randomness vs Arbitrariness
• Bernard Tschumi: The Manhattan Transcripts
• Daniel Libeskind: End Space

TOA Revision Lectures - Notice 30.01.2011

Please note the following:


Three (3) lecture sessions should give us sufficient time to 'Revise' the subject area. Therefore, we will have the scheduled lecture on Wednesday afternoon (1). Is it possible to hold a session on Thursday morning at 8.00am (2) and another on Saturday afternoon (3)....?


Here are some past / model questions for your discussion:

Critically discuss the ‘intuitive design process vs. Intellectual design process’ in relation to architectural design.

“Architecture is a ‘Problem Solving Process’...”
Critically discuss the above statement.

“Architecture is heavily influenced by the zeitgeist (the spirit of the age)...”
In the above statement ‘zeitgeist’ refers to social and cultural phenomena.
Discuss the above statement in relation to late Twentieth (20th) and early Twenty-first (21st) century architectural examples. (You may select a few examples either Sri Lankan or international or both)

Discuss;
‘Design Generators’ in Architectural design
‘Spatial Progression’ with reference to architecture of Geoffrey Bawa
‘Architecture as Art’
Manual Drawing vs. Computer Aided Drawing
The Design ‘Crit’ as a method of evaluating architectural design in architectural education
Modernism vs. Post Modernism in architecture
Robert Venturi: Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture
Joseph Rykwert: Ornament is no Crime
Sim Van Der Ryn and Sterling Bunnell: Integral Design
Philip Johnson: Te Seven Crutches of Modern Architecture
Team Zoo/ Atelier Zo: Principles of Design
Rem Koolhaas: Bigness – or the Problem of Large

Your Architectural Education... Please Comment

What would you like to say?

1. Are you Learning to your satisfaction?
2. Are you being Taught to your satisfaction?
3. Are you being Assessed to your satisfaction? 
4. Are you Happy with mere 'satisfaction' ?
5. Are you Getting what you deserve?

If you answer 'Yes', then say how it can be improved.
If you answer 'No', then suggest how it can be changed.

 

These questions are repeated from a previous post, as they are important. Please comment. Thank You for those who already commented for the previous post. Your comments are of great value and it is appreciated. We will have a discussion on the contents in the future.

 

Thank you!

Visit to Kudagama - 28.01.2011

A visit has been arranged to Kudagama, Thambuththegama, to witness the Ahikuntaka Communitys' 'Wariga-Sabha'.

The bus will leave university at 12 noon on 28th January 2011.

All Level Four students are welcome.

TOA - Lecture 21.01.2011 - Post-script

Thank you for your participation and the keen interest shown in todays’ TOA workshop. From your comments and the general atmosphere in the studio, it was evident that most of you enjoyed the task.

As a follow up, you are requested to give ideas on how we can Evaluate the work carried out today. We will have a studio discussion next week to formulate assesment criteria based on yout ideas.

Please comment here, if you have any ideas, suggestions or even criticisms.

TOA LECTURE on 21.01.2011 from 1.30pm - 4.30pm

A Theory of Architecture Lecture will be held on 21.01.2011 from 1.30pm - 4.30pm.

All Students are expected to attend.

Please bring the following items;

1. A Metric Scale showing 1:100
2. Pencil
3. Butter sheets - A4 Size (min 4 sheets per student)

Please contact your Batch Rep for Venue.

SPECIAL LECTURE 21.01.2011 - HOW TO REVIEW LITERATURE

A Special Lecture on 'How to Review Literature' will be held on 21.01.2011 at 9.00am for the Level 4 students.

Please contact your Batch Rep for the venue.

TOA - Extra Lecture 21.01.2011 Friday 1.30 pm

Since we have lost two TOA lectures due to Poya holidays falling on Wednesdays, I like to schedule a lecture on this Friday.

Please bring four A4 size (or two A3 size) buttersheets, a pencil and a scale when you attend ths lecture.

We will discuss details on Thursday the 21st regarding the above.

Those students who did not ptesent their works for the Interim Crit today (18th) are urged to do so on the 21st without fail.

To be fair by those who did submit their works and faced a crit today, there will be a penalty imposed on those who didn't.

Your Architectural Education...

1. Are you Learning to your satisfaction?
2. Are you being Taught to your satisfaction?
3. Are you being Assessed to your satisfaction? 
4. Are you Happy with mere 'satisfaction' ?
5. Are you Getting what you deserve?

If you answer 'Yes', then say how it can be improved.
If you answer 'No', then suggest how it can be changed.

CRIT 18.01.2011 - Submission Criteria

As discussed in the Studio today (13.012011) the minimum submission criteria as follows:

1.  Layout - Key layout showing exact location off scheme in context.
2. Schematic Plans (Scale 1:400 / 1:200)
3. Sections & Elevations (Scale 1:200 / 1:100 / 1:50)
4. 3D Imagery 
5. Working Model(s)

11.01.2011 CRIT - Postponed

Notice to all Level 4 students:
Please note that the design crit that was scheduled for 11th January 2011 has been postponed to the 18th January 2011 on students' request.
However, all students are required to be present in Level Four Studio, at 9.30am on 11th January 2011 for a briefing by the Year-masters.

PB

Design - the jargon

TIME SPACE MOVEMENT TECHNOLOGY SITE PROGRAMME PRECEDENT BRIEF COLLAGE PRACTICE OCCUPATION GENERATIVE ALGORITHM RANDOM SCRIPTING GENDER VISION MATERIAL COMPOSITION POLITICAL SEXUAL PLAN STRUCTURAL BUILDING RHIZOME OBJECT TEXTURE LIGHT UNCANNY PLACE DESIRE PERSPECTIVE EXPERIENTIAL VIRTUAL NANO CONVERSATION CONSUMPTION ECONOMIC POWER KNOWLEDGE MONTAGE AUTHENTICITY SECTION AESTHETIC PHENOMENOLOGICAL ACTUAL HEURISTIC SOUND GEOMETRY ZOOM TRANSLATION SEX DETAIL SURFACE POINT SOLID MODEL METHOD DISTANCE CITY BOUNDARY SHAPE ELEMENT CHANGE EDUCATION DREAM AVATAR PORN MORPH TRANSGRESSION SIMULACRA HOPE SEMANTICS TECHNIQUE BIFURCATION ALIENATION MAPPING SYNTAX METHODOLOGY IMMERSION RHYTHM ANALYSIS IMMANENCE EPISTEMOLOGY VOYEURISM TRANSPARENCY TECTONICS REFLECTIVE ACCOMMODATION SURVEY SCHEDULE PROJECTION TERRITORY FICTION TRANSLATION QUANTUM PROJECTION AURAL DURATION DECONSTRUCTION LIMIT URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL ECOLOGICAL SEMANTIC DIACHRONIC EXISTENTIAL LIQUID UNITARY IDEOLOGY FOLD SOLID FINITE ARCHITECTURAL INQUIRY ORIENTATION MODES DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION THEMES STRATEGIES FORMAL NARRATIVE RADOM REFINE TEST COMBINE IDEA PROCESS CONTEXT ISSUES PROBLEMS PLANNING SKILLS TIME EQUIPMENT BUDGET RELATIONSHIPS PRACTICE CONTENTS SITE CLIMATE PLACE LANDSCAPE HISTORY INFLUENCE MODERN MEMORY CONSTRUCTION INVENTION SUSTAINABILITY STRUCTURE SCALE IMAGE LAYERS PRINCIPLES ZEITGEIST FUNCTION TIMELINE PROJECT CONTRIBUTORS ANCIENT CLASSICAL MEDIEVAL RENAISSANCE BAROQUE ENLIGHTENMENT PREFABRICATION POST-PRODUCTION EDIT AUDIT CONTEMPORARY REALISATION REINVENTION PRIORI MEANING ENGINEERING ART ORNAMENT FACADE SIGN SYMBOL CULTURAL LOGIC TRADITION CONTROL SURVEILLANCE FOLLY UTOPIA EXPOSURE INDEX DESIGN MAKING LEARNING BEAUTY TRUTH FEAR 

Theory of Design Assignment - 1

Write a short review for the movie 'Play Time' by Jaques Tati.

Please submit your reviews by 9.00am on 7 January 2011 to: archifour2010@yahoo.com