the Subject
The main aim of the studio is to encourage a holistic perception of architectural design and at the same time, express individual answers to the universal issue of residence. The objective is to design a residential building using a specific operational program, efficiency and arrangement of spaces so as to cater for specific functions in the proposed constructions.
All the developed residencies are placed and developed in a unique site of preference found in the demo level ‘Forest’ of CryENGINE 3 SDK (a video game design software open for project development and experimentation).
the Goal
This architectural course aspires a deeper understanding of the notion of ‘condition’ inherent in every act of spatial production.
The starting point is a process of analysis and mapping of each site of preference, as well as an elaboration of the landscape’s characteristics. Students are asked to regard the placement and scenario of their residence in terms of the surrounding space and the special attributes of the landscape. Afterwards, they proceed with the invention and development of their architectural project, taking into consideration the role of the ‘conditions’ of habitance – all the technical, natural or narrative conditions that define a way of living, a way of residence. The software used offers the possibility of representing a multiplicity of conditions, including weather elements, human interactivity, physics and other technical details involved in the process of architectural design.
In this way, a differentiated approach to architectural design is attempted, making use of contemporary technological tools and parallel to that, acquainting students with the multi-faceted and multi-conditional nature of an architectural narrative.