COLLISIONS, COLLAGES, & COINCIDENCES
In the development of an architectural work, the program often dictates the scope of design considerations. Be it a residence, a museum, or an office, use-function is regularly given as a starting point from which the design of a space follows. However, this approach can stymie the design process by constraining architectural decisions down to conventionalized and preconceived norms, resulting in a process that no longer provokes and challenges our discipline, but instead reinforces existing habits. Within this approach, metrics such as efficiency, optimization, and excessive contextualism inevitably become the principal concerns of design, impeding the possibility of disciplinary discourse. In response to the optimization of buildings rather than of architecture, the current brief looks to the possibilities of using assemblages to explore moments that look for potentials when form itself is considered the principal architectural motive.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Students will be taught to design by prioritizing the interaction of formal elements, and to consider programmatic aspects only as an ancillary consideration. The intention is not to neglect key elements of the products of architecture, but instead, to reinforce the critical importance of extra-programmatic elements inherent in our discipline. The curriculum is structured to incorporate various architectural dimensions, from the purely conceptual, to the diagrammatic, and the representational. A principal aim is for students to become comfortable with formal propositions that may not immediately find simple application within the context of a building, but hopefully instead, problematize the idea of building itself. Design development will persist in the abstract over the pragmatic, and success will be identified in the unfamiliar and the defamiliar rather than in the comfort of the conventional. The semester is structured such that there is no implication that one stage of architectural design naturally evolves from its precedent stage, but that the architect must be cognizant and incorporate a number of considerations simultaneously throughout the design process.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students will gain a basic understanding of a broad range of projects, yet should be able to engage more deeply with a select few that resonate with their own interests and intellectual directions. They will be cognizant of the numerous movements, styles, and individual works that define the complex manifold of architecture developed over the past century. They will be encouraged to ‘read ‘theory and history by adapting past ideas towards their current world views, as applied to their own environmental experiences. It is the ambition of the course that each student will encounter a work that will serve as a catalyst for their own design thinking.
DAILY INSTRUCTION
The majority of classes will consist of full-day (3-hour) work sessions. Given the online nature of the course for Fall 2020, it is expected that all students be present in Zoom from the start to the end of class time. Absences and failure to be present throughout class time will adversely affect a student’s grade, unless otherwise permitted beforehand.
Academic Integrity
If a portion of your work (e.g., in a blog) is not your own, you must cite the source completely. Images are also copyrighted. Even when you utilize “copy-free” work from Wikimedia Commons, there are rules for how the author is to be credited. From the Library Tutorials for Research Success: (http://library.lehigh.edu/teaching_support/information_literacy_teaching_research_skills/tutorials_research_success): “You need to steer clear of any form of plagiarism to be an ethical and information literate student, one confident in his/her ability to research a topic from different sources and to effectively synthesize that information with a clear understanding of when to quote, when to cite and how to paraphrase. Please read the guides provided here for help on being that kind of student, able to complete a research assignment with confidence and with the knowledge that your course assignment is your own work.”
tldr: don’t copy without crediting your source
Academic Performance and Grading Criteria
- Participation – 30%
- Phase I: Case Studies – 15%
- Phase II: Readings – 15%
- Phase III: Moments of Assembly – 20%
- Phase IV: Assemblages – 20%
- Attendance to all sections is mandatory as this course is heavily dependent on group interaction and student-teacher discussion, therefore any unexcused absence will reduce your overall grade by 5% for each section. Upon a student’s third unexcused absence, a Section 3 report will be filed with the University.
- If you cannot make it to class due to extenuating circumstances, please discuss issues with me before or after class, and your absence will be partially or fully excused.
- Submission for each phase is mandatory for completion of this course. Failure to complete these assignments will result in an incomplete grade.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting accommodations, please contact both your instructor and the Office of Academic Support Services, Williams Hall, Suite 301 (610-758-4152) as early as possible in the semester. You must have documentation from the Academic Support Services office before accommodations can be granted.
Environment
Lehigh University endorses The Principles of Our Equitable Community [http://www.lehigh.edu/~inprv/initiatives/PrinciplesEquity_Sheet_v2_032212.pdf]. We expect each member of this class to acknowledge and practice these Principles. Respect for each other and for differing viewpoints is a vital component of the learning environment inside and outside the classroom.
Use of Technology
Students should have access to Rhinoceros 3D, as well as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. If students cannot access these software, they may be able to use the university’s computers remotely. Please contact the instructor for further instruction.
University Statement on Remote Learning
To meet the challenge of teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lehigh instructors and students will be adopting new forms of instruction and interaction; following new guidelines around classroom behaviors; enhancing communications; and doing our best to be patient, flexible, and accommodating with each other. In remote synchronous meetings, students are expected to attend just as they would any other Lehigh class. Zoom classes work best when all students come to class ready to participate and follow the instructor’s guidelines regarding use of web-cameras. You may be asked to turn your camera on during active learning sessions in Zoom. If you have a strong preference not to do so, please contact your instructor to let them know. Students should respect the in-classroom privacy of their instructors and fellow students by not taking screenshots or recording class sessions. Some instructors will record Zoom sessions; however, any recorded live sessions will be shared only with students in the class and will be deleted at the end of the semester.