UJ UNIT 2 INTRODUCTION TO STUDIO AT DENVER
DESKTOP ANALYSIS, DOCUMENTATION & COMPILATION OF EXISTING DATA
The projects carried out in Quarter 1 have introduced the students to various sections of Johannesburg with the aim of developing a deeper understanding for context and the socio-spatial dynamics of a neighbourhood beyond the easily evident – to uncover the energy that makes up a place – with people and community at the core.
The assignments aimed to encouraged the students to consider the relationship between systems, infrastructure and people.
In Quarter 2, and through the set assignments, UNIT2 will pay particular attention to levels of the built environment as well as to detect the methods of negotiation that happen in a selected area of study – as well as how that negotiation is facilitated (or maybe in some places, hindered) by the spatial and structural qualities of the area. UNIT2 will therefore reflect on the concepts of levels and agency.
Quarter 2 will be see UJ UNIT2 engaging in collaborations with the FADA architecture STUDIO AT DENVER initiative, with an international visiting professor, but also strongly linking up with other design departments within FADA in a community engagement project.
At the end of Quarter 2, students will have deeper understanding of concepts and applications of Open Building through tools used in achieving Open Building (working with Tissue Models and designing Supports), they will also have become more competent in neighbourhood analysis (with an Open Building perspective), documentation, representation and urban design.
This initial assignment will help set the scene, and introduce the site for Assignment 5 which will be a “How to design Open Buildings”; a 2 week intensive, with Prof Stephen Kendall from the USA.
The Assignment 4 brief asks for a critical desktop study of Denver, the 2014 Studio AT Denver and relevant supporting information.
See the full brief in the link below:
