Stage One: Site and Program

Stage One

Initial Site and Program Assesment

Research and design are one whole, rather than two separate processes. The ‘construction of knowledge’ about a site and the statement of the design problems are ultimate determinants of the resulting work of architecture. By choosing which questions to answer and which problems to address we are ultimately making an impact upon the final design.

With this in mind, the studio proposes an involved information gathering and sharing phase.


Week one: Initial site assessment

Tuesday, August 31st

We will have a brief introduction and conversation in the studio. and proceed to tour the site. We will walk the site in groups of two and three.

Document your experience of the site, with notes, sketches, photographs, etc…
This documentation will be a frame for sharing your research on the next meeting.

Friday, September 3rd

Group discussion of site visit and crtique of research topics.

Tuesday, 7th

Group presentation of Information and research.

Week two: Programming discussion

Friday, 10th

Group discussion of each student’s proposed program in terms of appropriateness to the site, benefits, viability, adjacencies, etc…

Summary

This phase will prepare the studio for the subsequent 3 week Project Development phase in which the research and programs will be converted into architectural schemes.