UNIT A
OPEN HOUSE CARSTEN JUNGFER, FERNANDA PALMIERI
Unit A is interested in the morphology of the city by investigating relationships between space, programme, materiality and time. With a focus on reading spatial conditions through careful analysis of found ‘urban moments’ we set out to get a better understanding of the city as a place of transition. We engage in domains between architecture and urbanism and are interested in adaptive architectural interventions that contribute to the formation of new types of collective space. This year we looked at Wood Green, one of London’s town centres, to investigate how ideas of open systems could be utilised at building scale to create forwardlooking civic and sustainable architectures. Following recent shifts in political landscapes, there is a sense of suspension of a formerly known order, which has contributed to increased levels of uncertainty. Set within this contradicting context of pending and ongoing change, this raises interesting questions about the effects on future demand for new types of civic buildings to sustain Londons’ diversity and openness. We investigated the agenda of openness in relation to architectural aspects of space making, structure and material detail.
BREGENZ & VORARLBERG REGION
Some of questions that emerged this year: Is openness is a precondition for transformation? When does it occur? Can architecture and spatial conditions be defined through characteristics of openness? What type and quality of space and architectural structure supports change, what not? We set out to explore new forms of spatial design, organisation and construction to enable adaptable strategies, co-existences of multiple programmes and increased connectivity to propagate hybrid architectures that are coherent “products” of London as a collective space of open minded citizens.
“Collective society generates space as a social product and different building patterns […] are to be understood as configurations of movement and interaction within space.” Sophie Wolfrum