CHRISTINE G. H. F RANCK
EDUCATOR
Student presents results of site analysis to the studio (upper le ). Student surveys door surround for analy que (above). Students work together on site analysis for studio design project (lower le ).
ICAA SUMMER SCHOOL CORE CURRICULUM New York, New York In the summer of 1998, I began direc ng the ICA&CA Summer School program. A er reviewing the previous curriculum with our faculty, we ins tuted several changes to the program structure. During the ďŹ rst two weeks, students were instructed in a core curriculum including the elements of classical architecture, propor on theory and prac ce, historical and contemporary theories of classical architecture, observa onal and representa onal skills, survey techniques, and tradi onal wash rendering. Each course complemented the other courses. The subsequent four weeks of the program were dedicated to a group urban and architectural project. In prior years, the ICA&CA Summer School had a short esquisse design project, but it was not urban in scope, nor was it typically a real or live project. As an educator, it is essen al to me to help students explore the real life applicability of architecture, as well as to contribute to the contemporary dialogue of the built environment. The following pages show one such summer studio project in detail. Seen here are images of students and their work from the program.
Demonstra ng wash technique (above). Drawing from cast (near upper right). Survey and analy que (far upper right). Drawing from cast (far lower right). Observa onal drawing (near lower right).
A typical student plate showing a new building designed to be compa ble with the lo and market building tradi on of the Meat Packing District.
ICAA SUMMER SCHOOL STUDIO Meatpacking District, New York, New York To help the ICAA become an ins tu on which contributed to contemporary planning and architecture prac ce in New York City, as well as to help students understand the applicability of the classical tradi on, I developed the ICAA Summer School Studio so that it took on real projects cri cal to New York’s urbanism and architecture. Such studios began with team work surveying and documen ng the site, mee ng with local authori es, and o en conduc ng open air planning sessions to solicit community input. A Master Plan would then be developed by the studio, with each student contribu ng a building design consistent with the Master Plan. Students would then present their work to the public. The project shown here addressed the future of the Meat Packing District in the West Village. Under threat from development, this rare historic market neighborhood with its original buildings was zoned to allow high-rise commercial. Our work advanced discussions about landmarking this historic district, while showing how the neighborhood could con nue to grow with new buildings compa ble to the old ones. The Meat Packing District is now a designated Historic District of New York City.
The Master Plan (above). Students also prepared street sec ons (not shown). Two addi onal student plates (right) show new building designs for the Meat Packing District along the West Side Highway.
Student drawing at the Campidoglio (le ). Pictorial view at Villa d’Este (top). Student watercoloring at Paestum (lower le ). Vigne-e of Piazza S. Ignazio (lower right).
ICAA ROME & NAPLES DRAWING TOURS Rome and Naples, Italy In the summer of 1998 I developed the ICAA’s first Rome Drawing Tour along with fellow ICAA board member, Richard Cameron. In designing the curriculum I established specific types of drawing exercises to be conducted during the program. These included analy cal drawing, measured drawing, pictorial view studies, and visual notes. With this structure of drawing exercises, sites around Rome were selected for morning and a ernoon drawing exercises. Our faculty and I instructed students in various media such as pencil, ink, chalk, and watercolor, prepared presenta ons about each site we visited, and handled all program direc on and administra on. A er several years of drawing tours in Rome, I developed a drawing tour in Naples and its environs for the ICAA. These programs s ll operate today. My goal in developing this drawing program was to allow students the opportunity to study in Italy, to increase their familiarity with models of architectural excellence, and improve their observa onal and representa onal skills.
On site cri que of Tempie-o measured drawings (above). Analy cal drawing of Temple of Portunus (top right). Study of window surround (lower le ). Pictorial view near the Markets of Trajan (lower right).
Page from a student sketchbook showing the Doric order (le ). Student with model at cri que (top right). Student sketching street sec on at I’On (lower right).
ICAA HOMEBUILDER EDUCATION Florida, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic Responding to homebuilder interest, I developed a program which taught homebuilders the ICAA’s core curriculum of the elements of classical architecture, propor onal theory and prac ce, manual skills, and other subjects. To this I added lectures on tradi onal American domes c architecture and composi on. Over the course of six to twelve weekend sessions, up to 140 students per session gathered in various historic American towns where courses were conducted. In addi on to the core curriculum, students also undertook a residen al design project. Beginning with precedent studies and working in drawings and models, students developed their design in plan, eleva on, sec on, and details. This program was awarded the AIBD (American Ins tute of Building Designers) Award of Excellence and brought the mission of the ICAA to professionals responsible for most of the domes c environment in America. My work involved the complete development and direc on of this program, as well as curriculum planning and course instruc on.
Students gather in Wilmington, NC for cri que of their design projects (above). Eleva on of student project from Mid-Atlan c program (top right). Student project from Florida program (bo-om right).
Analysis of French Colonial buildings in New Orleans (above le ). Analysis of Spanish Colonial buildings in St. Augus ne (above right). Plates are by fourth year students at the University of Notre Dame.
RESIDENTIAL DESIGN STUDIO Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana
The design of a house provides students with an opportunity to work in detail from the urban to the architectural scale. It also allows students to explore the rela onship between architectural form and place, as houses need to be responsive to their local environment. At Georgia Tech, the ICAA, as well as Notre Dame, I have developed a residen al design studio project which begins with a careful analysis of local residen al building tradi ons, and then the design of a new house in that same locale. This process allows students to discover ways historic buildings have been adapted to their place and to examine how to do the same in new buildings. Addi onally, lessons of plan and eleva onal composi on, materials and details, structural and system design are integrated into the project. Shown here are several projects from such a design studio.
An analysis of Greek Revival buildings of New England (above) and the design of a new house in Stonington, Connec cut by the same student (right).
Front and side eleva on of townhouse in Chicago (upper and lower le ). Floor plans and site plan of townhouse in Chicago (upper and lower right).
RESIDENTIAL DESIGN STUDIO Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana Another example of my housing design studio, showing the project from precedent analysis of a townhouse, at right, to the design of the new house, at le and below. In residen al design, students must successfully resolve hierarchies of public and private space, ver cal and horizontal circula on, the arrangement of plans and eleva ons, and understand their building as a contribu on to the urban realm. This project also included a dra ed wall sec on, the design and detailing of a typical exterior bay, and the design and detailing of one interior room. Construc on, mechanical, and electrical systems were integrated into the project as well, allowing a student a nearly complete design experience ranging from the abstract design ideas to the reali es of construc on.
Perspec val view of townhouse in Chicago (above). The precedent analysis of an urban house (right) prepared in advance of comple ng the design shown on these pages.
Student proposals for revitaliza on of Monroe Ward, Richmond, VA (le ). Student presents lessons learned in sketching and student (above top), a student and I relax before presenta on (above).
A student and I pause while sketching in New Orleans (above top). Studying the architecture of New Orleans (above). My drawings explaining elements of classical architecture for a class (right).
Two of my students pinning up for thesis (le ). En charre-e for my housing design studio (above top). Reviewing a graduate thesis project at Notre Dame (above).
Students survey for a measured drawing (above top). Two genera ons of my students celebrate a successful thesis defense (above). A summer school student dra s a ďŹ nal proposal (right).
CHRISTINE G. H. FRANCK 613 FAIRFAX WAY WILLIAMSBURG, VA 23185 christine@christinefranck.com