Ideas for a systemic vision of the virtual design studio

IDEAS FOR A SYSTEMIC VISION OF THE VIRTUAL DESIGN STUDIO GONZALO CHONG 22 02 17

1. ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL: ANALYSIS OF A TYPICAL DESIGN STUDIO 1.1 SYSTEM: CLOSED Design Studios are closed systems in which all interactions occur only within the physical limits of the classroom, without information exchange or networks of cooperation with their peers (other design studios). These systems have physically delimited spaces in two ways: A. Interior spaces, with infrastructure, especially with large classrooms to accommodate all participants in a single large space, being able to be compartmentalized whenever is required. This represents an advantage in the sense that it fosters an environment of unity in which students at lower levels can see higher levels students working and evolving their models. There are also cases where the class is separated in different classrooms, imposing physical barriers to the interaction between levels.

OFFLINE

DS.3 - OUT

DS.2.1

DS.1

OFFLINE

B. Outdoor spaces, colonizing the green and common areas of the faculty.

Although these limits are blurred, they are delimited by the cane and cardboard models constructed by the participating students. In itself this expansion and strong territorialisation can be seen as an advantage for those in possession of the space, since it shows hegemony with respect to the rest that lacks of this type of spaces, besides of being an instrument of propaganda that works like showcase of their production. On the other hand, the incursion of students in this type of spaces has a pedagogical advantage, in addition to inducing cooperation between colleagues who end up cooperating with each other, projecting a positive image of the design studio.

DS.2.2

DS.2.3 OFFLINE

DS.3 - INT

DS.3 - OUT

IDEAS FOR A SYSTEMIC VISION OF THE VIRTUAL DESIGN STUDIO GONZALO CHONG 22 02 17

1.2 PROCESS: INTERNAL ATOMIZATION While there is a moment when the class generates multilevel work teams, this interaction richness dissolves upon completion of the first job. What happens next is a thematic and level compartmentalization: isolated subsets of work with specific teachers in charge of conducting their induction and evaluation. The assigned projects are unrelated: they are in different fields and with programs without macro relation, beyond the fact that they are located in the same district.

At this stage it is irrelevant whether the class infrastructure is in a single large space, or has a separate classroom model, as the design studio is atomized resulting in a lack of interaction between students and teachers at different levels.

LEVELS 9 - 10

PROY. 1

LEVELS 7 - 8

PROY. 2

LEVELS 5 - 6 PROY. 3

1.3 ORGANIZATION: SPIRAL HIERARCHY

LIDER

LEVEL 6

LEVEL 9

The workshops are sold as a "brand" personified by the professor or leader. That is, they are anthropomorphic, being the possessor of the chair who transfers their values and prestige to the workshop. Although the positive aspect of having a messianic figure is that it generates mystique in the work group, its absence leaves the rest of the team in orphanage, depending on its good name to attract clients, or keep interested members. This attribute establishes an upward spiral hierarchy that has as central axis the head of the design studio. The students are advancing through stages of learning, being in the highest stages that can be advised by the leader. This kind of organization establishes such solid thinking models at each stage, that students' projects resemble each other by trying to meet the standards and parameters of the "brand" (leader).

IDEAS FOR A SYSTEMIC VISION OF THE VIRTUAL DESIGN STUDIO GONZALO CHONG 22 02 17

1.4 RESTRICTED PERMEABILITY Although the design studios are usually closed systems, they require a certain degree of permeability transferring information to the outside. Nowadays there is no clear link with society, vocation service or real interest in bridging the gap between academia and the public. Again, this connection is mostly for propaganda purposes, by publishing in books, electronic media, or final work exhibitions in auditoriums and rooms prepared for this purpose. However, this type of exhibitions do not offer spaces for criticism and debate, nor do they serve for the chair to explain the contributions achieved in the design studios, since their approach is essentially advertising. It is a communication that goes in only one direction, from the inside out, so it is a permeability restricted to a single direction, avoiding confrontation and feedback of ideas with the outside. A showcase to see but not to touch.

1.5 PRODUCT: LONE WOLF The dynamic of evaluations consists of individual works of long breath under the logic of architecture competition. At the highest levels the dialogue between students and cooperation is almost non-existent due to a culture of professional zeal, since the idea is that they are competing with each other. It is understandable from the point of view of the mechanics of evaluation to individualize assignments, but it must be taken into account that what is obtained as a byproduct are students who become isolated with their particular projects, being difficult to establish the dialogue between members of the same level. A form of behavior that is inclined toward isolation and individualism is being fostered.

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VIRTUAL DESIGN STUDIO: IDEAS AND CONTRIBUTIONS 2.1 SYSTEM: OPEN The Virtual Design Studio (VDS) has CONNECTIVITY as one of its strengths, which means that its limits are not constrained to the physical space of the classroom, using technology to establish dialogue with schools of architecture in other parts of the country and of the world. VDS, as an open system, can find in this attribute the leadership that it needs to differentiate itself from the others with closed systems, positioning itself as a "HUB" or platform of connection with other universities (national and foreign). Part of its objectives as an organization would be to foster a culture of cooperation and exchange among students participating in the workshop. We can pose 02 types of spaces:: A. VIRTUAL CONNECTION SPACES.Currently VDS has the prestige of Las Americas Virtual Design Studio, but this can be considered a vulnerability since its prestige depends on the permanence of this program over time. It is possible to propose new alternatives that will position this strength and open up new opportunities that expand the experience of remote work and even serve as a replacement in case any of the alliances collapse:

IDEAS FOR A SYSTEMIC VISION OF THE VIRTUAL DESIGN STUDIO GONZALO CHONG 22 02 17

A.1

INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION - Las Americas and Derivatives: This is the current agreement for students in levels 9 and 10. The 14th floor at the university's main building is currently providing its facilities for videoconferencing, however an agreement can be reached to formalize its use. At the same time, bilateral connection alternatives can be explored with countries participating in Las Americas to generate derivative virtual workshops and replicate the experience in terms when the agreement with Texas does not carry out.

A.2

NATIONAL CONNECTION - Transversal Workshop: It’s about transferring the experience of Las Americas and replicating it with allied universities of Lima and provinces, with VDS being in charge to lead the conventions and to coordinate with the adhering members. With them we can build spaces for debate regarding the national problems and projects that have relevance to a social vocation that foster the link between academia and society.

NATIONAL CONNECTION

VDS

INTERNACIONAL CONNECTION

B. ANALOG CONNECTION SPACES.Currently, VDS infrastructure presents limitations as it is fragmented in laboratories and classrooms, which difficult life in community and integration between levels. However, thinking about changing the current infrastructure conditions is perhaps not an efficient strategy as those spaces has been gained with effort. However, we could aim to diversify the activities of VDS on campus, temporarily occupying new spaces, but without colonizing them as it is the case of those with closed systems: B.1

CAMPUS CONNECTION - Debate: The expansion of VDS is not physical but ideological, being a precursor of dialogue initiatives within the faculty. In order to lay the foundations for an open system model, we must build a relation with our peers, so they open up to some degree their closed systems. This is in order to generate a cross-sectional integration or less, convergence in intermediate spaces of dialogue. The idea is that the information that we produce generates a debate and a conversation that addresses those alternative or virtual worlds that are posing in the chair. To do this, we can develop strategies such as:

IDEAS FOR A SYSTEMIC VISION OF THE VIRTUAL DESIGN STUDIO GONZALO CHONG 22 02 17

•

•

B.2

Share the VDS experience through conversations in the common areas and open spaces of the faculty, establishing topics of debate that are of interest and that could encourage debate on campus.

Another approach could be that VDS promotes "Open Doors Classes" in which the university community is invited to enter and participate indirectly in its dynamics. We can use the auditorium, only that the dynamics of VDS could allow public interventions, creating a conversation between VDS and our peers.

MICRO CONNECTION - Internal Network: Currently, the system compartmentalized by levels, in separate categories and with teachers dedicated by level, does not allow students to integrate, interact and enrich VDS internal network. While social networks give us the possibility of being connected, we must need to focus on transfering this connectivity to the real world. Following the Open System approach we could encourage the construction of a COMMUNITY with all its implications: •

Although the physical infrastructure limits the integration, we can structure specific dates during the year to join all the students and levels in the same classroom, generate dynamics of collaborative work, consultations with all staff of professors breaking compartmentalization etc. That is, to strengthen our internal network in order to have the necessary bases to project our network to the outside.

•

Establishing a mission and vision, but also establishing the CULTURE of VDS, with a proposal based on the concept of CONNECTIVITY, is the key to promote cooperation, teamwork, the feeling that we are a family and not a Darwinian system.

•

In order to create a COMMUNITY we need symbols and rites that unify us. Such gestures are important, so we could institutionalize rites designed to welcome in the beginning of course, rethink the dynamics of the classes giving a feeling of master course, etc.

The monetary investment for the ritualization process of the Design Studio is minimum, but what is achieved is fundamental to the construction of a corporate image, transforming the student perception of the course as a different, dynamic and novel experience. For this we can learn much from the dynamics that are carried out in the “Hackatones”, or in the Start Up workshops where these values are necessary to promote the ideals of a connected community and maintain a high moral.

IDEAS FOR A SYSTEMIC VISION OF THE VIRTUAL DESIGN STUDIO GONZALO CHONG 22 02 17

2.2 PROCESS: MINECRAFT Maintaining the current scheme of individual projects, the goal is that students at different levels participate in dynamics that allow teamwork, interaction between other levels, and in the case of higher levels enhance leadership skills and entrepreneurship. To do this, taking as an analogy the Minecraft video game, the general premise is that the chair establishes the intervention sites with large areas allowing the participation of all levels in the same "world" or space.

However, 02 modalities are established for the participants: a) Status Quo: The chair will pose as always the project bank to develop by level, and the participants can develop them in a traditional way, that is to work independently. b) Associative Projects: The idea is to give participants at the higher levels the option of associating with participants from lower levels so that, each with its assigned program can put together their projects innovating and creating a new concept or proposal that combines all the parts. The initiative must be from the upper levels, to foster their collaboration and leadership skills, so their mission consists of recruiting members of lower levels convincing them about their macro vision. If they work in an associated way, they can have extra points that sum in their average final, but with the condition that the associated levels could be coordinated and have designs with an overall reading, which will be evaluated jointly by the chair (integration).

ASSOCIATIVE PROJECTS

LEVEL 9 - 10 LEVEL 7 - 8

PROY. 1 PROY. 2

LEVEL 5- 6

PROY. 3

2.3 ORGANIZATION: HOLACRACY OR "FLAT WORLD" The Virtual Design Studio is not anthropocentric. The reason why students stick to the course is not because of the presence of a charismatic figure, but because of what it offers as a system. This is a key attribute that must be maintained and strengthened, since as an open system, VDS has value not for its constituent elements, but for the synergies that are generated between those elements. The level of friendship and cooperation among staff members allows them to have a holacratic organization, operating on a “flat world� in which hierarchies exist in formal way, but are relativized to allow adaptation in the face of the absence of a key member. In this case, software (VDS Culture) allows interruptions in hardware (staff members) avoiding interruptions in the functionality of the course, since either member is prepared to assume the leadership of the organization

IDEAS FOR A SYSTEMIC VISION OF THE VIRTUAL DESIGN STUDIO GONZALO CHONG 22 02 17

without internal tension. In this “flat world�, while participants have a clear notion of the hierarchical student/teacher division, there is also a horizontal relationship that facilitates communication based on trust and harmonious treatment.

Students should be in an environment where they could have conversations not only with professors assigned to their level, but also with the rest, so the staff could become a "human library" accessible to everyone. While there is the assumption that things work that way, we can make this condition explicit to secure the communication to multilevel. On the other hand we can achieve that in this world students understand that everyone can learn something from the other. If we get them to interact with each other we will strengthen our internal network and build a learning community.

2.4 PERMEABILITY: FLUID It is necessary to establish what kind of relationship we are going to have with the outside world, that is, to define the point of contact between academia and society. We can propose the possibility of carrying out terms with projects of social focus, of participatory design with vulnerable communities. We can also review experiences carried out by other universities such in which students came into contact with the national reality, generating solutions to real problems, and having a direct contact with the population which is the objective of its designs.

On VDS production, it is necessary to occupy spaces to communicate to society the achievements of the course. We can passively do exhibitions outside the campus, in physical and electronic publications, but also innovating the way we exhibit the production. An option could be that students whose works have been selected, participate of the exhibitions explaining their projects, and also talk with the people in attendance, creating spaces for dialogue to explain the relevance of the virtual worlds we pose. Another option can be using a Youtube channel not only to upload videos of the final projects, but also to present the students and their thoughts about VDS and their proposals

2.5 PRODUCT: ARCHITECT ENTREPRENEUR The dynamic of evaluations consists of collaborative work under the logic of cooperation and connectivity. In the real world there are no lone wolves, but they will form herds or teams that allow them to take forward their professional life and projects.