archipélago DESIGN THESIS STUDIO MELBOURNE SCHOOL OF DESIGN STUDIO LEADER: TOMMY JOO
“The world thinks us, but it is we who think that... Thought is, in fact, a dual form; it is not the form of an individual subject, it is shared between the world and us: we cannot think the world, because somewhere it is thinking us.� Jean Baudrillard
The studio ‘archipélago’ has a symbolic meaning: your fragmented thoughts and the collective individuals of our society. And the continent represents the real: practice
Design is more than a completion of tasks given on your desk. Here, you will create your own problems, challenges and solution.
This studio will commit to the idea that thesis students should have a complete freedom to set up their own individual agendas.
studio agenda
This studio has NO specific / thematic agenda in terms of your research topic and the design field. Blank canvas.
To become a part of this studio, you should already have a vague idea and understanding of what you would like to achieve in the next 12 weeks. I expect independent thinkers and designer who would like to openly share ideas and participate in a debate, discussion and workshop.
My role in this studio is to provide a line of critical resistance for your ideas. I will challenge your intentions in order to refine them so that you will gain the confidence required to present in front of audience clearly.
I would like you to realise the importance of your independency and confidence required in what you would like to become in the future.
This brings me a question. What is the link between,
our academic research
and the practice?
We will work closely on how projects exists in a practice, with constant testing and ‘reflecting through action’, as an act of realisation, of making something real.
We will openly discuss pedagogical and educational strategies. The point of discussion will be the interaction between art, architecture, design and digital media that allow us to process our experience in various ways.
In the past, our studio explored time based architecture and phenomenology in a very conceptual context.
Last semester, we departed from the realm of the hyperreality and advancement of technology.
This has resulted in many speculative and futuristic projects in our last semester.
But this semester, we will not be adopting any thematic agenda but to carry on a project that focuses in the context of ‘today’ and ‘real’ with specific program and site.
Instead of a specific studio brief, I have set up framework and schedule which you must follow for the next 12 weeks to realise effective final projects. This studio will be running independently but also collectively in workshop and seminar environment every week.
studio structure
There are no prescriptive / unneccessary exercises for this semester. Instead, I will encourage your personal design language and your own critical thinking right from the beginning.
In order to do this, I need to understand who you are as designer, your way of thinking, what you have learnt, your range knowledges and skills to produce the best outcome in this semester. You will be asked to present all your past projects in the first studio session.
We will arrange all day workshop. Here, you will need to bring your research topic and sit in for discussion and debate.
You will be asked to choose only one specific medium from the start, working exclusively to conceptualise, visualise and communicate your ideas.
This is to really push the potential of a dedicated mode of working before expanding your repertoire into other medias.
You will then be asked to complete your own brief, the architectural project including the program and the site. We will start designing from week 3 in parallel to your research. This will not be a thematic approach but concreted with real site and real project.
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The studio culture is the most crucial part. The studio is structured with series of seminars, intensive workshops, self-critique where you will be asked to work in studio all day. This is to immediately realise and review the outcomes.
We will hold an exhibition seperated from Gradex. This is where your final review and celebration will take place.
required skills
You will need to have the array of skills, approaches and drawing techniques. We will continue to supplement and enhance by new investigations and debates.
submission
- Concept project (selected medium) - Architectural project - Graduate Port folio - A5 thesis booklet (you will be given a template to use) -2000 words research essay