MA 17/18 brief 03 climates pt2

2.0 Climates

Project 01// Exploratory Practice// CARC7002// CIND7002

18/09/17 - 20/01/18 2.1 Brief

Design a climactically responsive piece of furniture to inhabit the geodesic dome live build outcome.

The first project is a combination of group work, a live build project and also individual design outcomes. You are, as a team, and with other students, in the process of fabrication and assembly of an installation on the quad at Canterbury. This year we are exploring the theme of Sci-Fi Vernaculars, your individual brief is to dessign and fabricate a responsive piece of furniture. You have each researched a ‘climate’ you have been allocated. You should use this climatte as a starting pint for the responsive nature of your piece of furniture, so in some way, your piece should respond in a way according to the climate you have been given. [continued...]

UCA Canterbury School of Architecture // MA Architecture // MA Interior Design // 2017/18

2.2 Outcomes

Initially, this project will serve as an introduction to design research through knowledge investigation and making practice. You will learn how to respond to a very specific brief, using contextual research as the basis for developing a spatial aesthetic language. This project should introduce you thouroughly to the workshop spaces on site and offer the opportunity to engage with some of the specialist making expertise available. You will engage with both digital and analogue making and increase your skills in both. Through the review and supervision process you will develop a critical framework and self-evaluation which will allow you to progress your project work freely. You will become familiar with the process of design through prototype and the opportunities of testing to failure to develop a rigorous and ambitious designed outcome.

You will have an introduction to the challenges of working with interactivity with respect to both hardware and software. Electronics and sensors and the software manipulations involved in understanding their control can be challenging and uniquely technical. You should not be afraid of engaging freely with the technologies available to you and ask for help from your design tutor, Lucy Jones, or JJ Brophy who will gladly offer advice in how you might achieve your aims.

Through the team live build work you will develop skills in fabrication, project management, design and build, construction in a sensitive, live area and responding to a very specific brief with a clear set of deliverables in a certain time frame. You will learn to balance the work you do as part of a team and your individual design work and develop your performance as an overall team player.

2.3 Climates

Table 1

Climate Rain

MA Minghao

Sea levels rise

Yuxin

Drought

Wenxiao

Mass extinction

Shu-min

Biodegradability

Jing

Humidity

Rosanna

Temperature

Yizheng

Wind

Chidi

Dust

Yan

Cold Fossil fuels

Yousif Thammatat

UV

Tingting

CO2

Snehi Zaveri

Invasive species

Maria

Flooding freshwater Komal Air pollution Fog

Hsuan

Electric Storms

2.4 Assessment

Completion of the Climates project will contribute 50% of the grade for the MA Architecture ‘Context and Method’ unit (CARC 7001) and MA Interior Design ‘Contexts and Methods’ unit (CIND 7011) and 100% of the grade for the MA Architecture ‘Exporatory Practice’ unit (CARC 7002) and the MA Interior Design ‘Exporatory Practice’ unit (CIND 7002). Both units for each course units are valued at 30 credits. Assessment will be carried out at the point of submission via a final A2 paper portfolio and completed piece of furniture but may be subject to moderation via the external examination process.

Feedback will be verbal and written at formative stages and written at the summative stage for this project. [continued...]

UCA Canterbury School of Architecture // MA Architecture // MA Interior Design // 2017-18

2.5 Duration

The project will run from the 18/09/2017 until the portfolio submission on 20/01/2018.

2.6 Key Events

15/09/17:

Climates Walk, Canterbury

22/09/17:

Visit to London, London Design Festival

27/09/17:

Research Semianar 1: physical computing

04/10/17:

Research Semiar 2: Film space

05/10/17:

Climates Research Pin-up

11/10/17:

Research Seminar 3: VR and scanning

Week 5:

Fabrication Live Build Geodesic

18/10/17:

Research Seminar 4: Gaming and gamespace

Week 7:

Assembly Live Build Geodesic

3/11/17

Completion Geodesic

6/11/17

16&17/11/17

Live Build review (documentation and proposals) Interactive Workshop with visiting lecturer Ross Cairns (1/2)

30/11&01/12/17 Interactive Workshop with visiting lecturer Ross Cairns (2/2)

2.7 Deliverables

04/12/17

Final Review

19/01/2017:

Portfolio submission (14:00-15:00)

(written summative feedback)

The following are minimum deliverable requirements for completion of the project: A final, prototyped, working (or documented working) climactically responsive piece of furniture.

Drawn documentation of the final built installation and interactive module.

1. A2 portfolio design development drawings 2. A2 portfolio records of all physical fabrication tests & prototype pieces 3. A2 portfolio records of any simulation, or digital work 4. A2 portfolio documentation of installation and interactive module.

5. A2 Interactive drawing illustrating the responsive nature of theinteractive module over time and people’s interaction with the piece.

6. A2 drawing of the piece of furniture in situ in the geodesic dome, under the influnence/ change of your climactic condition.

Online digital blog of work done (minimum one entry per week) This is an important assessed component of the project.

2.8 Staff/Guests

The project will be run by Lucy Jones (MA Course Leader) and assisted by visiting design tutors. Technical support will be provided by Chris Settle and Ben Westacott when required.

During the course of the unit we will be joined by key guests for crit reviews. In order to stimulate debate and discussion teaching will be on occasion, held in tandem with the BA Interior Architecture and Design Stage 2 reviews.

UCA Canterbury School of Architecture // MA Architecture // MA Interior Design // 2017-18

2.9 Lear ning Aims

The aims of this unit are: A1. To enable you to locate your practice in relation to appropriate fields of research and enquiry and develop your in-depth specialist understanding of these in relation to your own research.

A2. To introduce and develop creative practice methodologies in relation to theoretical investigation.

A3. To introduce and develop specialist knowledge, technical skills and processes and to begin to explore experimental approaches to your work A4. To develop your ability to critically appraise your own work and that of others through regular critiques and student forums

2.10 Lear ning Outcomes

A5. To support you in developing your project proposal providing a framework for the planning and implementation of your research within clear practical and theoretical parameters.

On satisfactory completion of the unit you will have: LO1. Demonstrated specific knowledge of research methods, critical theory and historical and contemporary practices relevant to the discipline.

LO2. Demonstrated an ability to recognise potential areas for investigation, formulate research questions and identify appropriate strategies and methods of enquiry for further development through creative practice.

LO3. Conducted investigation through experimentation developing an appropriate level of technical skill.

LO4. Developed an ability to present creative work as a response to a research context in a clear and coherent manner.

LO5. Demonstrated an ability to set goals, manage workloads and meet deadlines.

2.12 Further Reading

Please see theme document for comprehensive bibliography.

2.13 Useful web-links

The following are a first primer for useful materials and know-how resources: Instructables - http://www.instructables.com/ - Massive open source database of tutorials.

The Workers http://theworkers.net

Ross Cairns’ company website. Some helpful projects.

Kobakant - http://www.kobakant.at/DIY/ Arduino - http://www.arduino.cc/

- Tutorials and more relating to textiles and interaction.

- Popular cheap open source microcontroller.

Freeduino - http://www.freeduino.org/ - Knowledge base for the Arduino.

Make - http://www.makezine.com/ - Similar to the above with a more deliberate approach.

Fritzing - http://fritzing.org/projects/ - Useful for gaining knowledge about electronic circuits.

Cool Components - http://www.coolcomponents.co.uk/ - UK Store for component supplies.

Robives - http://www.robives.com/mechs - handy guide to mechanic gear systems.

Grand Illusions - http://www.grand-illusions.com/ - Online shop of optical and other tricks.

Rapid - http://www.rapidonline.com/ - Key online supplier of basic kits including gear and electronics.

[ends] UCA Canterbury School of Architecture // MA Architecture // MA Interior Design // 2017-18