Architectural Design Crossovers Studio

The Architectural Design Crossovers MSc1 studio is structured as an introduction to the education group's objectives within the larger framework of a multi-disciplinary approach. The project sites and scopes within the studio crosses the disciplinary boundaries exploring the temporal and material aspects of the architectural project.

We consider the built environment the accumulation of not only social, economic, cultural and political layers but also an intersection of environmental sources, material and immaterial flows. Shaped through intensive material and immaterial flows, project sites help the students define the "crossover" themes to be explored in the collective and individual design assignment. In this framework, in the coming three editions, the studio will focus on Madrid, where "universal archive" will serve as a programmatic framework to explore new spatial configurations.

The studio allows the students to investigate programmatic, typological, and material constraints under the new imperatives of im/material ecologies in the post-carbon design discourse: How does architecture respond to the new material paradigms? As designers, how should we renew material flows in architectural production, and what are the emergent building techniques, typologies, and programs?

In this regard, the MS1 design studio asks the students to define the core aspects of the "universal archive" to be explored in a multi-disciplinary approach. During the design process, students explore new architectural concepts and building types and they build up a narrative supporting their architectural design proposal.

Combined with the on-site survey data, the collective research serves the students with critical standpoints for their individual design work. An educational excursion (3-5 days) with an on-site workshop is part of the studio program. Programmatically relevant projects and buildings in Delft and the Netherlands will be visited in the pre-design phase of the course as part of the precedent analysis.

The expenses for the excursion are approximately ±350€. The corresponding information is to be communicated prior to the start of the semester.

The assessment takes into consideration not only the quality of the design work but also the process and the development of appropriate design instruments for investigative and critical design research to be undertaken by the students.

The consistency in the ideation, projection and materialisation process is an integral component of the final evaluation.

The collective documentation of the fieldwork, investigations and the results will be compiled in the form of a portfolio to be presented as part of the final review.

The assessment criteria for the individual work are:

- the position formulated by the student addressing the studio theme;
- the consistency of the design process, the outcome and awareness of it;
- the detail and quality of the architectural project combining the research and the contextual data;
- the fitness (relevance and significance) of the project with respect to the assignment;
- the elaboration level of the project throughout the respective scales addressed;
- the coherence and quality of the architectural position/argument, presentation, and the products.

Mid-term review (Week 1.7/1.8)
Total Tectonics Workshop (Week 2.3/2.4)
Pre-final presentation (Week 2.5/2.6)
Final review (Week 2.8)

The actual review weeks may be subject to change in accordance with the academic calendar.

* On the scale of 10, the student achieves a sufficient result with the final grade of 6; If failed in the first attempt student are offered the possibility of a repair. The repair has to be completed within 2 weeks after the completion of the course and will be graded by either O (fail) or V (pass).