MSc2 Global Housing Design Studio

This design studio challenges students to find appropriate methods for the analysis and design in cultural contexts that are not their own. Participants in the studio develop housing proposals that advance new possibilities to negotiate local cultures and techniques on the one hand, and global developments on the other. Against this cross-cultural background, students are invited to develop their own position and to find design strategies that take as key premise the development of adequate housing for regions undergoing a process of rapid urbanization and/or facing the challenges of climate change.

To support the development of the project, participants in this course develop social-spatial analysis in the project's location. Using a combination of different research methods, from design analysis to architectural ethnography, students investigate local patterns of inhabitation, urban and building morphologies and typologies, interdependence between dwelling characteristics and lifestyles, and negotiations between individual aspirations, collective welfare, and environmental protection.

Throughout the duration of the design studio, there will be regular moments for formative feedback (during the tutorial sessions), and at the end of each phase.

The summative feedback will be based on the assessment of the process of each individual student and an individual dossier.

The individual dossier (format to be decided) should include the deliverables of group and individual work, distributed in the following phases:

PHASE 1_Foundations

Assignment 1. Fieldwork / Contextual Research (group of 4-5 students).

Assignment 2. Problem Statement and Design Manifesto (Individual work).

PHASE 2_Project

Assignment 3. Urban Strategy / Masterplan (Group of 2-3 students).

Assignment 4. Housing Project (Individual Work).

Assignment 5. Project Description and Reflection (Individual Work).

The following processes will be part of the course management and organisation:

- Different group composition for assignments 1 and 3

- Peer Evaluation will be used in Assignment 1.

- Self-Evaluation will be used in Assignment 3.

- The use of AI in Assignment 5 is not allowed to produce content, but it is allowed to support improving clarity and preventing language issues such as typos and errors. Submission of the document will be made to Brightspace and a plagiarism check will be performed by Ouriginal.

The final grade will be calculated with the following weight:

Group Work: 30%

Individual Work: 70%

In week 4.5, students will receive formative feedback on the results of the work produced for Assignments 1-2. In week 4.8, each student will receive formative feedback on the results of the work produced for Assignments 3-4. At the end of week 4.10 each student should compile a personal dossier including all the final versions of the work developed for Assignments 1-5.

The Final grade will be determined by three components (Design, Reflection and Presentation, Study and Process), according to the following weight distribution, assignments, and relation with Learning Objectives:

A – DESIGN (70%).

Related Assignments: Assignments 2, 3, 4

Related Learning Objectives: LO 2, LO 3, LO 4, LO5, LO 6

B – REFLECTION AND PRESENTATION (20%).

Related Assignments: Assignments 1, 2, 5

Related Learning Objectives: LO 1, LO 2, LO 7, LO8

C – STUDY AND PROGRESS (10%).

Related Assignments: All Assignments

Related Learning Objectives: LO9

Students are approved with a grade of 6 or above.

Retake and repair regulations

In accordance with Article 1.23 of the Teaching and Examination Regulations Bachelor, and Article 1.24 of the Teaching and Examination Regulations Masters, students are entitled to at least two opportunities to take a written examination, in the period of one academic year.

Terms

There is a difference between retake and repair.

1. A retake is an entirely new examination or assignment.

2. A repair is a revision or addition to the existing assignment (with the same topic).

Principles en grades

1. All grades of 5.5 or lower are eligible for retake or repair. No distinction will be made between 5 - 5.5 on the one hand and lower than 5 on the other; excluding a second examination in advance based on a grade lower than 5 is not possible.

2. A successful repair will only be assessed with a grade of 6.

3. The retake and repair rules apply to all grades and partial grades registered in Osiris, as well as to partial grades not registered in Osiris that must be completed satisfactorily.

Only partial grades of individual assignments are eligible to compensate insufficient grades, and be considered for the final grade after a retake of repair.

Deadlines

The repair should be completed by the student a maximum of two weeks after the deadline of the last examination / final presentation. The retake should be completed until the last week of the academic year.