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Synopsis: Architecture Design Studio 4
 
In Semester 4, themed "engaging environment and community", the studio explores design by harnessing environmental qualities and conditions for human and environment sustainability through a project with a specific community of users within a given context. The project involves studies of precedence on design projects that are responsive to the environmental conditions and sustainable issues. Using precedent studies, students explore the environment poetics of the building enclosure that respond to the basic natural context such as the sun, wind, heat, cold, energy issue and existing building context. Considerations should be given to the complexity of the program, site topography and vegetation, socio-cultural events, and variety of passive strategies for sustainable design. The design work should contribute to merge harmoniously with environment and the site, and provide the best of experiences for the community of users. Students are required to demonstrate applications of knowledge gained from Environmentally Sustainable Design and Building Science 1 modules from prior semesters and integrate research from Asian Architecture module.
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Teaching Objectives
 
  1. ​To develop awareness of environmental sustainability in architectural design.
  2. To develop the student's ability to meet the imperative and inter-related environmental and social needs, as well as make poetry with the buildings.
  3. To emphasize on space planning of cluster of buildings.
 
Learning Outcomes
 
  1. ​Identify and analyze environmental qualities and contextual needs of a site.
  2. Apply ideas of environmental sustainability.
  3. Design and create architectural spaces with consideration of environmental poetics in relation to the basic natural context and existing built context which impact on users' experiences.
  4. Combine the environmental needs, the site, and the users' experiences within simple building design in the open landscape/suburban context.
  5. Produce drawings, modeling and verbal presentation to communicate and visualize architectural design and ideas based on clustered spatial typology.
 
Project 1: A Personal Space
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Project 1 deals with user experiences that requires students to design a personal space which is intended for a specific user based on an in-depth study of the user's need. It is to develop awareness of environmental sustainability in a design and student's ability to meet the imperative and inter-related social needs. In addition, the project will prepare students to programmatic requirements of specific group of users for Project 2.
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Learning Outcomes
 
  1. ​Identify and analyze environmental qualities and contextual needs of a site.
  2. Apply ideas of environmental sustainability.
  3. Design and create architectural spaces with consideration of environmental poetics in relation to the basic natural context and existing built context which impact on users' experiences.
 
A Personal Space
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As a group of three, we were required to design a personal space for a specific user to fulfill his/her needs and interests. The personal space is limited to a size of 12 cubic meters. We visited an elderly center to study the needs of an elderly and also interview them to get information.
Project 2: Center For The Elderly
 
The project calls for a design of an elderly center in a suburban area with some complexity that includes the complexity of site topography and vegetation and socio-cultural events. Students are required to provide full design proposal incorporating precedent study and site analysis at appropriate level of presentation. It explores design solution that harness environmental qualities and conditions for human and environment sustainability. Students explore design solutions that reduce environmental impact utilizing clustered spatial typology and passive energy. The design should contribute to and merge harmoniously with nature and the site, and provide the best of experiences for the users.
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Learning Outcome
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​Apply ideas of environmental sustainability in design
Design and create architectural spaces with considerations of environmental poetics in relation to the basic natural context and existing built context which impact on users' experiences
Combine the environmental needs, the site and the users' experiences within simple building design in the open landscape/suburban context.
Produce drawings, modeling and verbal presentation to communicate and visualize architectural design and ideas based on clustered spatial typology.
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Center For The Elderly
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Individually we were required to design a elderly community center on a site which we visited before the project started. The center is to meet the requirements of both technical and poetic quality which provide the users a better experience.
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