60
Architectural and Urban Composition
REGGIO DI CALABRIA
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
Based on the above, the program has a dual objective: first, to investigate the construction of public space as a "large interior" through a methodology that relies on cross-sectional study as its primary tool; second, to link the former to the study of new and representative spatialities of the social phenomenon under consideration.
In addition, the course pursues the following additional objectives:
Knowledge and understanding (Dublin Descriptor 1)
Knowledge and understanding of the theoretical and applied aspects inherent to the course topic. This knowledge will be acquired through participation in lectures and independent work developed by the student.
Applied knowledge and understanding (Dublin Descriptor 2)
Ability to apply acquired theoretical knowledge to project development.
Making independent judgments (Dublin Descriptor 3)
Ability to interpret acquired knowledge and apply it in design practice.
Communication skills (Dublin Descriptor 4)
Ability to communicate project development both verbally and graphically.
Learning skills (Dublin Descriptor 5)
Ability to learn the theoretical and applied content developed within the course.
Course Prerequisites
To be able to take the exam, the student must have taken and "registered" the Architectural Composition 2
Teaching Methods
1_ COURSE STRUCTURE AND TEACHING
Lectures: (hours/year in classroom): 15
Exercises: (hours/year in classroom): 25
Practical activities: (hours/year in classroom): 20
The course will consist of lectures, exercises/assignments, and workshops. Teaching will take place primarily in the classroom. Submission deadlines and assignment topics are binding, and materials submitted outside of the established deadlines will not be accepted. Project support will conclude at the end of the course.
In accordance with the academic calendar, the course will be held in the second semester.
2_ AUTONOMOUS LEARNING OF THE STUDENT
1 credit = 25 hours (10 hours of classroom instruction - 15 hours of independent student work)
Students will undertake independent work as follows:
First phase: Appropriation of the year's topic.
This phase is designed to deepen the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to address urban-scale design.
Second phase: Development of the topic.
In the second phase, students will address the fundamental issues of the design process, paying particular attention to the complex spatiality of buildings and public spaces.
Third phase: Concluding phase.
This phase is designed exclusively for the development of the topic.
Assessment Methods
Based on the student's performance and the completion of the exercises, and on the verification of the minimum attendance requirement (at least 70% attendance in the workshop will be required for admission to the final exam).
The exam will focus on the discussion of the papers prepared during the year and the final project (A1-sized drawings, models, and photographic renderings of these). The discussion will focus on overall choices and the coherence between the project data used and the characteristics of the architectural configuration. The final grade will be based on the assessment of the student's ability to develop adequate reflections on the critical issues of the architectural debate addressed in the theoretical lectures.
The exam cannot be separated from the Theories of Architectural Research exam, a discipline within the same workshop.
The grade, expressed in thirtieths, will be assigned based on the level of achievement of the expected results according to the Dublin indicators.
Texts
Ammaniti, N., Fango, Milano 1999
Augè, M., Disneyland e altri nonluoghi, Torino, 1999
Bauman, Z., La solitudine del cittadino globale, Milano, 2000
Cotesta, V., Sociologia del mondo globale, Roma Bari, 2004
Contents
1_DESCRIPTION
The educational application aims to develop a design method that draws solely on the idea of space and its formalization: a space characterized by being conceived as a large interior placed in hierarchical relationship with others and obtained through a process of excavation and subtraction.
Starting from a predefined volume given as mass, this process of material subtraction—constantly verified through a stratigraphic sequence of sections—generates studies of more or less complex spatialities, constructed using tools rooted in the concepts of hierarchy, geometry, weight, measurement, and light.
This method—inverting the usual compositional process based on the primordial "plan"—takes the study of the section as the first step to which the entire design process is traced.
2_COURSE PROGRAMME
In addition to the focus on the teaching methodology outlined above, a further exploration of contemporary public space as a large interior has been added. Among the usual models for the construction and invention of places for socializing, we propose to address contemporary spaces related to nightlife: both revisited according to traditional models and experimented with based on new ways of gathering among young people.
From this perspective, it was deemed appropriate to focus on those spaces designated as "discotheques" that have become "symbolic" of a new "method of aggregation."
Given the natural evolution of traditional dance halls and, at the same time, a reinterpretation of places traditionally dedicated to nightlife—and created within spaces previously reserved for other activities—the discotheque took on specific spatial connotations starting in the 1960s.
This spatial evolution, supported by the emergence of sophisticated technologies for music reproduction, lighting, and special effects, coincided—or likely resulted from—the evolution, among younger generations, of the concept of nightlife, which until the 1960s was relegated to the private spaces of homes.
However, while the shift from the private to the public sphere over the past twenty years has become such a mass phenomenon that—for certain youth groups—it has replaced the traditional venues for "creating culture," creating a new sociality and having a tangible impact on fashion, art, and theater trends, this has not led to a search for spaces that represent the transformation that has taken place.
Unlike other places, in which the spatial configuration exhibits and represents institutionally recognized arts, the design of nightclub spaces reflects the marginality typical of phenomena generating new trends and styles not yet collectively recognized.
Instead, it is believed that it is due to the socio-cultural aspects connected to contemporary living that see these spaces establish themselves as elective gathering places, as well as due to their typologically complex nature and the presence of increasingly sophisticated technologies, that these spatialities require specific design attention.
3_EXPECTED RESULTS
The teaching methodological approach will be developed according to the following phases:
1. Application of the section as an excavation:
- Identification of the "large interiors"
- Spatial stratigraphy
- Construction of a model
2. Identification of the main large interior:
- Its architectural and spatial definition
- Overall and detailed views
Theoretical lessons will focus on the concepts of section as a compositional category and public space as a large interior.
At the end of the course, students should be aware of:
- The concept of contemporary space
- The models and types related to large-scale architectural objects
Seminar work will be individual.