Tales Of Three Cities [ARC 3113]
In an increasingly urbanized world, there is growing international demand for urban design studies. this course work will equip you the knowlegde and skills you need to participate in this rapidly expanding profession and find your position as architects. Urban design involves shaping the physical setting for life in cities. throughout the course you will learn the core skills and techniques of urban studies.
The course work aims to inspire the students towards fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to design and deliver better urban places. it is an exploration of both literature and reality. Cities of similar context (eg. South- East Asian, great Britian contexts and so on) will be studied for :
A) The historic social significance over urban planning and design.
B) The application of temporary theories on to design and practice.
C) Spatial experience being the student as an explorer in the city.
The process will enable the student to comprehend the translation from:
A) A theory into design.
B) A design into spacial experience in the urban context.
The usage of X-space is effectively practiced in terms of debates, case studies and virtual games on urban design.
PROJECT 1
Idea and Theories in Urbanism
Aims to explore the case study cities through the ideas and the theories prevailed in historical and contemporary times. The objectives are to:
A) Critically think on various approaches of urban design and,
B) Enhance prevailing ideas of urbanism to acquire prior knowledge for the site visit to the case study cities.
There will be class discussions on the debates on factors that drive the urban form, where the usage of X-space would be effectively practiced.
PROJECT 2A
Case Studies Cities
Sites visits/ online virtual studies using X-space on the case study city, Singapore:. Student are expected to capture interesting and meaningful photographs and sketches related to social (urban life) and spatial (nodes etc.) contects of these towns. It is imperative that these sketches should contribute to the understanding of urban spaces.
PROJECT 2B
Mapping The Townscape
The students are required to document the spatial form of the city to note the key spatial experience that is driven by the urban form and context. The objectives are:
A) To characterize the urban forms through Serial Vision;
B) To establish the relationships and roles of the three urban design elements and
C) To identify DISTINCTIVE aspects or patterns in their layout.
The students will be given with basic urban study techniques such as figure ground, serial vision, collage city, space syntax, etc. Therefore the students are required to analyze and apply those techniques in order to evaluate the spatial (tangible) and/or social (intangible) patterns in the city. You are required to:
A) Illustrate the urban distinctive character by formulating your own theory of understanding,
B) Present the tales of your wishes and
C) Evaluate through the comparison of three cities.
