A city isn’t so unlike a person. They both have the marks to show they have many stories to tell. They see many faces. They tear things down and make new again.
- Rasmenia Massoud, Broken Abroad
Coursework this semester will focus on an examination and evaluation of the urban condition in America and its various architectural components. Through this work, we will have the opportunity to re-consider and re-shape traditional forms and patterns into new ideas and solutions for the 21st century city. Each project will explore a set of design issues that students will be required to address. Topics this semester will include:
- Historic patterns of decay in cities
- Urban farming and agriculture
- Rebuilding of urban communities
- Urban analysis and planning
- Data, demographics, and mapping in architecture
Urban Abstract from MUSUTA Ltd. on Vimeo.
Proposed Projects
Architectural Design Studio
Architecturally Significant Houses: The Case Study House Program
Architecture is the will of an epoch translated into space.
- Mies van der Rohe
For this project, students will be developing a set of architectural presentation drawings for a house from Art and Architecture magazine's Case Study House program. Students will research and analyze the work of the house’s architect as well as the design characteristics of the house itself. With this information, they will create a set of presentation drawings describing the house, then use this information to develop a small design of their own. This process will require in-depth research on a variety of subjects and will provide an overview of many different aspects of the architecture profession.
Houses designed for the Case Study program:
Houses designed for the Case Study program:
- are significant in the history of 20th century American architecture
- reflect the thinking, beliefs, and technologies of their time
- were created by architects who have a lasting effect on residential design in America
The Urban Home: Patterns of the City
L.A., it's nice, but I think of sunshine and people on rollerblades eating sushi. New York, I think of nighttime, I think of Times Square and Broadway and nightlife and the city that never sleeps.
- Jimmy Fallon
Students will be working on a hypothetical project for an urban residence. A client has come to our students with a unique proposal. They have purchased the last vacant lot remaining on a residential street in the heart of the city. These lots are extremely hard to find, so this is a rare opportunity. The client has indicated that the street is lined with traditional urban houses, and they want their house to fit in with the neighborhood…but…they want an updated version of this traditional residence. Students will research these traditional American urban house types and will use this knowledge as a starting point in their design solution. From there, they will create a new and innovative urban home for the 21st century in which their client can live.
The foundation of research for this project will be architect Steven Holl's book Rural and Urban House Types which is part of the Pamphlet Architecture series of books. House types to be explored in this project will include:
The foundation of research for this project will be architect Steven Holl's book Rural and Urban House Types which is part of the Pamphlet Architecture series of books. House types to be explored in this project will include:
- The Shotgun House
- The Father-Son-and Holy Ghost House
- The Flounder House
- The Rowhouse
- The Courtyard House
- The Double House
Advanced Architecture Studio
There are cities that get by on their good looks, offer climate and scenery, views of mountains or oceans, rockbound or with palm trees. And there are cities like Detroit that have to work for a living.
- Novelist and screenwriter Elmore Leonard
Urban Farm: Industrial Gardening
To begin this semester’s investigations in architecture, students will be designing a residence for a family who has decided to re-occupy the abandoned wastelands of central Detroit. The client intends to establish an urban farm from which to begin restoring purpose to the city and build a sense of community. The client also wishes to quickly move on site and start working the land. To accomplish this, the house will need to serve as useful shelter, efficient workspace, and a place that encourages the rebuilding of community. This will be an architectural exercise in self-sufficiency, flexibility, and sustainability. As a foundation for meeting these objectives, the house for this project will be constructed from steel shipping containers.
The site for this project will be a large residential parcel within a section of central Detroit. The specific section of the city to be used in this project will be determined by the Practicum Studio. Specific sites will be assigned randomly in the early stage of the design process. Student's sites must address specific requirements for neighborhood design and take advantage of the climate characteristics typical for Detroit.
The site for this project will be a large residential parcel within a section of central Detroit. The specific section of the city to be used in this project will be determined by the Practicum Studio. Specific sites will be assigned randomly in the early stage of the design process. Student's sites must address specific requirements for neighborhood design and take advantage of the climate characteristics typical for Detroit.
Bridge of Houses: River Community
For this project, students will be developing an urban community in a unique local setting. The City of Dallas is currently experiencing a period of large and sometimes controversial growth at its urban core. To explore the opportunities and possibilities of this growth, the class will develop a remnant site that has been abandoned and re-purposed as a result of the development of new infrastructure. As a starting point for this project, students will be examining and studying a theoretical work by New York Architect Steven Holl entitled “Bridge of Houses”.
The Continental Avenue Bridge is an existing viaduct crossing the Trinity River between Downtown Dallas and West Dallas. Upon completion of Santiago Calatrava’s Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, it was abandoned to vehicular traffic and converted into an urban park. Students will be required to develop a private residential community while maintaining and improving public access and amenity for the site. This process will begin with the design of a site master plan by the class, then proceed into the development of individual homes by each student.
More information here on Steven Holl's Bridge of Houses project.
The Continental Avenue Bridge is an existing viaduct crossing the Trinity River between Downtown Dallas and West Dallas. Upon completion of Santiago Calatrava’s Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, it was abandoned to vehicular traffic and converted into an urban park. Students will be required to develop a private residential community while maintaining and improving public access and amenity for the site. This process will begin with the design of a site master plan by the class, then proceed into the development of individual homes by each student.
More information here on Steven Holl's Bridge of Houses project.
