pre-Easter critique - reflecting

kathak dance rinaben

That was a long day with a lot of thinking, coming up with ideas, concepts and methodologies.. It was a refreshing and, considering the essay hand-in and other group project work etc., very well delivered set of presentations. I am sure Nancy and Polly will agree 100%. This was great - and exactly what a pre-break crit is all about - getting you to a place from where you can work and develop ideas further, freely, with feedback and new perspectives. A springboard.

Without this, it is a hard task to manage - and anyway - you should be there - taking part, commenting, seeing, hearing, interacting and learning from each other. Every bit of feedback and discussion is going to be relevant in some way, at some stage for every one of you. That is the importance and beauty of the 'dreaded' crit. It is a positive thing - turn it around to become that - what you want it to be - remember, you're in charge of your work, after all - a way of opening new doors and letting some light in. Thanks everyone for being there today - keep going. Get a bit obsessed (get very obsessed), but maybe not to the extent of the student who stayed in the box in the square (ha ha) - those that were there will know - but it's a totally valid reminder of how passionate a project can - and should - become.

Looking forward to seeing mirrored disco suits, smashed plates, forests, balancing acts, reactive walls, gestured messages, navigated interiors, spatial landscapes, trees, roots, playgrounds, cartwheels, morphed cricket games, embedded messages..... and all the rest of it. Just don't stop. yet.

Now, let's go dancing..

h

audience chris o'shea inspired nikita

nikita unexpected views mini mirrors in the ladies' loo

jubilee gardens, london southbank jodiann cartwheeling ideas..

jodiann the acrobat

station opera house drunken madness

inspired katerina

balancing act katerina (nina)

ellie

natalie - navigation systems

james

emma - stair studies

ellie

beth - instructions - inspired by yoko ono

bahwi - broken and then put together again - time heals

unknown source

ellie

power napping, go for it

preparing for presenting / pre-easter crit

sakina

Some images sent to me by some students - many thanks - your interaction is absolutely necessary - keep images, film etc coming this way..

Tomorrow - 30th March 2010 - we will look at all work to date, evaluate and feedback - you need to be able to completely immerse yourself in this work over the holidays

keywords: maquettes, place on site, brief/what/how/who, materials, collage (for further ideas and conceptual visuals)...

h

jasvinder

ellie

"The idea of the house has roots in our deep mental space, and we cannot prescribe what will be successful. But we architects must begin by making a full account of our own spatial history - individual, communal and historical - before we can be sure that we are not unconsciously visiting our unconscious preferences onto others".

Leon van Schaik

action for now

heidi saarinen - collision - corridors & other journeys 2010

Dear all - end of this week we will look at the exhibition / modular system for 2DES0064.

We will also be allowing time for preparing for Crit Week - self managed - 2DES0065 - go over all that you have done so far - what is the initial idea - process - where has it moved to - stage of process - where do you take it next - programme - why / how / who / when / what ..... / continue to ask and answer questions. You must be clear about the project you are proposing. TITLE? A title (can be a working title for now) will help you focus, as will key words and themes. Narrow your thinking down and allow you to focus on the main theme, and build a stronger project. Do not keep looking for new ideas - carry on with the idea / concept you have and develop this.

Check and re-read briefs and task sheets (1-4), read the article I gave you (Architecture in Motion). IF you haven't got this (..?) get it copied from another student or if this fails, let me know Thursday. You are required to read, evaluate and discuss the contents of the text. It is relevant to your project and will give clues to ways of working, tracing movement and light, for example, within a spatial environment.

So - this week is all about preparing for Crit Week. You all have plenty to do, develop and make ready for next week. Please allow sufficient time for all this. Do come prepared next week. You need this so that you can work over the Easter break without interruptions.

I am around for brief tutorials but most of you should now be developing work, guided by previous tutorials and feedback from recent presentations. Can I strongly recommend that you research and check out the links I have attached here - further links can be found via these ones. The more you search, the more you will find...

h

Deborah Jinza Thayer (source: http://www.movementarchitecture.com/press/skyway_1.pdf)

some useful links connecting movement / architecture/ spatial design:

http://www.britishcouncil.org/arts-performance_in_profile-2009-british_council-carol_brown_dances.htm - carol brown choreographer collaborates with architects

http://www.carolbrowndances.com/index.php carol brown, choreographer

http://www.scenofest.org/Scenography/Strange_Encounters.htm - dorita hannah, architect dealing with spatial design through choreography and performance

http://traumwerk.stanford.edu:3455/43/29 - buildings, culture and the body

http://humanitieslab.stanford.edu/49/75 - as above

http://www.swarch.co.uk/ sarah wigglesworth architects - collaborating with choreography

http://www.siobhandavies.com/ siobhan davies collaborating with arcghitecture

http://www.interactivearchitecture.org/some-thoughts-on-responsive-kinetic-architecture.html

http://www.subtletechnologies.com/2006/symposium/Bonnmaison-Macy.html

http://www.movementarchitecture.com/press/skyway_1.pdf

"We now have at our disposal moving image technology which includes video capture, animations and computer generated graphics. As this technology continues to put more tools at our disposal, we as architects can begin to conceive of new design processes that take advantage of what is on offer. The association of Indian classical dance and temple architecture can be more thoroughly explored using motion capture technology to analyse the spatial qualities of dance. At the same time, the ‘dance’ of the architecture itself can be better understood through animation technology combined with video footage."

Devdutt Shastri, Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff

source: http://humanitieslab.stanford.edu/49/75

Performing Topology

Today I attended the Performing Topology colloquium at Goldsmiths, University of London. This final part to the Topological Approach to Cultural Dynamics series "explored the use of concepts from the mathematical field of topology, as they might be relevant for understanding performance space, embodiment and the sensation of changing space".

This is all relevant to our discipline - Spatial Design - where mathematical formula and categories from topological theories can be applied for testing spatial compositions, through the body in space; gestures, movements and occupying environments - applying categories of objects (people, things etc) and testing these. For our project, this is useful, when we work out ways of mapping movement and experiences within these environments.

installation by Juley Hudson

MultiMedia Installation/Performance Infinity Vanishing

Key words & further reading:

topology

Marshall McLuhan

The street invades the house

T S Eliot Auditory Imagination (1933)

James Tenney

Visualizing Acoustic Space

Bill Viola Quintet of the astonished

Lefebvre Production of space

Production of space

Rhythm analysis

Goldsmiths, New Cross, London

images / presentations / work in progress 12th March 2010

ewa

bahwi

beth

Work in progress was seen and discussed last week. Here are some screen shots from the digital presentations.

Action is now needed for all as follows:

- establish and confirm the site (within the site at the Junction)

- is the space appropriate for your proposal / choreography?

- what are you taking from the experimental stage to the final proposals?

- how are you dissecting the physical move/dance/journey/action into the proposal?

- are you working on mapping the movement - drawing it up - placing into space?

- are you projecting images from the original films - and using props and 3D structures to 'furnish' the choreography?

- how are you connecting concepts to spatial aspects?

Keep asking questions and find the answers through further process. You should be showing spatial diagrams/drawings

and maquettes should be well on the way. Crit week is approaching.. get ready - plan - use the diary..

sakina, aniela, nicola, maheen, abi

nikita, natalie

Can everyone please have a carefully composed, written brief for next session

You have also a reading task to complete - see studynet - copy of the article was handed out on Friday 12th March.

Private View & Shoreditch Showcase screening launch 8th March Iniva Rivington Place Lati Ri cafe

Reminder ----- tomorrow's Private View & Launch of

Shoreditch Showcase

see invite on shoreditch-showcase blog

Check out the links on the iniva/Lati Ri website here and more detailed copy about the

showcase here

Looking forward to seeing you there - best frocks and socks and all that.. (maybe talk to Aniela about a swap shop..)

h

Site Visit to The Junction, Cambridge 5th March

The Junction Foyer photo: h saarinen

The site visit to The Junction in Cambridge took place on Friday 5th March - Polly and I thought there was a real buzz about the place, with you all whizzing around with cameras, brooms, mirrors and all sorts of moves... Big thank you to Toby for warm welcome and site tour.

Now you need to action:

* continue to develop and refine ideas & concepts

* write a complex brief, to keep you and ideas in focus

* process goes on (film, photography, sketches, diagrams, maquettes and models, collage - try different styles of media)

* draw up the space - use drawings supplied by Junction - you can work out dimensions from these/your own that are to scale - talk to each other

* ensure tasks 1 & 2 are complete. task 3 = site visit and instructions / see site visit handout

*stay organised and continue writing the diary

Relevant pictures and film from visit - please send to me - thanks

h

Work in Progress

aniela

Work in progress was presented on Monday 1st March - I was so impressed and left skipping down the corridor...

It is always a bit of a gamble, the experimental stage - it a gamble and a risk. But these risks need to be explored, taken on as a challenge, pushing boundaries even further... asking questions.... what happens if.... Risk taking is a positive aspect of opening up closed, unknown knowledge and finding out how it can be used to develop to the next stage.

What is also obvious here, is the fact that you are clearly enjoying the sensation of something that was 'perhaps not quite something that one does, normally', and when 'one does it' (a new experiment of movement, circulation and occupation of space through experiments with occupier/space/passer-by etc) it feels great - "I felt free" was one expression, 'at first I though it was silly, but then... I just didn't care what others thought of what I was doing..",

Dancing in carparks and exploring speed at which we travel up and down stairs is perhaps not something 'that one would normally do', but golly gosh, it's looking good in terms of process - so well done, keep going..

I will add more footage, images very soon........

h

abi