Recent demonstrations in public spaces of our cities are confirming a profound crisis of political institutions worldwide. While citizens are claiming a change in national political agendas to ask for more focus on their own everyday life concerns and less on global finances, public squares are emerging as places of political discussion. Moved by this contemporary interest, Intermediate Unit 8 have worked on redefining what constitutes a public space today, which is the role of the architect and the agency of people, and how innovation on fabrication methods might serve as fundamental tools for constructing a city of the commons.

This year the work of the unit has been located in the city of Mexico, a metropolis developed under neoliberal rules for the last two decades. The particular site for the unit work has been the massive modernist housing complex of Tlatelolco, and more specifically, the Plaza de las Tres Culturas. This urban square is well known not only for the mixed presence of Aztec, Spanish Colonial and Modernist constructions, but also for its past political life including the students’ massacre before 1968 Olympic Games. Based on a confrontation with the everyday life in the city, students have researched on the most “mundane” contemporary issues, including insecurity, informal economy, drug cartels, social segregation or cultural repression. These issues are the ones employed as alternative micro-agendas to inform the public space of today. After intense research and reflection on the realities of the city, students have proposed different material and programmatic tactics, reflecting on how traditional construction methods can be used to generate new fabrication techniques in which citizens have a more active role. Therefore, social participation and public action are considered a fundamental part in the definition of new political spaces as an endless process of contestation, negotiation and transformation.

24.3.12

Movies about Mexico

Some movies for the break to bring back your memories about Mexico.

Miss Bala(2011) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1911600
La última y nos vamos(2009)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1139666
Trade(I) (2007) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399095/
The Matador(2005) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365485
Matando Cabos(2004)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380538
Man on Fire by Tony Scott (2004)
Frida(2002)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120679
Y tu Mamá también by Alfonso Cuarón (2001)
Amores Perros by Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu (2000)
La otra conquista(1998)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0175996
Midaq Alley(1995)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112619
The exterminating Angel by Luis Buñuel (1962)
Los Olvidados by Luis Buñuel (1950)
The Young and the Damned(1950) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042804



Images Second Term Jury





Thanks to all critics, students and tutors.

16.3.12

W23 - End of the Term Jury

Next week Thursday 22nd of March is the End of the Term Jury from 10am to 7pm in 33 First Floor Back. Our guest critcs will be Yvonne Santoyo (AA PhD & HTS tutor), Goswin Schwendinger (AA Media Studies), Yota Adilenidou (PhD Bartlett/University of Tessaloniki), Ines Dantas (PhD Bartlett/ University of Innsbruck), Hannes Mayer (Archithese Magazine), Bruce Irwin (East London University) & Alfredo Ramirez (Landscape Urbanism).

13.3.12

W22- Portfolio and Models - Tutorials 2

2nd years

For the morning session 2nd years should bring their new work done till date. Models of the Frame should be on their way to be finished next week before End of the Term Jury and Action models finished. The tutorials will be as follows,

10.30 Andreas
11.00 Elliot
11.30 Camille
12.00 Carlotta
12.30 Frederique
1.00   Hao Wen

3rd years

This Friday 16th of March will be the last opportunity to review your portfolios as well as the models (action models and site models) before the Previews. For the afternoon session 3rd years should bring again their portfolio, model of the Frame and Action models, and new work. The tutorials will be as follows

2.30 Erez
3.30 Anand
4.30 Fragkiskos
5.30 Andrew
6.00 Eleni



12.3.12

W23 - Intermediate Previews part 1

Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th of March third year students will have their Previews for the Part 1.




Monday 19th March
Morning
Panel 5
10.00 Mr Fragkiskos Ioannis Konstantatos
10.30 Mr Anand Naiknavare
11.00 Mr Andrew Bardzik


Tuesday 20th March
Morning
Panel 4
11.00 Mr Erez Levinberg
11.30 Ms Eleni Tzavellou Gavala

9.3.12

W22- Portfolios and Models - Tutorials 1

This week we will review your portfolios pages as well as the models you need to finish for the End of the term jury (action models and site models). The beginning of the week tutorials on Tuesday 13rd of March will be as follows,

10.30 Andreas
11.00 Elliot
11.30 Carlotta
12.00 Camille
12.30 Frederique
1.00   Hao Wen

2.30 Erez
3.00 Anand
3.30 Fragkiskos
4.30 Andrew
5.00 Eleni

6.3.12

W21 - Tutorials 2

Friday 9th of March tutorials will be as follows,

10.30 Frederique
11.00 Andreas
11.30 Elliot
12.00 Hao Wen
12.30 Carlotta

2.00 Camille
2.30 Anand
3.00 Erez
3.30 Eleni
4.00 Fragkiskos
4.30 Andrew

Finish the drawing and print them for the tutorial.

W21 - Scales of Association. Back to the city!

The associative dynamics created by first term schematic designs will be tested in the actual everyday life activities at the Cuauhtémoc District and Mexico City scales. Issues proposed will play an important role in these explorations as well as the graphic results

Suggested Readings
Margaret Crawford, John Chase and John Kaliski: Everyday Urbanism, University of Michigan, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, 2005
Dolores Hayden: The Power of Place: urban landscapes as public history, Cambridge Mass: MIT Press, 1995
Richard Sennett, Fall of the Public Man, London: Faber, 1986.
 Lara Yegenoglou (2nd year)

2.3.12

W21 - Tutorials

For next Tuesday 6th of March tutorials will be as follows,

11.30 Erez
12.00 Anand
12.30 Fragkiskos
1.00 Andrew

2.00 Eleni
2.30 Frederique
3.00 Andreas
3.30 Elliot

4.30 Camille
5.00 Hao Wen
5.30 Carlotta

1.3.12

W21 - Option 1 TS Interim Jury

Portfolios and work from Ts should be presented by 3rd year students in the Option 1 TS Interim Jury Thursday 8th of March 2012. We will meet TS tutors in Studio 2 at 10.00am. Please be on time with your models on this room.