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.

27.4.12

W25-Tutorials_1

Next Tuesday 1st of May tutorials will be focus on the scenarios and models of your proposals. You should bring the different scenarios your pursue for your proposal printed in the portoflio size (A2).If you have specific task we agreed in the last tutorial bring them as well.

The turorials will be as follows,

10.30 Camille
11.00 Andreas
11.30 Anand
12.00 Elliot
12.30 Frederique

2.00 Eleni
2.30 Andrew
3.00 Fragkiskos
3.30 Hao Wen
4.00 Carlotta


26.4.12

W25 Scenarios and Testing

SCENARIOS AND TESTING

The different scenarios of the proposal should be expressed by different drawings, such as perspectives, sections and rendering stills in the context of the Plaza de las Tres Culturas. In these scenarios should be distinguished different agents involved and various possibilities through time. The design should be tested by deploying collages, animations or other kind of specific drawings able to demonstrate how it works within the site.

References
http://www.california-architects.com/estudio/

Suggested Readings
Markus Miessen and Shumon Basar (eds), Did Someone Say Participate? An Atlas of Spatial Practice, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Blundell Jones, Peter, Architecture and participation. London: Routledge, 2005

Yonatan Buchhandler (2nd year)

23.4.12

W24- Review portfolios

The first week of the Third Term we will review your arguments explained in the first 10-15 pages of your portofolio. In these pages it whould be reflected your everyday issue related to the city of Mexico DF, the  rearch done on the city and site and site reflection. This public presentation will be on Friday 27th of April in 32 Second Floor Back starting at 10.00 am.

20.4.12

W24- Tutorials

Next Tuesday 24th of April only 2nd years will have the first tutorials of the Third Term. You should bring your work printed as well as the first 10-15 pages of your portfolio. Third years should send new work to unit email to be reviewed by us, to be discussed briefly on Friday.

The tutorials will be as follows,

2.00 Hao Wen
2.30 Frederique
3.00 Carlota
3.30 Andreas
4.00 Camille
5.00 Elliot

16.4.12

W24- TS Option 2 Final

The Final submission of TS for the 3rd years is on Monday 23rd of April from 10am in belida's desk. You have to submit portoflios and models.

14.4.12

Deadlines Spring Break

During the Eastern Break we will have two deadlines, the 3rd and 17th of April. Please download the work in the dropbox folder or through we transfer.