POLITICS OF FABRICATION III

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.

13.5.12

W27 - Final Jury

The end of the year Jury will be on Friday 18th of May from 10am to 7pm in 32 First Floor Back. Visiting cricts are Monia de Marchi (AA Undergraduate), Edgar Gonzalez (brisacgonzalez), Vladimir Jovanovic (Foster and Partners), Erik Behrens (Aecom), Tania Lopez Winkler (AA PhD), Pedro Font (Bartlett, KPF), Max Kahle (AA Undergraduate), Paco Casa and Beatriz Villanueva (Brijuni Arquitectos).

11.5.12

W27-Tutorials

Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th of May tutorials will be as follows,

Monday 14th

2.00 Elliot
2.30 Erez
3.00 Hao Wen
3.30 Anand
4.00 Andrew

Tuesday 15th
2.30 Camille
3.00 Andreas
3.30 Frederique
4.00 Carlotta
4.30 Fragkiskos
5.00 Eleni

10.5.12

W27 - Change and growth

The degree of flexibility of the schematic proposal to change over time and its capacity of growth or decrease through different scales will be explored. Different site plans in relation to the Mexico DF context will be drawn to express those possibilities through time. Some proposals might need a networking scheme over the city.

7.5.12

W26_Tutorials_2

Friday and Saturday, 11th and 12th of May, tutorials will be divided as follows,

Friday - 2rd years
2.00 Frederique
2.30 Erez
3.00 Elliot
3.30 Anand
4.00 Hao Wen
4.30 Carlotta

Saturday - 3rd years
10.30 Eleni
11.00 Fragkiskos
11.30 Andrew
12.00 Andreas
12.30 Camille

6.5.12

Possible useful data and Images from Taltelolco

Population of Taltelolco

Earthquake

Archeological Site of Tlatelolco

Massacre and demonstration 1968

Day of the Dead in the Square of the Three Cultures

Markets in Tlatlelolco

Aztec Rituals in Tlatelolco

Tlatelolco in Ancient Times

Transport around Tlatelolco

4.5.12

W26-Tutorials_1

Next week Monday and Wednesday, 7th and 8th of May, tutorials will be as follows,

Monday - 2nd years (In My Hotel close to AA)
2.00 Elliot
2.30 Erez
3.00 Anand
3.30 Frederique
4.00 Carlotta
4.30 Hao Wen

Tuesday - 3rd years
2.00 Eleni
2.30 Andrew
3.00 Fragkiskos
3.30 Camille
4.00 Andreas
4.30 Elliot

W26- Role of the architect

This week we will reflect on the role of the architect in your proposals: as a dealer between different parts, a top-down agent, a bottom up organizer, etc. A diagram should show the process of how to construct your proposal and what's the role of the architect in that process.

Yonatan Buchhandler (2nd year)

1.5.12

W25 - Tutorials_2

On Friday 4th of May tutorials we will give a final check to your scenarios. Those who have to review the first part of the portfolio should finish it for this tutorial, that will be as follows,

10.30 Anand
11.00 Hao Wen
11.30 Fragkiskos
12.00 Andrew
12.30 Carlotta

2.00 Elliot
2.30 Camille
3.00 Andreas
3.30 Frederique
4.00 Eleni
4.30 Erez

Dennis Sharp Award for Excellence in Architectural Writing Nomination

Frederique Paraskevas, stuent in our unit, has got a nomination for the Dennis Sharp Award for Excellence in Architectural Writing. She will present her paper tomorrow Wednesday 2nd of May from 2.00pm in the Rear Second Presentation Space. If you have some time it will be nice to be there to support her.

Congratulations Fred!

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