tuakiri – spaces of 21st century wellbeing

Course Description:

In this studio course students will negotiate a critical position through individual or collaborative professional practices, with opportunities to apply their specialist skills to a range of contexts. In addition to advancing spatial design concepts, techniques, skills and processes in the production of their creative work, students will develop and apply transferable skills relevant to professional environments.

Tuakiri:

This project addresses the ways in which spatial design constructs and reflects social, political and cultural values and identities.

Your identity, and the identities of others, are shaped by various factors or influences. Identity (including gender/class/ethnicity) affects the positions that you take up; it also affects the positions of ourselves and others within interactions and communication. What are the contemporary influences and factors that condition your approaches? How do these impact on your own position or the positions of others you might work with? How might these be organised within society?

This semester, all School of Design 358 students will be addressing tuakiri in relation to ideas of wellbeing. You will participate in and reflect on a series of interdisciplinary Exchange sessions to discuss the implications of this with your peers across different design practices.

Project Brief:

This project explores the intersections between space and the politics of identity and wellbeing. Spatial design projects are subject to the codes and regulations of governing bodies and societal systems or narratives, but can also have agency in challenging and shaping those systems. You will be proposing a reimagining of Government House for a purpose that aligns with or critiques a particular wellbeing concern for Aotearoa New Zealand. You will design a multi-programme adaptive reuse of the building (considering ‘adaptive reuse’ in an expanded sense, which could range from a full interior architecture refit to a temporary performative intervention/event) that unpacks the existing programming of the site as a residence, event-space, and stage for the ‘performance’ of nationhood. How does your spatial proposition respond to this context to embody a vision of 21st century wellbeing?

Part 1 (weeks 1-6):

site & context research, analysis, modellng & technical drawings
critical spatial intervention exercise responding to a selected concern & critical text – initial proposal for adaptive reuse (to include position statement, research, site documentation, masterplan, hero image, code report) with presentation via a website and short video

Part 2 (weeks 7-12)

design development, detailing and refinement, incuding material specification
design communication (written, verbal and visual)
developed proposal for adaptive reuse (to include developed Part 1 material + Part 2 design development & material studies + presentation visuals that communicate your overall proposal as well as a selected aspect of the design developed to detail, considering construction, materials, connections, lighting, services, etc.) with an oral and visual digital presentation

Part 3 (week 13)

reflect on your project, your practice, and the way in which you engaged with people through both of these. Part 3 includes Exchange reflections.

[See Stream for full assignment brief, learning outcomes and deliverables]

Note:
We will be using this blog to post weekly updates and deliverables.
See Stream for resources, readings and digital submissions.

WEEK 1

STUDIO 1.1 – Tuesday Wk1:

Intro
Positioning exercises: spatial practice; critical positioning; response to site/context

TUTORIAL 1.1 – Tuesday 1-2pm

Digital (CAD/BIM) model

Independent Study:

Digital model
Site/context research
Readings:
- Read Intro to “Spatial Agency” by Awan, Schneider & Till (see Readings folder on Stream)
  - If you want to go further (optional), read the second section “Motivations of Spatial Agency”, particularly the section on politics. You may also wish to read further on some of the key texts referenced in the introduction (e.g. Latour, Lefebvre)
- Check out Labour’s “Wellbeing Budget”
  - For a quick overview see this video and/or the “Wellbeing Budget at a glance” web page
  - For a more detailed read (optional) see the full Wellbeing Budget document (in Readings folder on Stream)
- Select and read one (or more) of the following short articles:
- You may also want to refresh yourself on Brooker & Stones’ “Re-readings” chapter on adaptive reuse strategies (see Readings folder on Stream)
Set up blog and complete blog address form – please note that blogs need to be password protected with the assigned password

STUDIO 1.2 – Friday Wk1:

SITE VISIT

Meet in studio 9am
Let Jen know in advance if you can’t make it
Dress appropriately for the mana of Government House
Bring equipment for site measure & documentation

Independent Study:

Continue on with digital model, site/context research, readings, responses to anecdotes
Compile & process info from site visit

WEEK 2

STUDIO 2.1 – Tuesday Wk2:

WAYS IN: Developing a proposal for critical spatial practice
- For more on critical spatial practice, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_spatial_practice and check out references, especially: Rendell, Jane, ‘A Place Between Art, Architecture and Critical Theory’, Proceedings to Place and Location (Tallinn, Estonia, 2003), pp. 221-33.
- Produce and discuss A4s for readings (key quotes/ideas), site (responses/opportunities), responses to anecdotes (spatial/artistic/poetic response)
- Extract critical drivers, potential sites of action, and strategies for action (see whiteboards below and spreadsheet in shared google drive)

TUTORIAL 2.1 – Tuesday 1-2pm > postponed to Wednesday 1-2pm due to Oli being away sick

Independent Study:

Continue digital model +create existing 2D plan & section from Vectorworks model (to be covered at tutorial)
- cut your plan and section through part of the building/site that is a potential site of action for your critical spatial practice/intervention – you will start developing these through further analysis, diagramming and detail drawing on Friday
Continue site/context and critical positioning research +create draft critical positioning statement for Friday
Develop your proposal for critical spatial practice, to discuss Friday. This should include:
- critical/theoretical concerns
- specific site(s) of action
- (spatial/performative) strategies for action

STUDIO 2.2 – Friday Wk2:

1:1 tutorial and small group workshops to:
- discuss & develop proposal for critical spatial practice
- identify areas/aspects of the existing site to analyse in further detail through drawing, diagramming, model-making & material exploration
EXCHANGE SESSION 1: GATHER
- 11.30 break from studio for 11.45-12.15 session
- More info, exchange groups and venues in shared google drive folder
- Document & post reflection on blog (note that this is a compulsory & assessed component of the assignment brief)

Independent Study:

Refine proposal for critical spatial practice
Reflect on Exchange session & your progress to date

Deliverables end of Week 2 / start of Week 3
At this point you should have completed:

Predesign model & drawings: Vectorworks model, plan & section of existing site/building
Predesign research: site, context & critical positioning research
Proposal for critical spatial practice: critical positioning statement (theory/concerns), site(s) of action, spatial strategies for action
Site analysis of selected site(s) of action: space planning diagram(s), detail section/drodel examining fabric of building/site – structure, linings, finishes, ornamentation etc
Reflection on Exchange Session 1 and progress to date (on blog)

WEEK 3

STUDIO 3.1 – Tuesday Wk3:

1:1 tutorials / working studio, focusing on:
- working into detailed section drawing
- development of proposal for critical spatial practice / design concept / strategies for thinking through design

TUTORIAL 3.1 – Tuesday 1-2pm > video

Independent Study:

Refine proposal for critical spatial practice and produce an experimental short video that presents the key aspects of this proposal
Explore your initial ideas through design; produce a visual/material representation of a critical spatial intervention, or a series of interventions. Employ some of the strategies discussed in studio, for example:
- visualising a design response to a speculative future scenario
- re-writing the design brief for the conservation project and visualising a speculative response
- visualising a performative ‘site analysis’ that strips back or analyses in detail the fabric of the building
- visualising small or large scale interventions that do things like exaggerate, reveal, or otherwise critique the existing site/situation
Have the above ready to present for 9am Friday (pin-up visuals and dropbox video to google drive folder)

STUDIO 3.2 – Friday Wk3:

Critical framing – see google folder for slides

Independent Study:

Continue to develop proposal for critical spatial practice, including exploration of spatial design strategies
Revisit and refine critical framing slide in google slideshow (group and individual)

Deliverables end of Week 3 / start of Week 4
At this point you should have completed:

Proposal for critical spatial practice (summarised via critical frame slide – statement and video)
A range of explorations of spatial strategies, including creation of an image/visual included in the slideshow

WEEK 4

STUDIO 4.1 – Tuesday Wk4:

Master planning

TUTORIAL 4.1 – Tuesday 1-2pm > website

Independent Study:

Continue to develop and test proposal, master plan & spatial design strategies
Experiment with website

STUDIO 4.2 – Friday Wk4:

Codes – see google folder for slides

Independent Study:

Continue to explore spatial design strategies, using design processes (sketching/drawing/making/modelling/visualising) as a way of conducting creative research – ‘thinking through design’ / ‘thinking through making’
Code report:
- Select a legislative/regulatory ‘code’ that your design proposal would need to engage with (e.g. resource management act, building code, one of the sustainable building standards, health & safety / risk assessment)
  - Summarise how/why your proposal engages with the code and explore three specific aspects that will inform your design (e.g. requirements for accessible stairs; number of fire exits; provision of toilet facilities)
- Select a social/behavioural ‘code’ that your design proposal might engage with (e.g. tikanga, codes of conduct/ethics, etiquette)
  - Summarise how/why your proposal engages with this ‘code’ and explore two specific aspects
- You can decide how best to display this information – the class suggested/agreed that on your website makes sense. As a rough indication, you do not need to write a lengthy essay, just a succinct report with numbered points and diagrams, equivalent to around 2x A4s or 1x A3 for each code

Deliverables end of Week 4 / start of Week 5
At this point you should have completed:

Proposal / critical framing
Critical spatial practice experiments (strategies/explorations/visuals)
Video & website tests (you will continue to develop these)
Code report

WEEK 5

STUDIO 5.1 – Tuesday Wk5:

1:1s / working studio – please have all the deliverables above with you and ready to discuss

TUTORIAL 5.1 – Tuesday 1-2pm > persuasive textual communication (language/typography)

Independent Study:

Start to compile all material for Wk 6 interim presentation into website/wireframe template. Use placeholders where necessary. Consider how you can incorporate use of persuasive text/type. Have this ready for review on Friday and to share with your Exchange group for feedback on content & communication.

STUDIO 5.2 – Friday Wk5:

Review of mock-ups for Wk 6 interim

EXCHANGE SESSION 2: LOCATE

11.30 break from studio for 11.45-12.15 session
More info, exchange groups and venues in shared google drive folder
Document & post reflection on blog (note that this is a compulsory & assessed component of the assignment brief)

Independent Study:

Exchange reflection – how are you incorporating peer feedback / other perspectives in developing your work?
Continue to prepare for Wk 6 interim

Deliverables end of Week 5 / start of Week 6
At this point you should have completed:

First go at website, communicating proposal with master plan, text, video, hero image, critical spatial practice explorations, code report, site/context research
2 x exchange reflections from weeks 2 & 5

WEEK 6

STUDIO 6.1 – Tuesday Wk6:

1:1s / working studio

STUDIO 6.2 – Friday Wk6:

Critique: Proposals for critical spatial practice, presented via website (with text, images & other content) & video

WEEK 6 DELIVERABLES

Present for critique and submit link via your blog website
- the website contains all the elements of your proposal for critical spatial practice, including:
  - project title & critical framing / position statement
  - curated (relevant) research & site documentation
  - masterplan (overview of spatial & temporal programme)
  - hero image
  - code ‘report’ and corresponding design parameters that your proposed design will need to consider
- the website should also contain a short video (and/or placeholder, with video posted on blog), which can be used to explore or communicate any of the above
Submit as PDF to Stream: technical drawings of existing site/building
- Vectorworks (or Revit/Archicad) line drawings, including:
  - plan and section of building/site (+elevation if relevant)
  - more detailed, annotated plan and section of specific site(s) of intervention demonstrating understanding of the existing building/site ‘fabric’ that your adaptive reuse intervention/installation/insertion will engage with
Have up to date on your blog:
- all other research & process work, including critical spatial intervention exercise(s) and previous video exploration(s)

Week 7

Tuesday:

-Presentations and discussions to Government House guests

-Reflection on interim feedback. Planning exercise for the next 6 weeks.

-Admin, review schedule, check-in re tutorials, preparation for Friday.

Independent Study – for Friday

For Friday:

6 ‘storyboard’ images. These are of key moments in your design. We will be using these as a way of planning out the next 6 weeks to help you identify the following:

What does this suggest you need to focus on?
What areas of your design require further development?
What requires further detailing?
What doesn’t need to be there anymore?

Strategies to help you identify key moments in your design:

How does time operate in your design? or your design in relation to time? What is the time signature (or rhythm) of your design, does this change?
Step through your design – what do we encounter first….how does it appear at the end (what is the end?
Revisit your conceptual framework. How is this being communicated through your design?

Friday:

-Discussion/check-in: questions for Govt House doc, reflections on storyboarding exercise, outline a plan for week 8-12

-Printout your storyboard and pin up for 11.30am

-1:1s with Oli and Meg

Independent study for Tuesday:

Continue with your storyboard. With this information create a plan for the coming weeks. Post this plan to your blog. Review the project deliverables, identify what elements of your design you will detail eg. detail section to scale 1:5 with product specification (this does not need to be all elements of your design, just those essential to your design proposal).
Continue to develop your project

Week 8

Tuesday:

Pin-ups – developed storyboards
Details and specifications: quick presentation of one project specific approach
Details exercise and class trip to the library
Exchange moment, 11.45

Tutorial 1pm: annotating sections and details

Independent study for Friday:

Complete your detail drawing, drawn to an appropriate scale. Bring this printed to studio on Friday morning and pin up ready for 9am start.
Continue to develop and refine your design in response to feedback and discussion in class, your plan for the rest of semester.

Friday:

Draft presentation and red line exercise
Jo Bailey – graphic design tips

Week 9

Tuesday:

Climate strike discussion
Group tutorial and workshop exercise

Tutorial 1pm: Presentation drawings – strategies and tips

Independent study for Friday:

Based on your tutorial exercise complete the agreed deliverable, print out and bring to studio.
Continue to develop and detail your design.

Friday:

Georgina Stokes to present Mdes project
Present and discuss deliverables from Tuesday

Independent study:

Continue to development and refine your project.

Week 10

Tuesday:

Go over presentation and hand in.

Presentations (digital) in tbc location, Friday 18th October, 9am-1pm. (Week 12)
Finalised deliverables, reflection document, blog link submitted to Stream Friday 25th October 5pm. (Week 13)

Presentation guidelines

Group tutorials.

Tutorial at 12.30: Renders in motion

Independent Study for Friday:

Draft #2 presentation, pinned up by 9am. This is an updated, more detailed, with all elements visually represented (we understand these will be at various degrees of completion). We will workshop these with each of you.

Friday:

Review draft #2 presentations, workshop with Oli and Meg.
Identify a deliverable to complete for Tuesday.

Admin: Week 12 exhibition, end of year celebration, computers

Independent Study: Continue to develop your project in response to the feedback you received today, complete your identified deliverable.

Tuesday:

Group exercise identifying how you are progressing and what you need to work on. Identifying strategies to help you to achieve what you need to for the week.

1:1 tutorials with Meg

Exchange: Show

Within the Exchange, “Show” you should primarily seek overarching feedback on your idea and design work in the penultimate week prior to the deadline
If anything needs changing or improvement, how can you encourage that information to emerge? How do you get valuable feedback as you approach final production detailing?
Discuss the variety of communication and methods of displaying and presenting their work
How is “Showing” work different from subject to subject? What could each subject lend the others at the School of Design?
How does “Show” differ from “Test”?
How have the prototypes, ideas, proposals, or illustrations (concept drawings) progressed from the last time the group met?

Reminder that your exchange moments are part of the assessment for this project. You need to document your experience of these, they will be submitted as part of reflection section of your deliverables.

Independent Study:

Draft presentation #3. Bring this printed out (where ever you are up to with it) and pin up. Please be ready at 9am.

Friday:

Workshop draft presentations together.
Individual feedback

Presentation information:

7mins total presentation time (not including feedback).

Week 12

Link to presentation order

9am start: 10C19. Please be ready to go with your presentations loaded up so that we can move swiftly between presenters. You have 7mins to present with roughly 2mins of feedback or comments from our guests, Fleur Gaston and Sven Mehzoud.

There is a break scheduled for around 10.30. All going to time we will be finished by 1pm.

Stream/Week 13 submission

Instructions for submitting your work is on Stream under FINAL SUBMISSION (WEEK 13). Here you will need to upload your digital presentation.

Ensure your blog link is correct/up to date. This forms a significant part of the assessment for this project.

This is a link to the Reflection and Shared Moment form. This needs to be completed by 5pm, Friday 25th October. You can also find this link on Stream.

Last modified: October 17, 2019