Design Studio

The third semester's design studio sets out an ambition for students to work between an understanding of the global dynamics shaping urban development and the unique features of a specific local place. Throughout the course, the students are asked to investigate the design site's context through mapping exercises, analytical drawings, research on urban processes, and an evaluation of current best practices.

The course is broken into several parts to help students structure and develop their design work. The course begins with in-depth research and mapping of our study site and its context in China. This knowledge is then used to kick start a collaborative design workshop at the site by framing the key issues to be addressed and opportunities for the future development of the site. Utilizing the analysis and design workshop as a base, the students then develop an individual project through tutorials and studio work.

Aim

The aim of this course is to develop the students’ skills in designing strategic visions for sustainable built environments. This is primarily achieved by the students analysing a selected urban area that is subjected to the pressure of change, and proposing a strategy for renewal in addition to demonstrating this strategy in the form of an advanced design proposal.

Study Trip, Workshop

Over the past 10 years the semester's design studio, Sustainable Urban Dynamics, has focused it studies on different areas of China. A collaborative design workshop at the chosen site combined with a site visit is an essential part of the course. Students get to collaborate with students from the local Chinese University to develop their projects further.

Guest Teachers, Lecturers

The design studio is frequently visited by invited professionals from the field of architecture, urban design, and landscape architecture. They contribute to the design studio by giving lectures, engaging in the presentations as jury members or by discussing students' projects during tutorials. The following list includes some of the participating professionals who were part of the course in the last years.

Helene Koch (Landscape Architect), Jane Philbrick (Researcher and Educator, TILL, USA), Jens Peter Nielsen (Architect, ADEPT), Linus Zhang (Water Engineer, Lund University), Marco Broekman (Architect and Urban Designer, marco.broekman urbanism research architecture), Martin Arfalk (Landscape Architect, Mandaworks), Martin Laursen (Landscape Architect, ADEPT), Nicholas Bigelow (Gillespies), Niels Bjorn (Urbanist and Researcher), Simon Sjökvist (Architect, COBE)

Requirements

Obligatory for those participating in this design studio is the theoretical course ASBN41 Urban Dynamics Theory and Methods

Credits: 15hec

Studio Leader: Andreas Olsson

Course Examiner: Peter Siöström