meeting_zero

summary of meeting_zero

The first of a series of (informal) meetings between basic design instructors, architects and academics in İzmir took place in the form of a colloquium/forum at İzmir Center of Architecture (İzmir Mimarlık Merkezi) on 24 June 2014 at 6-9 pm. During the forum, studio coordinators and instructors from two schools of architecture in İzmir presented their experiences to a large group of students, instructors and architects. The colloquium was accompanied by an exhibition of the first year student works of Yaşar University’s Architecture Department. The aim of this event was to use the exhibition both as a venue and opportunity for a broader discussion on issues related to basic design education and on the possibility of collaboration between design schools in Izmir.

The keynote speech was given by Tuğyan Aytaç-Dural from Izmir University of Economics, who posed a series of important questions to pave the way for the discussion that followed. After this preliminary session, both Yasar University’s and IzTech’s basic design instructors introduced the method, tools and programs that they adopted in basic design studio in Fall/Spring 2014. Gediz University, İzmir University and Dokuz Eylül University did not present their work, although colleagues from both universities attended the meeting.

All these presentations informed the participants of various experiences of basic design education in architecture and design schools in İzmir. The participants had the opportunity to hear from different approaches to basic design education in the 3-hour intense open debate. Questions and comments from the audience elaborated the following points:

  • This meeting should convene again with broader participation and a more definite agenda. The scope of the meetings should not be limited to architecture and interior architecture departments only, but include all design disciplines.
  • The next meeting (meeting_one) can be convened at Izmir Architectural Center in September with IzTech (Department of Architecture) as host institution.
  • Participants will post messages on : t o y : to be the basis of meeting_one.
  • : t o y : (the blog established to increase the collaboration and interaction between first year educators and academics teaching at architecture and design schools in İzmir) will be used as an effective online platform before and after the meetings.
  • IzTech team suggested to discuss the following topics during meeting_zero:
  1. organization rather than vision
  2. vertical / horizontal integration between assignments, courses and semesters
  3. freedom in design of assignments
  4. clarity in goals of assignments
  5. studio organization and structure
  6. experimentational courage
  7. formalism / context
  8. group autonomy in studios
  9. lecturing / learning by doing
  10. critiques (positive / negative)
  11. site excursions
  12. difference in basic design from other studios
  13. multidisciplinary of basic design
  • “What is learning?” was suggested a possible topic for meeting_one. Other issues that could be discussed at the meeting were suggested as the following:
  1. Is basic design education in need of total restructuring because of the recent developments in the realm of architectural design (such as “computational design”)? If not, are the basis of current basic design theories and programs still relevant and need to be adjusted rather than being subject to a total redefinition?
  2. What would be the main contributions of “computation” to basic design education, the design of the curricula, conventional pedagogical methods, and the assignments?
  3. Are we witnessing, as some participants argued, the shift in the vocabulary of perception and design that the Bauhaus has established? What would be the “updates” in terminology to respond to new paradigms in (architectural) design, and how will new concepts be integrated to the existing narrative of basic design education?
  4. To which degree the curricula or requirements of the second year education should determine the first year’s program? (“What should students learn – Composition/Structure/Material/Form” was the basic idea that determined Yaşar’s program for basic design in Spring 2014).

*The above notes are a collection of suggestions received so far. The topics and agenda of meeting_one are currently open to contributions. The idea is to effectively use the dynamic character of : t o y : to create more constructive debate, interaction and communication. Please leave your comments and suggestions for meeting_one at this page. Once the blog received more entries, the working program for the meeting will be finalized.

 

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