What's next?
Thus far I've been visiting two classes twice a week and helping them solve issues with the perspective drawings they are creating. Time is short (and often wasted) and it is difficult to get some students to remain engaged with their work for the duration of the period. Others are more focused but shy and hesitant to ask for help. As this project comes to a close I am struggling to find a way to introduce another, more design oriented project (although there are a fair amount of design issues inherent to the work they are already producing). I keep wondering, " are they just too young to have a serious interest in architecture?" Then again, Le Corbusier could not have been much older than these students when he designed his first house, not that a mind like Corbu's is to be found in every randomly selected portion of the population. Julia Morgan passed through the same hallowed halls of Oakland High and left with enough certainty of purpose to demand admission into L'ecole des Beaux-arts despite their expressed policies of gender-discrimination. So how does one get students to engage critically with the built environment; to make observations and question the validity of existing design solutions? Mark suggested a film, which I think is a great process, but one that requires as much vision and planning as architecture itself in a medium in which I have little experience. Photography may be another method of engagement. Perhaps I could give the students disposable cameras and ask them to photograph observations they make about their environment. Any suggestions?
posted by marc at 12:06 AM
3 Comments:
I think the problem is that you seem to be trying to be the architecture teacher, instead of focusing on the project that you have in mind.
If they are having trouble getting into the assignments, then maybe you need to back up a little. Few of us in graduate school began our architectural education by drafting perspectives, so why should they. Maybe so more expressive exercises would be useful where they aren't confined by the rules of drafting. We do so much of our thinking in sketch form, maybe a days worth of sketching could bring out some ideas and passion that technical drawing cannot.
I respect your desire to teach them a skill set, but I think it is more important that you get them excited about architecture, about the city, about making stuff first. Also, in the end, you are the architect, you will make the design drawings for whatever it is your crew builds. Right? So the role of the kids is not so much about making these technical drawings of a specific design but about learning to express themselves architecturally, to critically engage the places they inhabit, and to propose a really great idea about how architecture could change their school or their neighborhood.
Stop worrying about drafting and do something fun. Let them draw their ideas they way they want, so its about expression and not just instruction, and slowly guide them towards the architecture, instead of assuming that they need to have all the tools under their belt first before they can envision a bench.
Good idea Jesse,
Being DIRECT as possible is the key. Drawing perspectives is one of the most belabored processes in design school. Starting with that is preventing them from getting at the root of what is important to them and to you. You don't have a lot of time, so how can you have the maximum impact, both in terms of learning but also expression?
Instead of spending a whole week on a drawing, how about introducing the building project and doing a series of quick charettes, to get some big ideas on the table.
if what you need is small shooting stuff, maybe i can help too.. mm..i don't have specific idea about what is the best solution or way for your current situation, and i couldn't have much chance to hear about it yet -but if you need some cheapy 3ccd shooting stuff(i'm not sure just from your short writing what you'd like to do ..),let me know.
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