Architecture projects

Duration

256h Pr

Number of credits

Lecturer

Aloys Beguin, Jean-Marie Bleus, Abdelkader Boutemadja, Henri Chaumont, Fabienne Courtejoie, Bernard Deffet, Fréderic Delvaux, Pierre De Wit, Mariette Dorthu, Olivier Fourneau, Marina Frisenna, Philippe Greisch, Pierre Hallot, Paul-Christian Hautecler, Bernard Kormoss, Eric Le Coguiec, Luc Mabille, Norbert Nelles, Pascal Noe, Rita Occhiuto, Virginie Pigeon

Coordinator

N...

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

All year long, with partial in January

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

ATELIER F.COURTEJOIE - B.DEFFET - P. DE WIT

• Addressing programmes which focus on the importance of the role of architecture in relation to society from the point of view both of the constructed area as well as its impact on social cohesion.

• Addressing structural issues linked to the need to cover large spaces and discovering that structural systems generate architecture (structure and internal space - structure and closing - structure and light)

• Understanding the built environment (rural setting - suburban setting - urban setting). Understanding its continuities and discontinuities and developing an individual attitude to this issue.

• Acquiring an architectural culture based both on knowledge of the history of architecture in the 20th century, as well as observation of the built world.

• Entry into the complexity of the project is gradual and marked by objectives identified in each workshop.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

To provide students with:

• The tools for observing the constructed world.
• The tools for projecting into an environment which is in a permanent state of transformation.
• Graphic, verbal and written communication tools.
• Self-evaluation tools

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

All concepts covered in the workshops and theory courses over the three preceding years will be revised and extended through new projects.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The world upside down or back to front.
The educational focus of our mastery workshop focusses on architectural practices.
"Architectural practices" should be consistently varied so as to clearly define the fields of action that are specific to a discipline.
This year, we are going to explore the practices of the discipline by shaking up the often pre-conceived order of the conceptual approach by implementing the structuring of space as a medium of potential ownership.
The emergence of this route of exploration is double-headed:
On one hand, we admit that, in a general way, the "classical" and linear models of thinking about and acting on the built environment (a need / a client / un site / a project) are challenged by the continuous adaptation requirements to our changing context of intervention (The West).
On one hand, the rapid growth of developing countries raises new questions about the development strategies to be implemented in those countries and more specifically with regard to the built environment.
The ambitions of the International Union of Architects' congress (UIA) which is to be held in Durban in South Africa, in August 2014, aims to explore this non-comfort zone, where the "traditional" architect, typically full of conviction, might be inclined to admit that the lack of comfort inherent in alternative and radically different methods, could prove to be a fertile source of creativity.
The general theme of the Architecture Other/Where congress - will focus on the "other/elsewhere", which is a vague and uncertain notion. By exploring other ways of "knowing" and "doing", Durban 2014 will try to demonstrate that architecture is as much about space and form as it is about politics, ideology, economics and theory.

A study trip will offer the students the possibility to compare the themes studied during the year.
With the help of their architecture tools, students will be asked to explore the limits of all the challenges related to the projects.

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)

" Things are not difficult to make, what is difficult is putting ourselves in the state of mind to make them " Brancusi
Work will take place in workshops to promote discussion and communication between students and between students and the teaching staff:

• team work between teaching staff;
• students are considered as partners, building their own LIFE AS AN ARCHITECT.

Recommended or required readings

The workshop bibliography changes from year to year. It is both linked to the issues of the themes addressed, but also to the necessity of complementing students' existing knowledge. More generally, students are encouraged to engage in their own research and to follow their own interests (libraries, trips, etc.) in order to build their own critical judgement. Analysis of chosen architecture will occasionally be organised, individually or in groups, which will highlight a particular difficulty (the role of structure...) which will be developed by students in a later project.

Assessment methods and criteria

Each project is subject to stages with defined objectives and means, on the basis of which cumulative evaluations as well as self-evaluations are conducted. As far as possible, project 'resource people' as well as architects from outside the school will participate in developing and assessing the project.

Work placement(s)

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Organizational remarks

Every week, students will present their work's progress. Collective correction will take place to encourage understanding and student participation, it will stimulate the transfer of information and reflection to each individual project.

Contacts

Fabienne COURTEJOIE fcourtejoie@ulg.ac.be Bernard DEFFET bernard.deffet@ulg.ac.be Pierre DE WIT pdewit@ulg.ac.be