ARCH5110/6210L
Advanced Architectural Design Studio I & II: EDGES – Design Beyond Boundaries
Target Students MArch1, MArch2
Course Term 1 & 2
Course Type Studio
Venue Studio
Teacher(s) ZHANG, Lily
Designing Environment
In this studio, we will design in harmony with nature to breathe new life to places degraded by human activity by creating scenery through designing the natural environment itself, and expand the prospects of design.
The limits of human design are defined solely by our values. Who would design an exceedingly cold or hot building? Who would wish to live in a house without a roof? Architecture and design have evolved precisely to create environments that are conducive to human comfort and well-being. But what about landscape design? It too is likely focused on how to create safe and pleasant outdoor spaces. In this studio, we strive to embark on the challenge of designing not just architecture or landscape, but the broader environment that surrounds us.
How many species of plants exist, or have existed in particular regions? What variety of organisms inhabit our shared environment?
What plant and animal combinations will not only thrive together but also foster a comfortable living environment for all life including us humans?
What lies beneath the earth’s surface?
In line with the studio project phases outlined below, students will select their sites and environmental design focus based on research and in-person site visits to formulate their unique design projects in response to the scale and particularities of the selected sites, which may range from urban to rural and beyond. With the utmost site specificity and sensitivity, students will create architecture and landscape projects aligned with the nature, culture, community, and ecosystem of their selected sites.
Taking these considerations into account, we aim to design a beautiful and comfortable environment, one that evokes a natural environment. Just as certain colors complement one another, or specific plant species at certain heights harmonize, we engage with a multitude of species of life forms to design new vast, expansive environments.
Creating Scenery
Scenery (⾵景) is an abstract notion. Just as different people vary in appearance, the word “scenery” evokes a multitude of distinct images. At times it may be difficult to convey this concept even if we translate it textually and explain with words. Yet when we try to illustrate with a drawing, a picture, a form of the visual, we call it a vague and large image without boundary, such as a mountain range of rolling peaks, the horizon that divides the sea and sky, or the particular cityscape of Hong Kong with its density of tall buildings.
In this studio, we will approach design with a broadened, alternative perspective, enriching the process of design by opening it up to the knowledge and influence of fields outside of architecture. By drawing upon sources from other expertise, we can envision a mode of design beyond typical practice or studies to engage an expanded concept of architecture. Specifically, students are encouraged to focus their attention to various sites and conditions around Hong Kong and abroad during studio travel, with in-person field study through site visits as the essential primary basis of their design thinking. This physical, visceral, experiential study of a place combines with both research and an analytical lens to inform a coherent architectural response. Through the exploration of different places, conditions, and design processes around the world, students can work to continually contextualize their own site approach within the specificities of Hong Kong’s locale, while also comparatively expanding their own global frame of reference for understanding the importance of place in defining scenery.
