ARCH5110/6110E
Advanced Architectural Design Studio I & II : FRAGMENTS – Manufacturing Alteration
Target Students MArch1, MArch2
Course Term 1 & 2
Course Type Studio
Venue Studio
Teacher(s) ZHU, Jingxiang
The wave of globalization has significantly influenced the Pearl River Delta area through Hong Kong, establishing the so-called Greater Bay Area as a “global workshop” over the past four decades. In recent years, however, the iteration of digitalization and robotics, the slowdown of urbanization, and the tumultuous geopolitical conflicts have resulted in considerable challenges, including excess office space, a growing number of unemployed individuals, stagnant urban and rural environments, and imbalanced industries. The changes have compelled many foreign trade-oriented manufacturers in the Greater Bay Area to adopt new strategies. These include relocating manufacturing bases to reduce costs and evade tariffs, constructing warehouses and distribution centers globally to enhance efficiency, establishing improved exhibition venues to attract customers, creating better training centers to support clients, and evolving existing factories to meet new demands.
Changes in the built environment are primarily driven by CEOs, investors, and department managers; however, these shifts will inevitably influence various aspects relating to the physical environment, including supply chain stability, work efficiency, customer service, sales psychology, community development, and urban growth.
Architects have the opportunity to approach these changes with greater sensitivity and take a more proactive role in shaping development. By doing so, they can not only enhance fundamental aspects of design, such as spatial organization, complex functional rearrangements, and the integration of structural and electromechanical systems, but also pave the way for a new generation of practice. This approach enables them to expand the boundaries of the profession and engage more deeply with areas such as interior design, construction management, urban design, and community integration.
This master studio will focus on agile development methods, which are characterized by a human-centered, iterative, and progressive approach. This methodology breaks projects into several sub-projects, delivering usable results at each stage through short-cycle iterations, while also allowing for adjustments based on customer feedback and real-world insights. Agile development is gaining prominence as it enables rapid responses to market fluctuations and changing demands, facilitates swift product delivery through these short cycles, and enhances product quality through ongoing interaction and feedback. Additionally, it emphasizes teamwork, ultimately improving development efficiency.
