studio chahar
Travel Abroad: Urban Precedents in Context
Wentworth Institute of Technology. 2023. Senior level (ARCH 3800).
From the course syllabus: This travel-based seminar is an integral part of the Berlin semester-abroad program. Traveling with the course instructor to Switzerland and France, students will explore and analyze sites of architectural significance embedded within historical urban contexts and showcasing a provocative blend of cutting-edge technologies and traditional building methods rooted in diverse regions of the countries.
Students will explore a range of precedent buildings and investigate the surrounding urban fabric that played a pivotal role in shaping the buildings’ design. By observing, documenting, and assessing site conditions including natural and artificial features, students will analyze the relationship between the buildings and their users, adjacent structures, and the broader context. Additionally, the students will delve into the historical and cultural context while evaluating the contemporary relevance of architectural precedents, taking into account factors such as accessibility, inclusivity, and the underlying architectural concepts and philosophy. Additional class meetings will take place online after the travel period, allowing students to present the results of their urban and architectural precedent studies.
Final project, Precedents in Context: selected building analysis and documentation. Students created an architectural travelogue based on observations, documentation and analysis of two chosen precedents, studied in their respective context. They chose the sites from the places visited during travels to European cities. Using sketching, tracing, diagramming and memory mapping, they analyzed the unique characteristics, spatial organization and contextual relationships of the chosen precedents.
