Henning Martin-Thomsen

This study trip goes to Denmark, the southernmost of the three Scandinavian countries (Sweden and Norway are the other two). The title `MAKING WITH FIRE¿ alludes to the particular focus on art, architecture, and design based on clay, whether it be ceramics or architecture, traditional or contemporary, all of which there is ample evidence of in Denmark. The primary base will be the capital, Copenhagen, consistently ranked as one of the world's most livable cities. We will also venture to the western parts of Denmark as well as to Southern Sweden for further explorations of clay and brick in all its manifestations, experience the varied landscapes and cities of the region, and study how culture, climate, landscape, and resources inform art, architecture, and design¿on-site, in studios, in galleries, and in museums.

Highlights include the CLAY Museum in Middelfart, the brick cathedral in Ribe, one of the oldest towns in Scandinavia established in the 8th century, the renovated 13th-century brick Koldinghus Castle, the brand-new LEGO House in Billund by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels/BIG, filled with 25 million LEGO bricks and full of fun and exciting activities, and a visit to the equally new Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Odense (yes, the renowned author of fairy tales) by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. On the itinerary is also a one-day visit to Southern Sweden and the stellar St. Petri Church by brick master architect, Sigurd Lewerentz, and the city of Lund, founded around the year 990. In addition a string of studio, gallery, and museum visits will help us dive into the art, architecture, and design of Denmark. We will be creative and have a lot of fun including playing with LEGO bricks and enjoying the very special Midsummer Evening festivities with singing and bonfires¿`MAKING WITH FIRE¿ as it were. You don¿t want to miss out on this study trip.

This study trip goes to Denmark, the southernmost of the three Scandinavian countries (Sweden and Norway are the other two). The title `MAKING WITH FIRE¿ alludes to the particular focus on art, architecture, and design based on clay, whether it be ceramics or architecture, traditional or contemporary, all of which there is ample evidence of in Denmark. The primary base will be the capital, Copenhagen, consistently ranked as one of the world's most livable cities. We will also venture to the western parts of Denmark as well as to Southern Sweden for further explorations of clay and brick in all its manifestations, experience the varied landscapes and cities of the region, and study how culture, climate, landscape, and resources inform art, architecture, and design¿on-site, in studios, in galleries, and in museums.

Highlights include the CLAY Museum in Middelfart, the brick cathedral in Ribe, one of the oldest towns in Scandinavia established in the 8th century, the renovated 13th-century brick Koldinghus Castle, the brand-new LEGO House in Billund by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels/BIG, filled with 25 million LEGO bricks and full of fun and exciting activities, and a visit to the equally new Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Odense (yes, the renowned author of fairy tales) by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. On the itinerary is also a one-day visit to Southern Sweden and the stellar St. Petri Church by brick master architect, Sigurd Lewerentz, and the city of Lund, founded around the year 990. In addition a string of studio, gallery, and museum visits will help us dive into the art, architecture, and design of Denmark. We will be creative and have a lot of fun including playing with LEGO bricks and enjoying the very special Midsummer Evening festivities with singing and bonfires¿`MAKING WITH FIRE¿ as it were. You don¿t want to miss out on this study trip.

The Intermediate Design Studio in the accredited professional graduate degree emphasizes the capacity of buildings, interior space and urban interiors to engage and make tangible the opportunities inherent to diversity, change and the temporal occupation of space and time.

Course Goals and Objectives include developing an understanding of how diversity and temporal or contingent conditions inform architectural space making, form and program. These questions are explored through the design or adaptive re-use of a medium sized building accommodating 100 occupants, sited in a culturally diverse and historically complex context. The design exploration needs to provide evidence of a deep understanding of the ethical and social responsibilities of the architect, of human behavior in a context governed by diversity and change and translated into a design proposition of a contextually sensitive building ? while addressing site conditions, accessibility, building services and systems and user well-being.

Student performance criteria (SPC) that address the most recent National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) requirements will be highlighted and form part of the coursework outcomes.

Readings, textual and visual case studies and site visits will vary, but always provide the background and theoretical grounding for the site and project analysis and final project development and representation.

Project work is a cumulative archive of the process of problem analysis and design exploration that are translations of observations, facts and ideas ? all being made visible through diagrams, drawings and models. Parts of the semesters work will be conducted in groups and which will contribute to individual project work presented in a final critique.

Comprehensive design studio incorporates cultural and program analysis, systems analysis and principled component choice, and the design and documentation of a very complete building. Course Goals and Objectives 1) Design culture: methods of integration and information synthesis in contemporary architectural design. 2) Design practice: advanced design methods, emphasizing feasibility, and comprehension through the design of a large building with an extensive systems integration challenge. 3) Design techniques and skills: develop an advanced level of architectural representation, with an emphasis on analysis, plans, sections and elevations, and model construction.

This is a comprehensive design studio focused on a complex building design and its systems. Three milestone critiques during the semester are also punctuated with nine project assignments that interface with the project development.