Art & the History of Art 209 - Space and Design II

Spring
2021
01
4.00
Rachael Cohen
TTH 01:30PM-04:30PM
Amherst College
ARHA-209-01-2021S
ONLI ONLI
rchase@amherst.edu
ARCH-209-01,ARHA-209-01

(Offered as ARCH 209 and ARHA 209) This course will be a design investigation of sustainable architecture. Students will research cutting edge innovations in green technology and present their findings through graphic boards and verbal presentations. They will then design their own systems for water collection, air filtration, energy capture, site strategies, and solar power. A design language will be developed through a series of rigorous design exercises and creative innovations, and will culminate in a building project. Students will further develop sketching, drafting and model-making skills both by hand and with the computer.

Spring 2021 will be fully online and synchronous, as we develop a creative process and practice. We will establish a dynamic workflow that will allow us to see all student work through a progressive online design portfolio that will be built throughout the course of the semester. Each student will commit to documenting all drawings and physical models with a light box, and developing photography, editing, and graphic design skills. These essential skills allow all architects and designers to show their work; we will take advantage of the needs of the current situation to push those skills forward as a core part of the process, rather than an afterthought. This will allow us to be “closer” even as we are remote; we can all look at each students work on a full screen, up close, and to see each other’s faces as we discuss ideas. Guest critics will attend two virtual reviews during the semester, allowing students to present their work to design professionals and professors and get direct feedback on their architecture as well as their graphic design and verbal presentation skills.

The two three-hour class periods are essential and required work time each week, plus additional work time outside of class hours. We will be online for the duration of the three-hour class, just as we would be in studio. During a work session, students can choose to listen to other design conversations or to wear headphones, but their workspace will remain on camera.

Each student will be sent a ‘Studio Box’ that will include all tools and materials needed for the class. Students will have everything they need to create a studio space wherever they may be - in a dorm room, or at home - and they must commit to making this space a priority. Even though remote, the studio will still be a synchronous shared studio and attendance is mandatory for the full class period.

 Requirements:
+ Camera / Phone with Camera

+ Designated desk space for studio setup

+ Laptop with Webcam to show workspace

+ Reliable internet for class sessions

(Laptops and hotspots are available through IT for students who need one)

 

Materials Fee: $75
This includes all physical model making and drawing supplies.

Tool Box Deposit: $75
Each student will be shipped a box containing all tools they will need to set up their studio and make architecture. At the end of the semester, each student will be responsible for shipping the Tool Box back to the Coll

Permission is required for interchange registration during all registration periods.