Syllabus Information

5.1. Methodological overview

The development of the design exercises is weekly guided  by teachers. The learning process is based on a continued training.  The teaching methodology is based on experimentation and personal research, logically guided and nourished with the resources provided by teachers. The creative process is not understood as a copy, it is rather thought as the continuation of exemplary projects. The student is provided with a specific bibliography directly related to the proposed topics. Each student must analyze these projects performing interpretive sketches in his personal notebook.

5.2. Learning tasks

Theory lectures, one hour per week. The lesson, addressed to all students, will be based on issues related to the proposed exercise. These classes are intended to illustrate and form the visual intelligence of the student.

Design reviews in the Workshops, individualizad on the work of each student. These critics will be conducted in small groups of 15 students, so that the student may participate in the comments, not only about his/her project, but on the other classmates.

Design critics. For the whole class these sessions are conducted referring to selected projects that can enlighten all students.

Intermediate and final jurys, involving external professors.

Visit to external centres.

5.3. Syllabus

The program strikes the subject of the structure and its involvement in the definition project. Beyond the obvious mechanical properties of a structure this studio tries to face the student with a program in which the design of the structure has a special significance in the spatial definition. This does not necessarily mean having to resort project with long spams. Any project that deepens in constructive and spatial parameters of the structure is appropriate.

The program includes the following topics:

- The structural order as a determinant parameter of architecture

- Clarity of structure in the configuration of the work of architecture

- Structural, constructive and perceptive strategies in the relationship between structure and enclosure

- Structure and new materials

- New contemporary strategies: structural density or dissolution

5.4. Course planning and calendar

Each of the two exercises is publicly presented to all students in the first week. The presentation includes the reference to the main objectives.

Each project is developed in seven weeks, with weekly theory lessons for the whole group.

Students are divided in groups, as many as necessary, being optimal a maximum of fifteen students per professor.

Each exercise will have an intermediate presentation.

Final presentations will be evaluated following common criteria developed by the professor in charge of the subject.

A final jury will be conducted for the whole class. 

5.5. Bibliography and recommended resources

• Paricio Ansuategui, Ignacio. La vivienda contemporánea : programa y tecnología / Ignacio Paricio, Xavier Sust ; con la aportación documental de, Pascal Amphoux ... [et al.] y las sugerencias de, Josep Lluís Mateo ... [et al.] . - 2ª ed., 2ª reimp. Barcelona : Institut de Tecnologia de la Construcció de Catalunya, 2004
• Zamora i Mestre, Joan Lluís. Proyectar la arquitectura desde la coordinación dimensional / Joan Lluís Zamora i Mestre ; con la colaboración de José Fernández Rodríguez, Xavier Soriano Gabarró, Lorena Bello Gómez ; bajo la dirección de Fructuós Mañà  i Reixach Barcelona : Institut de Tecnologia de la Construcció de Catalunya, 2004