Aim
This course aims at providing the student with an introduction to different areas in contemporary architecture, such as building, room, interiors and furniture. By different methods we create new concepts which can be used when practising as an architect.

The students must be able to work with architecture, interior architecture and furniture based on larger scales – like urban or spatial context.

The course aims at stimulating the student to acknowledge his or her inner nature and develop the individual qualifications – to learn to handle and trust in your individual expression instead of curbing their ideas or just adhering to pre-existing rules. Each student should develop their own way to creative design and establish a personal attitude to design before they adjust their thinking to necessary technical processes.

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

• show an understanding of the creative architectonic process

• show an understanding of different factors an their appilcation

Skills and abilities
For a passing grade the student must

• actively take part in exercises and develop an experimental creative design process.

• actively be able to shape and explane your own creative processes and the application of those

Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must

• present drawings, models and description of conceptual ideas.

Contents
”To measure everything in relation to man” is an old and important concept in both architecture and design, as well as in our general view of the world. The work takes its stepping stone in the human being. Through analyses and creative adaptation of the human form, we define the spatiality that is the basis of architecture. Every aspect of the human being should be considered when designing. Not only the logic of function, technology and manufacturing, but also dreams, fantasies and instincts must have their part in the design.

As a result of spatial composition the building takes shape, after that furniture is conceived as part of it. The student chooses a fictional client, for example a literary character, an imaginary being or maybe him- or herself. This fictive client is cultivated into a strong character and is being analysed through concepts of dreams, desires and needs. Form this we draw the idea essence of a character. By relating to this fantasy character creative places are accessed which over wise might be shut for us, blocked by rational and functional pre-conceptions. To get a sense of proportion the fantasy character is presented in full scale. After that the student creates a landscape and a dwelling for the character. In this exercise character, feeling and concept is completely superior to convention, realism and rationality.

The spatial proposal is then adapted into something more real – a readable interior. From this spatial idea we find inspiration for furniture design: chair, table and lamp. These are made as full scale prototypes in authentic materials. In this way there we reconnect from furniture to spatiality and character. At this point a feasible architectural proposal is made.

The course ends with an exhibition where the student gets to practice how to present the different parts of their project as a whole.

Literature
Reference literature:
Futurisms / Katalog, utställning i Venedig. Palazzo Grass. Pompinai.
Bauhaus 1919-1933 by Magdalena Droste (Taschen, 1991)
Bauhaus by Jeannine Fiedler and Peter Feierabend (Könemann, 2000)
10x10 Crtitcs
GA Document: modern architecture 1920 – 1940
Architecture Now by Philip Jodido
Functional architecture: International style 1925-1940
Parallax by Steven Holl
Starck by Conway Lloyd Morgan
1000 Chairs (Taschen)
Deconstructivist Architecture by Philip Johnson and Mark Wigley (Little Brown & Co, 1988)
Violated Perfection by Aaron Betsky (Rizzoli, 1990)
New Spirit in Architecture by Peter Cook and Rosie Llewellyn Jones (Rizzoli, 1991)
And movies about:
Mies van der Rohe, I.M. Pei, Steven Holl, Bauhaus, Jean Nouvel, Guggenheim museum, Futurismen, Santiago Calatrava, Jörn Utzon, Alvar Aalto, Le Corbusier, Renzo Piano, Frank Gehry, Källemo, Bruno Mathsson, Funktionalsimen, Dekonstruktivismen, Frank Lloyd Wright