ARC3015YF
Fall 2024 Option Studio
Instructor: Eiri Ota
Meeting Section: L0106
Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., 2:00-6:00 p.m.

The studio explores the theme "Impersonation: Being a Child" in architectural design, focusing on the importance of understanding and incorporating the perspectives of children throughout the design process. This approach challenges traditional design practices that often prioritize conceptual, and regulatory concerns over user experience. By drawing on the parable of the "Blind Men and the Elephant," which demonstrates how fragmented viewpoints can lead to incomplete understandings, the studio highlights the need to integrate multiple perspectives to achieve a more holistic view of design challenges.

Reinterpreting the parable with children as designers reveals their unique approach to the design process. Children often start with specific, fragmented ideas that gradually coalesce into a coherent whole, reflecting a rhizomatic, non-hierarchical method of understanding. This approach emphasizes creativity and individual logic, which the studio aims to harness to inform and enrich architectural design. The studio’s methodology involves generating small-scale design concepts, expanding and refining them through iterative processes, and continuously shifting between the designer’s and children’s viewpoints. This process helps to create designs that embody both individual creativity and collective insights.

The project site is located on Wards Island, Toronto, a historically significant area known for its car-free environment and small-scale architecture. These site characteristics present unique challenges and opportunities for creating a design that engages children effectively. The design brief calls for a four-season space that captivates and inspires children through sensory and imaginative experiences. Proposed features include a children’s library with a playground and a café. The emphasis on child-centric design underscores the importance of incorporating diverse, user-oriented perspectives to develop innovative and contextually sensitive architectural solutions that cater to the needs and imaginations of young users.

Term Structure

Week 1: Analyze the site, research precedents, and study the program.

Week 2-3: Develop fragmented small ideas and finalize the program.

Week 3-7: Create, connect, and gradually expand ideas.

Week 8-11: Collaborate to formulate and refine the final image.

Week 12-: Edit the design concept and produce presentation materials.