Notebook III - School of Architecture - The Chinese University of ...

notebook
Notebook III
2 This is the third working notebook of the due general consideration to all. The thesis is of the studios. It is also conducted in a number
3
architecture programme. It describes the
programme in its present state as it has developed
since its inception in 2001.
During this development the fundamental
structure and ideas have remained much
the same and have continued to provide a
common ground in the department for teaching,
research, and discourse at all levels.
In design, teaching has continued in the four
primary studios: habitation, urbanization, technics,
and tectonics, with participation in all four
from all levels of students.
However, the experiences of the year have led
to two further developments.
1. Research on the position of each studio is
explicitly recognized as the basis for teaching,
leading to greater articulation of the historical,
theoretical, and critical foundations of the
studio. A series of seminars / presentations
based on this research accompanies the
design programme of each studio.
2. A greater distinction is made between
the undergraduate and graduate work. The
graduate student is expected to have fulfilled
the design requirements of all four primary
studios and be able to design from a focused
position – of any of the studios, but with
expected to present an articulate personal
position in design which can be presented
theoretically and practically in terms of “primary
positions” such as the four in the undergraduate
programme.
In humanities, the courses more clearly
present the relationship between history,
theory, and criticism. Each course in the
undergraduate programme engages all three
areas, while in the graduate programme elective
courses deal with these in a more specialized
manner.
In technology, the distinction between courses
in construction, structures, and environment
is addressed in the graduate programme in
specialized courses and separate subjects with
their distinct body of theory. In the undergraduate
programme, issues in these areas are
presented as aspects of one unified subject:
technology. This emphasizes the unity of technological
considerations in the real building
while recognizing that advanced study requires
specific theoretical knowledge of each one.
Research has gained a clearer position in the
programme as a whole. The programme of
teaching is supported by a parallel programme
of research. Both are based on the same ideas
and structure in architecture and education.
The research is not only integral to the work
of research units. These form a group which
supports the teaching programme particularly
at the graduate level, and conducts funded
research and development.