Project II: Atelier Sergison

Over the course of the academic year, we will be working on housing projects in two very different urban centres, Athens and Venice. In the Spring semester we will work on a number of sites in Venice. We consider this a form of propositional planning and our aim is to generate realistic design proposals. Our work will focus on contemporary affordable housing and should take account of the rich and significant architectural heritage of the city. We will consider strategies that could be adopted to achieve densification and solutions to current housing needs. 
As in previous semesters, we will make careful surveys of existing buildings. We hope that accurately recording existing examples will inspire solutions rooted in place and in local building culture. 
Working in pairs, students will develop an urban strategy plan, which will then be refined and detailed more precisely. To assist us, we will rely on a panel of experts including architects, planners, and people with experience of building and assessing architectural proposals critically. 

Working in pairs, students are expected to develop comprehensive design proposals for a site in Venice. Projects should aim to create a coherent urban strategy which will then be tested and refined at a larger scale. A study trip is planned in the first weeks of the semester, and students are invited to survey the area of the city in which they will be working. This could take the form of a short film. A second survey will involve making a photographic record and producing a set of drawings. Most of the semester will be devoted to developing proposals for a housing project for a site in Venice. 

In presence

Surveys will be one of the key tools for developing projects, using references as a conceptual basis. This is part of a working method that places emphasis on learning from examples, built or unbuilt, and relies on interpretation and adjustment to produce convincing projects. 
Throughout the semester, lectures will be offered on relevant topics and themes to inform the work. 

Final reviews.