Degree Show 2013
Private View - Thursday 23 May, 5pm - Late
Exhibition Continues 24 May - 7 June,
Weekdays 10am - 6pm
Weekends 12pm - 6pm
Charlie Smith recently presented a research paper titled ‘Fusing Technology and Design in the Studio’ at the Association of Architectural Educators’ first International Conference on Architectural Education, which was held at Nottingham Trent University on 4th and 5th April.
The inaugural conference sought to interrogate the studio and its pedagogical, professional and cultural context. Over the two days, fifty six papers were presented from 23 UK universities, and 21 institutions worldwide. Keynote speakers Reiner de Graf (OMA), Peter Cook and Thomas Dutton engaged their audiences with reflections on practice, studio and pedagogy.
Charlie’s abstract read:
The design studio is widely perceived as a melting pot of creative thinking – facilitating and nurturing the design process. Yet architectural education incorporates many other components that students frequently perceive to be peripheral at best, irrelevant at worst. There is a disconnect between the design work taking place in the studio environment and other fundamental elements of the curriculum taught in lecture rooms, seminars and workshops that undermines the pedagogic currency of the latter. At a time when architectural practice is increasingly influenced by real-world environmental agendas, this dissociation of technology and design devalues both.
This paper reflects on the methods used in a UK university to thoughtfully entwine technology and design, thereby heightening the legitimacy of both and giving them greater relevance to the student and the wider world of professional practice. By seeking a richer, symbiotic alignment of technology and design project work, this paper promotes technology as a legitimate strand of creative exploration within the design process itself. Consequently its importance within the spectrum of influences that exert themselves on an evolving design project will be increased.
The author identifies pedagogic issues that influence how students conceptualise the synthesis of technology and design project work. It is widely accepted that assessment practices drive learning, but other factors that impact upon students’ depth of learning include: learning environment, briefing, submission methods, and integrating work with competitions. These are critically evaluated in the context of pedagogic theory, and self-reflection on the author’s own practices within the design studio. Conclusions are drawn on their comparative impact, contributing to the discourse on project based learning, and which ultimately lead to a fundamental questioning of existing practices. Finally, the paper considers how adopting technology as a creative line of enquiry can strengthen the validity of the design studio to architectural practice.
Image courtesy of AAE.
LJMU visits the House of Lords
Dr Charlie Smith (Senior Lecturer Architecture), Damian Fearon (Principle Lecturer Built Environment) and Gill Smylie (Business Development Manager) travelled to London to attend a reception at the House of Lords hosted by former Education Secretary Lord Jim Knight of Weymouth. The event celebrated the achievements of children who have undertaken a project based curriculum “Design Engineer Construct!” designed and developed by Class Of Your Own (COYO), a North West based SME. The reception was followed by an invitation to visit the Institute of Civil Engineers. Among the audience was Sir John Parker, president of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
LJMU first engaged with COYO through the NW Innovation Voucher funding scheme (2009), which was designed to assist development and growth of SMEs. COYO tapped in to the expertise of Dr Charlie Smith whose research in profiling the lifecycle sustainability of urban dwellings is transferrable as a design tool to reduce the environmental impact of any given project, which informed the set of guiding principles underlining every schools’ project.
The scheme also enabled COYO to engage with the teacher education tutor team, under the leadership of Peter Horsfall, Head of Strategic Development of Teacher Education, at LJMU to develop a deeper understanding of teaching and learning, and the curriculum in schools. This assistance thus informed the development of the COYO project for schools which provided guidance for teachers to facilitate clear educational outcomes for children in a highly innovative, enterprising and engaging manner.
LJMU’s relationship with COYO has continued beyond the funding into an on-going dialogue in which COYO is able to share and explore developing ideas in educational practice and teaching and learning, and it is clear we share a common vision of best practice in engaging young learners and making learning real. It is clear that over the last three years COYO have made this vision a reality for many learners and have inspired schools that they have worked with to look at alternative approaches to curriculum design with real success.
We see great potential to build upon the current resources to meet the needs of Key Stage 3 pupils across the curriculum, and particularly as part of a broader vision of Design and Technology education which we believe should focus more on problem solving, and design and innovation.
Image courtesy of Class Of Your Own
Tansitions Symposium
Every year students on the Master of Research (MRes) in Art and Design present their research at a symposium in Tate Liverpool. This year’s students presented an exceptional and diverse range of topics related to the theme ‘Transition’ to a 50-strong audience of fellow students, academics and invited guests in the gallery’s Auditorium.
LJMU Architecture graduate Lizzie Edge presented a paper on the history of architectural exhibitions and analysed the development of the display of architecture through the study of significant exhibitions from the 19th century, most notably the first International Venice Architecture Biennale in 1980. Her paper, ‘Architectural Exhibitions: Historical Development of the Display of Architecture’ concluded that curating architecture had become its own form as it deepens public engagement in architectural practice.
Lizzie completed her BA (Hons) in 2009 and received her Masters in 2012. During her studies she developed a keen interest in exhibitions and curatorial practice. Her Masters of Architecture dissertation, entitled ‘The Biennial and the City’ reported on the Liverpool Biennial International Festival of Contemporary Art and focused on how the festivals and interventions produced have worked with the architectural culture of the city of Liverpool. Both the knowledge she acquired during the research of her previous study and her experience as a volunteer invigilator during the 2010 Liverpool Biennial expanded her inquisitiveness of exhibitions towards biennials.
This curiosity for exhibitions led her to co-curate the architecturally themed ‘Made in Liverpool’ exhibition in October 2011, which explored the future of Liverpool’s built environment and formed part of the Liverpool Design Festival. She gained valuable insight into the running of a large scale festival of architecture during a work placement, stewarding at the ‘Venice Takeaway’ Exhibition of the British Pavilion at the 13th Architecture Biennale. Lizzie’s MRes postgraduate thesis is a study of the display of architecture in exhibitions and biennials. On finishing the Masters in Research course, Lizzie hopes to develop her research onto PhD. level.
Forgotten Spaces Ideas Competition
Previously held in London, Newcastle and Sheffield, the competition is coming to the North West for the first time.
Full details are at www.architecture.com/forgottenspacespreston but key points are:
Deadline for registration – 27 March
Deadline for submission – 9 May
There is one-off administration fee for each entry which is non-refundable
Entrants can submit as individuals or as part of a group
Prizes are awarded for the top three places: 1st prize = £5000, 2nd prize = £2000 and 3rd prize = £1000.
Liverpool and the city region in the next 10 years
Max Steinberg OBE is the chief executive of Liverpool Vision, the city’s economic development company. Max will be talking candidly about the city’s transformation as it has developed so far: into a city of huge cultural significance; an award winning global brand with a competitive, knowledge and entrepreneurial business base; a city of highly skilled, talented and innovative people.
Max is always an entertaining and informative speaker so this event is not to be missed for anyone interested in the future of Liverpool and the city region.
Liverpool Vision was established at a critical stage during the city’s urban and economic renaissance. It has been pivotal in re-positioning and accelerating the considerable economic recovery and growth which has been witnessed over the last decade. Now the focus is on building a strong, sustainable economy which will compete more effectively in international markets than ever before.
Among many things, Max will provide insight into what lies ahead for the city region, including the International Festival of Business in 2014 and the Liverpool and Wirral Waters schemes.
Tickets are free but limited so please book ahead using the CMI event booking system.
http://cmieventmaintenance.managers.org.uk/EventViewer.aspx?id=7273
When: Wednesday 13 February, 18:00-19:30
Where: Large Lecture Theatre, Redmonds Building, Brownlow Hill, L3 5UG
This is an open event for students, staff, LJMU alumni and CMI members, so please pass this on to any friends or colleagues who you think may be interested in attending.
Golden Palms help reinvigorate Swansea’s high street
Previous Liverpool Biennial artist Sinta Tantra from Open Eye Gallery, unveils her most recent public art commission in Swansea, Wales.
“My practice sits in-between painting and architecture - its ‘painting on an architectural scale’. I see the work as an ‘overlay’ that heightens a sense of fantasy within the functional. “
A pair of six metre high, golden palm trees are part of the latest artwork to decorate Swansea’s High Street. Commissioned by arts charity Locws International as part of the city’s ‘Art Across The City’ scheme, Sinta Tantra’s ‘Greater Reality of Elsewhere’ spans across the external facade of 230 High Street above Volcano Theatre Company.
Tantra has painted geometric colour shapes overlaid with two giant golden palm trees, creating an ambiguous imagery that reflects her Balinese origin and Western upbringing.
“There are quite a few similarities between Liverpool and Swansea - both cities use art as a tool for urban regeneration. Although Swansea’s much smaller than Liverpool, there’s still the same ambition in commissioning artists to produce challenging works in the very heart of the city.”
’Art Across The City’, an exhibition of contemporary public art across the City of Swansea by International and UK-based artists, from 28 March - 12 May 2013. See www.locwsinternational.com.
Pushing Boundaries: Joe Morris, Duggan Morris Architects
The first of the 2013 ‘Pushing Boundaries’ events takes place on Wednesday 13 February when Joe Morris of multi-award winning practice Duggan Morris Architects will come to Liverpool to speak.
Duggan Morris Architects was established in 2004 and is a highly ambitious design led practice delivering projects of varying scale across numerous sectors, winning the 2011 RIBA Manser Medal and the 2012 RIBA Stephen Lawrence Prize.
Tickets are priced at £5 for RIBA members/students and £7 for others. To book contact Anna Johnson on 0151 703 0107 or anna.johnson@riba.org.
Event information:
Wednesday 13 February 2013, from 6pm
LJMU Art & Design Academy, Duckinfield Street, Liverpool L3 5RD.
RIBA North West would like to thank Links Project Management, Liverpool John Moores University and the Liverpool Architectural Society for their support of this event.
Celebrating innovation and creativity in the fields of architecture and design, the Pushing Boundaries series aims to bring to the North West individuals who are helping to shape the future of architecture and the world around us.
Projections exhibition a great success
Follow the link below to read more about it
http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/NewsUpdate/viewarticle/441/All
Follow the link below to see more photos of the opening evening
http://www.facebook.com/Architecture.LJMU#!/ProjectionsExhibition/photos_stream
