Weatherize

weather…Beyond media-perfect weather catastrophes, this studio researches issues of weather in our everyday culture and its effect on architecture.…newsBy now, every year has its millenium flood or hurricane. Or, any day could become the coldest or hottest day since temperature measurement – at least for that month. It4s the dryest summer or rainiest spring. . . . This inflation of weather extremes might be the effect of man made pollution or climate rhythms; in any case, it\’s always perfect news.…updateThis studio goes beyond weather extremes and their media attention, to look at weather and its relationship to everyday life. We will start by investigating certain relationships in order to understand the importance of weather as a cultural product. As a survey each student will become a specialist in one of the following topics. All material will be collected as a research tool for the entire studio:001. weather and media002. weather and business / shopping003. weather and infrastructure / travel004. weather and new materials005. weather and science / outer space / technology006. weather and tourism007. weather and health / psychology008. weather and entertainment / leisure009. weather and war010. weather and catastrophes / extremes011. weather and cultural production / film / literature / etc.012. ……outlookA quick sidestep will reformulate the boundary between inside and outside. If buildings are usually meant to protect us from unpleasant climate factors, the window is considered as a mediator between the interior and the exterior. This short design problem will redefine what we understand as window. A more complex understanding of weather elements and their relationship to the interior will provoke new window prototypes.…forecastBased on individual research each student defines a specific weather issue and its effect on architecture. Each project will frame a statement about the interdepencies and mechanisms of weather and our everyday culture. Projected into the future, this studio will redefine our understanding of program, comfort, efficiency, and other conventions.…reportThe scale of the design project is not relevant. Students will have to take position regarding the weather in our culture. Design projects can investigate various functional or performative programs as weather relevant issues in relation to an overall precise strategy. The final presentation will be a design project in connection to a survey of weather dependencies in our culture.Pedagogic ObjectivesThe purpose of this option studio is to adress the architectural consequences of a cultural phenomenon – weather. The complex interplay of architecture, economics, new media, and social relevance will guide us to understand weather as a driving productive force at this moment in time. Our weather culture is highly efficient in terms of entertainment and visual articulation. It will teach us how to communicate the design proposal in similar effectiveness with the help of different media. Completion RequirementsThe semester4s work is to be documented by conceptual studies, site and building models, a number of three-dimensional drawings as well as visuals in different media related to the conceptual strategy. The required time commitment is the usual for an option studio.