Tales Of Three Cities
The course work aims to inspire the students towards fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to comprehend urban places. It is an exploration of both literature and reality. The case study cities will be studied for a) the historic social significance over urban planning and design, b) the application of contemporary scenarios on to design and practice and c) spatial experience being the student as an explorer in the city. The process will enable the student to comprehend the translation from a) a theory into design and b) a design understanding into spatial experience in the urban context .
Project 1A : THEORIZING THE COLONIAL CITY
Aims to explore the case study cities through the ideas and theories prevailed in historical and contemporary times. The objectives are to: a) critically think on various approaches of urban design and b) enhance prevailing ideas of urbanism to acquire prior knowledge for the site visit to the case study cities. There will be class discussions on the debates on factors that drive the urban form, where the usage of online sources would be effectively practiced.
Project 1B : Journal on Sketches and Photographs
In the format of 5 photos and 5 sketches, students are expected to document the city spaces. This is a location based study to establish the relationships and roles of the three urban design elements, especially focusing on the urban structuring principles.
Georgetown is densely packed with shophouses, having a contrasting East and West area with different arrangement typologies, well planned grid pattern at the East side and the opposite at the West side.
The city hall of Georgetown was built during the British colonialism which features a British building style, which gives a sense of dominance, creating a historical evidence of the past of Penang.
The compact planning, narrow streets, alleys filled with activities, and five-foot-walkway, allows pedestrians to have a comfortable and exciting journey while exploring Georgetown by foot.
Georgetown is densely packed with shophouses, having a contrasting East and West area with different arrangement typologies, well planned grid pattern at the East side and the opposite at the West side.
Project 2 : Mapping The Townscape
The students are required to document the spatial form of the city to note the key spatial experience that is driven by the urban form and content. The objectives are: a) to characterize the urban forms through Serial Vision; b) to establish the relationships and roles of the three urban design elements and c) to identify DISTINCTIVE aspects or patterns in their layout offering to the characteristics of a ‘colonial city’. The students will be given with basic urban study techniques such as figure/ground, serial vision, collage city, space syntax, etc. Therefore the students are required to analyze and apply those techniques in order to evaluate the spatial (tangible) and/or social (intangible) patterns in the city.
Objectives & Learning Outcomes
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To experience the urban space and take part in urban life.
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To allow the students to explore the potentiality of space, form and their relationship to aspects of use and cultural meaning.
Citizenship and global pespectives
DIscipline specific knowledge
Lifelong learning
Thinking and problem solving skills