Welcome to
Interplay of Cultures Zanzibar Studio 2019
Interplay of Cultures studio (ARK-E2007, 10 cr), previously known as Cities in Transition, has shifted - or expanded - from Urban Design to Building Design. Now embracing its original name from the year of its inauguration in 1993, it encompasses all scales of architectural design.
This year, the Interplay of Cultures studio will take students to Zanzibar, Tanzania, to learn about the features of a foreign culture, and to work with disadvantaged local communities, NGO's and city authorities. The design tasks will be outlined in close collaboration with the City Planning Office of Zanzibar, scales varying from areal planning to building design.
The focus of the course is on community empowerment through participation, sustainable design solutions and culturally knowledgeable architecture. The course includes studies on local building traditions and materials, as well as social, economic and climatic characteristics of the local culture.
The course aims at providing the students with a wider perspective and understanding of the processes of the architectural practice when working in various cultural contexts. It also aims at developing the students' value system and sense of responsibility.
Timetable:
Studio teaching takes place on Mondays 13-17, period III-IV, spring 2019.
Field trip: A three-week field trip to Zanzibar, Tanzania, will take place in Jan-Feb 2019 (weeks 5-7). The field trip is mandatory to all participants. The costs of the field trip are on the students' own responsibility.
Prerequisites:
A Bachelor's Degree is a prerequisite for the course. In addition, the following courses are compulsory:
Period I: WAT-E3020 Â State of the World and Development (2 cr)
Period II: WAT-E2060 Sustainable Built Environment (5 cr)
Language of the course is English.
Applying for the Course:
The studio is open to Master’s Program students in architecture & landscape architecture, as well as students from Creative Sustainability Master’s Programme. Students can apply for the course by submitting a portfolio along with a motivation letter to Saija Hollmén by the end of Period I (26.10.2018), and by signing up on https://oodi.aalto.fi .
The portfolio and motivation letter are required from both Finnish and international students.
Maximum number of student accepted is 20.
Teachers:
Saija Hollmén, architect, lecturer, vice dean
Helena Sandman, architect
Taru Niskanen, architect