ARTS-E1000 - ARTS Summer School, Lecture, 6.8.2023-21.8.2023
This course space end date is set to 21.08.2023 Search Courses: ARTS-E1000
Site analysis
Aim:
The aim of the assignment is to produce background information about the Aalto University campus in Otaniemi. The campus will provide the site for the projects produced during the summer school. The students will work on the assignment in groups based on their institutions. Each group will be assigned one aspect of the campus to study. Each group will study the campus area as well as draw connections to the surrounding city.
Site:
Otaniemi campus is located in the City of Espoo at the border of Helsinki. The campus is located between the Laajalahti bay, Laajalahti nature reserve and the Keilaniemi and Tapiola neighborhoods.
The southern limit of the campus is the Kuusisaarentie street and in the west the Ring I highway. In the north the campus is bordered by the Laajalahti nature reserve. The students can define where to draw the border of the campus across the nature reserve in their investigations.
This area will serve as the site for the students’ design tasks so the site analysis should cover at least this area. In addition to this framing the students can draw connections from the campus to the city around it.
Output:
The findings should be presented through maps, graphs and areal sections depending on the aspect under analysis. The material should be submitted as an A3 PDF –presentation on MyCourses by July 31st. The amount of pages depends on the amount of materials the groups produce.
Each group will present their site analysis in a 5-minute presentation on the first week of the summer school. The presentation should be self-explanatory so that the other students can study the material throughout the summer school.
Group work:
Students will work in groups based on their home institution. The groups will study the following aspects of the campus:
Group 1. Aalto: FAUNA, NONHUMAN RESIDENTS
What species of animals and vegetation can are common and can dominating species be found in Otaniemi? How do they use the campus? Represent the living environment of nonhuman species through maps and diagrams.
Group 2. Aalto: LANDSCAPE CHARACTERISTICS
Synthesize the important landscape characteristics of the campus: important views, spatiality of the landscape (open, closed, semi closed spaces in the landscape), important borders, landscape nodes and centers, most significant pathways, landscape inventory (RKY-alueet, VAMA, historical monuments, nature reserves), damage on landscape.
Synthesize the important landscape characteristics of the campus in maps, graphs and diagrams.
Group 3. Versailles: LANDSCAPE CULTURAL HISTORY
How was the land used historically? How has the land use changed and what has been the role of human impact. Identify culturally significant landscapes and milieus on campus. What are the values of the campus landscape?
Study the land use historically through old maps and aerial photos. Identify culturally significant landscapes and milieus on campus, locate them in the map and illustrate them.
Group 4. AHO: TOPOGRAPHY / AREAL SECTIONS
What are the different landscape levels in Aalto University Campus? Represent the topography of the campus through areal sections of places you find interesting in terms of the topography.
Group 5. Monterrey: BUILT ENVIRONMENT: FUNCTIONS, SERVICES
What functions do the buildings on campus serve? Which buildings serve Aalto University? Where is housing located? What services such as shops, restaurants, public services etc. can be found on campus?
Identify the functions that the different buildings serve on campus. Illustrate how these functions are connected together and who they serve. Locate these typologies on a stylized map and utilize legends for explanations.
Group 6: Parsons: BUILT ENVIRONMENT: ARCHITECTURE, MATERIALS
What building and neighborhood typologies are present on Aalto University campus? Describe the scale and positioning of the buildings. Is the campus plan open or closed? What materials are the buildings constructed from and what facade materials are used?
Identify characteristic building materials, architecture typologies and neighbourhood structures prevalent in Otaniemi and illustrate them on maps, diagrams, pictures, sketches etc.
Group 7. SUTD: ZONING: PLANS FOR THE CAMPUS
What regulatory restrictions are prevalent on campus and how does it affect the built environment? What are the plans for campus development in the future? Represent the most important principles of zoning in maps or diagrams. Represent the future plans and projects of your choosing through pictures and short summaries.
Group 8. RCA: TRAFFIC, CIRCULATION, CONNECTIVITY
What transportation infrastructure exists in Otaniemi and how does it connect to Helsinki and the rest of Espoo? Which are the current traffic solutions and what public transport alternatives are available? How are bike lanes planned in relation to roads and sidewalks? How are parking places arranged on campus?
Produce a map showing the traffic infrastructure in Otaniemi. Illustrate the circulation of different transportation modes, transportation nodes and parking places through maps and diagrams.
Group 9. Delft: PUBLIC SPACE, RECREATIONAL AREAS, URBAN LIFE
Identify the most important public spaces and places for urban life and recreation on campus. Describe the land ownership on campus. How much of the land is open to public and how much is privatized. What are the most important recreational areas and functions on campus? Describe the findings through maps, diagrams and other methods of your choosing.
Produce
a collection of collages capturing the essence of a selection of public spaces
and recreational areas in Otaniemi. Compare
these against each other and document the differences. Illustrate
the division of public and private land, including the most important public
spaces and recreational areas through maps, diagrams, collages, illustrations etc.
Group 10. Warsaw: LIVING ON THE CAMPUS - NOW AND FUTURE NEEDS, DEMOGRAPHICS
What could a day in Otaniemi look like for different individuals? Who lives here and what are the demographics? Who is Otaniemi designed for and how could the area develop to be more inclusive?
Identify
the lifestyles made possible in Otaniemi and produce collages and resident
profiles with attached narratives. Study
the demographics and daily life of residents on campus through graphs,
illustrations, sketches etc. Produce
a map of elements that make the campus inclusive or exclusive to certain groups.
Group 11. Polimi: CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT / AGES OF BUILDINGS
How has the campus developed throughout the years? What buildings were on campus before the university? What buildings were part of the original Alvar Aalto campus plan? What are the most significant later layers on campus? Represent the ages of the buildings and the most significant historical layers through maps and diagrams. Shortly introduce the most important landmarks of the campus.