some notes on the work ahead

To all: Thanks for the fine works untill now. Keep up the pace, by completing the many different viewpoints and urban investigations that you started with. Do not try to invent any new stuff in the last minute, keep an open eye and form for what your material might be about.

Try to make the connections between the urban context and situation(s) of the embedded location(s) and some of the Almeningerne. There might not be any new functional project to show, but instead your personal view(s) on Nordnes: a study in urban matters.

Afterwards one is always more informed. (and, in the blazing headlights of hindsight, you will all make it even better, next time ;-)

Next post on Sunday about the form and shedule of the reviews. Thomas back at BAS on Monday by 11.

recap on DAV activities and links

A short closing for the DAV activities with links to the material and process
DAV one (eva) click here and DAV two (andrea) click here.

Short urban quizz

How would you describe the similarities betwen the floor of Piazza San Marco in Venice and some of the plazas/waterfronts by Roberto Burle-Marx? What is characteristic for the urban plazas by Burle-Marx?

Could some of the above be compared with an Nordnes Almening? How?
(samples of images and some text , A4 portrait; at stake: one set of rubber stamps)

In the mean time ;-)

While you might restitute from the culinary delights of christmas dinners (so sorry we could not attend) here are two videos that might be of interest, however oblique to nordnes. enjoy! (if you have the time
and: see you on tuesday 09:15, all in studio space.

William H. Whyte - Social Life of Small Urban Places from Robin van Emden on Vimeo.

Local Code / Real Estates from Nicholas de Monchaux on Vimeo.

It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

now that we are nearing the end of the course, try going through your material (also your fellow students') and ask yourself one simple question:

which of the material does seem to have "that swing"

(whatever that might be) it is not a question of "why" or "what does it mean" but simply of "swing" what would architectural swing be, then? try finding those clues, and follow up with more work, then repeat, and repeat again.

same, same but different.

build up your knowledge of what should become your urban proposal for a nordnes mini utopia. (mini and utopia are the clues here) ; for those of you with broader visions, go for the larger scale.

for next week we expect from all:

reworked flyers for the proposal (title, subtitle , 300 words, paratext)

paratext: name, date institution, course.

much more material, structured;

for those that have not made any models yet: get going, your late.
(and ... do come back with more! > click here)

PS:
:-) to hear that swing , click here

what is a topic, anyway & topos btw?

Each one of you has allready established (through your works) some sort work topic, or topic(s). Try ellaborating some more through those filters and see things through this optics....no need of inventing something, just adjust your materials in categories... do it architecturally.

Here is a link to some of these aristoteleian terms, to be used for writing... maybe they could help to produce more work(s) without words, yet knowing what some structure could be.( link in norwegian)
More in depth link in english here 

on how to proceed (next)

1/thank you! (nice works) 2/take it easy(good karma) 3/continue working (steady, steady) 4/ somehow there is nothing to solve (it is just a proposal) 5/enjoy producing architectural material that thinks (reflecting by being the way it is) 6/ your conversation are through the material, not through rational wordings or intentions (intentions are always good- produce deeds not talk) 7/ remember it is and will remain hypothetical work (could as well be a dream - day dream then) 8/ inquire, inform and share (the more you do the more you get) 9/ classify your material in various chapters/topics/categories - reshuffle as needed.

while you do so, you might as well have fun manufacturing a short flyer (a page or two A4) with some illustrations about your endavours (so far) and what direction they might lead to....
thus: chose a title and a subtitle some illustrations (that you allready have) and a about 2- 300 words about what your work is about (on the personal embedded architecture, on the urban proposal for one or more almeninger)

hint: refrain from explaining what the work's process is or will be/ refrain from trying to explain what the work will end with (that will be seen at the end)
instead you could formulate the whole thing as an attempt at .... or to..... urban conditions...architectural issues.... 

we take a look at your material and the flyer on tuesday with morefeed-back on wednsday..
NB! those of you that did not participate in the mid-term reviews should present on tuesday morning !

if time is, thomas will give a short talk with slides on architectural representation(s)