France: From Horizontal to Vertical

About this Travel Course

This Advanced Studio will be interdisciplinary - including the Departments of Interior Architecture (INTAR), Textiles, and Architecture. Students will focus on the articulation of interior acoustical surfaces - the design and prototyping of ceilings and other partitions. These surfaces will be made from materials that are interchangeable and easy to replace and repair. We will look at the ideas of recyclability and replace-ability as concepts for conserving our natural resources and changing our environments. In addition, we will confront the fact that the ceiling interacts with active performance systems (such as lighting, HVAC, etc.)

We will investigate the idea of a performative ceiling and wall partition. Students will:

1. Develop acoustical and light-transmitting surfaces, both horizontal and vertical, that will improve upon conventional construction.
2. Be asked to reconcile lightweight wall assemblies with the need for acoustical mass and thickness.
3. Study the light-reflecting and light-transmitting properties of materials as well as the manipulation of space and form in order to direct incident light.
4. Rethink traditional ceilings and vertical partitions in order to gain new functionalities and improve upon acoustic and spatial performance.
5. Explore the recyclable and replaceable properties of materials, such as wet felt, fiberglass and textiles.

We will examine the design processes and thinking that comes out of re-use and we will be designing for a process of evolution. We will propose the configurability of space over time - the possibility to assemble, disassemble and reconfigure components - and to demonstrate the variability of its construction. The final project will be a full-scale spatial prototype, assembled and displayed at the Domaine de Boisbuchet in Southwest France, within an unfinished 18th century castle.

Student + Faculty Stories

Read more about this travel course : From Horizontal to Vertical