university of Oregon - school of architecture and allied arts - department of architecture
analog / digital studio – arch 484/584 fall 00 – prof. nancy cheng
- To reflect on what makes up a community
- To work on making the class a working community
- To develop research methods that stimulate thinking
- To develop web presentation skills that invite dialogue
Your challenge is to create a web report on a research topic that reflects your own thoughts about community. To gain practical experience in enhancing community, you are to work in groups to develop the report and plan its integration into a class website.
You will be assigned to be in one of the following four groups. All groups are to focus down their search by deciding on a list of essential questions. Some possibilities are below. Each web report should give your preliminary answers to the most essential question(s), explain areas for further research and include a rated list of Weblinks with explanatory notes. The reports should be useful class resources and seeds for further exploration.
How do people in Brookings communicate with each other? Where are the current gathering places? What issues polarize the town into groups? What do people in Brookings identify as making the town unique? What aspects of the town’s physical environment enhance or deter community? Where is the best place for a community center? (Plan to include information gathered on the site visit)
What was the original vision for Brookings? How did Maybeck’s urban plan foster community? What influenced his thinking about community planning? What remains of the Maybeck Brookings legacy? What are ways we can relate to historical precedents today? (see
What are the key program elements in a community center? How are they spatially related in successful projects? What should a community center look like? What should it do? Who should it serve? What is makes a successful community center and how does it differ according to cultural conventions? (find strong examples locally and internationally)
What devices can be used to foster communication and interaction between a large group of people? How can people leave a mark for others? Can designed devices in the environment connect disparate people? How have artists’ creative visions enhanced the ways people interact? What about the cultural context makes them succeed?
GROUP PROCESS (in class):
As a large group, the studio needs to figure out the following things:
- What will the web page graphics look like? (have a few people sketch up some possibilities, then vote on the most promising two or three to be created as mock-ups)
- What should the structure of the website be like? What information should we plan for in the future?
- How can we streamline the workflow from individuals to small groups to the large group?
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE
1. Search information sources including periodical indices, online databases and the Web
2. Gather relevant articles, noting references & links. Narrow your focus as you find an area of interest.
3. Select the most critical topics, aspects or issues; note your impressions & questions
4. Plan your web structure & file naming conventions
5. Thumbnail page layout possibilities, create graphics to make a template page
6. Create individual pages with text and graphics
7. Check pages: spelling, links, navigation hierarchy
Note: Uploading other people’s images or words onto your site is NOT acceptable unless you have previously received permission. You may include thumbnail images or short quotes that give reference to the original sources.
The first week will be spent planning and researching the small group topics, the second week we’ll be working on integrating the collected topic and site information into the website.
Hand-out: Monday, September 25, 2000
Progress report: Friday, Sept 29, 2000 (followed by GoLive lab session)
Site visit: Saturday, Sept 30, 2000
Website presentation: Friday, Oct. 5, 2000