ARCHDES 300 | DESIGN 5 | TOPIC OUTLINE | SEM 1 2021

Design 5 presents an introduction to complex architectural thinking. It

examines both conceptual and exceptional spaces and develops an
understanding of corresponding architectural methodologies and systems.
Topics will explore the cutting edge of architecture, with an individual
emphasis on the theoretical, contextual, architectonic, communicative,
material, spatial, sociological or topographical.

Naomi Vallis
Kia ora, I recently submitted my MArch(Prof) thesis at the School of
Architecture and Planning, the University of Auckland. My research
examined the migration and transportation of architectural styles from
South Asia to Aotearoa. I am also interested in hybrdidity in architecture,
that can contribute to diverse approaches to design thinking. During my
study, I also contributed as a co-author to an interdisciplinary publication on
“Seismic retrofitting of Māori wharenui in Aotearoa New Zealand”; This was
published in the Royal Society Journal in London.

The Architectural Monster

Fig.1 North-western portion of the Cartography from Olaus Magnus’s “Carta

Marina.” (Cartography Map by Olaus Magnus. Carta Marina, from The Most
Important Sea Monsters of the Sixteenth Century, “Sea Monsters on Medieval
and Renaissance Maps,” Fig.66.)
GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION

Course : Design 5 ARCHDES300

Points Value: 30 points
Course Director: Andrew Douglas:
andrew.douglas@auckland.ac.nz
Course Co-ordinator: Uwe Rieger: u.rieger@auckland.ac.nz
Studio Teacher: Naomi Vallis
Contact: nval371@aucklanduni.ac.nz
Location: Level 4 Studio
Hours: Monday and Thursday 1:00-5:00pm

For all further general course information see the ARCHDES300

COURSE OUTLINE in the FILES folder on CANVAS.

The Architectural Monster

What is an architectural monster? What is a monster in relation to

architecture? What is the role of the architectural monster in Aotearoa?

In his text “Monsters in Architecture: Anthropomorphism in

Architectural Theory”, Marco Frascari defines the built environment
as a monster, an architectural offspring of the multiple socio-
political, cultural, historic contexts that exist around us. Each of these
parts have a significant role in defining the final representation. Thus,
the architectural monster is a tool for representing diversity.

This paper above undertakes an speculative, experimental investigation

of the following three questions. It specifically calls for an investigation of
the types of hybrid buildings present in our environment. In essence, this
studio encourages the use of the architectural monster consciously, as a
tool for designing for hybridity.
 Context

With increasing globalization, migration trends, and an ever-evolving

society, architecture needs to reflect this diversity in the public spaces of
Aotearoa. As such we will explore how architecture is built upon the
existing associations between people, place, and contexts.

The primary modes of architectural representation will include but are

not limited to collage, 3D printing, and digital modelling. Through
continuous creative production, students will consider: how
can architectural media express the narrative of the design, and
intentions of the designer? Both building and methodology will have to
work hand-in hand to convey the final representation.

Students will consciously design for hybridity, as a means of examining

what the future civic infrastructures could look like.

“Buildings are cultural texts that are generated by assembling

fragments, excerpts, citations, passages, and
quotations.” -Marco Frascari, 1991.

Fig.2 Hybrid building section collage. Here architecture is formed from the patchwork of textures, contexts and cultures
Original Project Selection, Site & Programme

Students are expected to pick three architectural monsters, one from

within Auckland and one outside of Auckland, or globally. Students are
also able to pick their own site of the two provided below:

• Dominion Road, Mount Eden

• Sandringham Road, Mt Eden

TOPIC STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

The following design paper focuses on continuous making that is to be

used to determin the final design outcome. Hence outside of class
sessions students are expected to draw, model or use any other
medthology to create.

Output

The aim of the project is to speculate on hybrid possibilities , with

reference to the site contexts. Each of these factors, and the medthology
of representation must support each other during the process. The
project requires three design outputs that become intertwined,
culminating with the final representation:

1) Investigate the architectural monsters that exist within Auckland

(micro) and around the globe (macro).
2) Explore a number of methodologies/media that can be used to
represent or assemble architecture.
3) Application of the investigated architectural monsters and design
methodologies for creating your own architectural monster,
appropriate to the site and proposed programme.
4) Representing these findings through physical creative process (i.e
hand-made, Lasercut, or 3D printed models.)

NOTE: Students are expected to be present for class and class crits at
1:00pm each Monday and Thursday. All work is expected to be
completed and ready for presentation before class starts.
Week Date Event

Week 1 Mon 1.3 12pm All architecture meeting, Exhibition

Space. 2pm-3pm Design 5 studio selection.

Thu 4.3 Design 5 Studio classes commence, level 4

studio.
Introduction to the brief & architectural
monster.
Suggested readings, analysis of an
architectural monster and a mythical
monster.
Week 2 Mon 8.3 Review of readings, monsters, and
architectural monsters.
Presentation on types of architectural
monsters.
Student precedent research of x3
architectural monsters.

Thu 11.3 Review of architectural monsters, and x3

architectural monster precedents.
Students to form own cultural mapping of
monsters in Auckland with appropriate
medthology.

Week 3 Mon 15.3 Reviews of student mapping of monsters

Students to to create their own
architectural monster (s). Plans, section and
elevation to be provided for each.

Thu 18.3 Review of students plans, sections and

elevations of architectural monsters.
Presentation on both sites.
Students to choose a site and research into
the surrounding contexts. How would the
site be approporiate for your monster?

Week 4 Mon 22.3 Student presentations of chosen site and

site context.
Thu 25.3 First presentation on medthologies of
conceiving hybrdidity in design.
Students start concept design.
Week 5 Mon 29.3 Second presentations on concept
modelling/image making.
Students continue with concept design
exploration in section, plan elevation and
model making.

Thu 1.4 Presentation on design outputs for mid-

semester crit and model making.
MID-SEMESTER BREAK
Week 6 Mon 19.4 Student reviews on mid-sem crit work

Thurs 22.4 Mid-semester crits, 1pm-5pm,

Exhibition Space.
Students to make design ammendments
based of critical feedback.
Week 7 Mon 26.4 ANZAC day [public holiday]

Thu 29.4 Presentation on ‘ Tell the Tale Detail.’

Students to create a hybrid detail.
Week 8 Mon 3.5 Student and tutor 1-1 review of hybrid,
detail, and cross crit presentation.

Thu 6.5 Cross-Crits (tbc), Exhibition Space.

Week 9 Mon 10.5 Student and tutor 1-1 reviews

Thu 13.5 Presentation on the types of content

students expected to address during their
final crit presentation.
Student and tutor 1-1 meetings to reviews.
Week 10 Mon 17.5 Presentation on booklet making.

Thu 20.5 Student and tutor 1 on 1 meetings to see

draft design presentation.
Week 11 Mon 24.5 Individal design development.

Thu 27.5 Individual design development.

Student-tutor reviews.
Week 12 Tue 1.6 Pin-up, 4pm-5pm Tuesday 1st June,
Exhibition Space
Wed 2.6 Final studio reviews, 9am-3pm,
Wednesday 2nd June, Exhibition Space
Recommended Reading

Shields, A.E Jenifer. Collage and Architecture. New York: Routledge

2014.

Frascari, Marco. Monsters of architecture: anthropomorphism in

architectural theory. Savage, Md: Rowman & Littlefield, 1991.

Akcan, Esra. Architecture in translation: Germany, Turkey, & the

modern house. Durham: Duke University Press, 2012.

Perloff, Marjorie. “Collage and Poetry.” Marjorie Perloff Modern and

Postmodern Poetry and Poetics. Accessed January 28, 2021.

Walter, Benjamin. Walter Benjamin: Selected Writings, 1: 1913–

1926. New Ed. Massachusetts: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard
University Press, 2004.

IMAGE RESOURCES

Digital NZ: https://digitalnz.org/explore

Heritage Images: http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-

wpd/HeritageImages/index.htm

Auckland Libaries: https://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/

JSTOR: https://www.jstor.org/

Wikimedia Commons:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
REQUIRED PRODUCTION

Output Requirements
Final Presentation:
• Appropriate contextual research into selected site, and the
architectural monsters to be used as precedents.
• Hybrid conceptual drawings indicating process at how the final
potential building plan, section, elevations and perspective
drawings have been formed.
• A bound booklet comprising of all the work completed within
the Semester.
• Highly crafted models (i.e., Lasercut, 3D printed, handmade or
digital models) that are reflective of the site, history and
theoretical context.

ASSESSMENT & FEEDBACK

This course is assessed as 100% coursework. Conversational
feedback is given throughout the semester. Written feedback, with
indicative grading is given twice during the semester around weeks
four and seven. All further information regarding assessment is
available in the ARCHDES 300 Design 5 Course Outline (on Canvas).

LEARNING OUTCOMES

General Course Outcomes: On successful completion of this course

students should be able to:
• Theory: Demonstrate engagement and experimentation with
relevant areas of theory and architectural knowledge and
indicate this in the development of architectural propositions.
• Architectonics: Develop expressive-tectonic characteristics of
projects through exploration and testing of key material,
structural and constructional propositions.
• Programme: Apply relevant cultural, social and functional
positions as they inform speculative architectural
propositions.
• Performance: Apply performance considerations to an
architectural proposition through a detailed understanding of
contexts, conditions and environments.
• Form and space: Develop and demonstrate speculative and
considered formal and spatial solutions responsive to
concepts, contexts, programmes and material facets.
• Media: Utilise broadly-considered, yet effective,
communicative media indicative of speculative design
propositions.
• Working Processes: Demonstrate design and creative work
processes that support collegiality and produce design
outputs enabling a range of users and communities.

Specific Topic Outcomes: This studio topic will engage the general
course outcomes in the following ways.

The notion of the architectural monster is intended to be

expressed within the following 6 outcomes:

• Theory: At the end of this paper students will be able to engage

with the proposed theoretical framework of the architectural
monster to fuel the creative process and design development.

• Architectonics: At the end of this couse students will

understand how the pieces of an assemblage connect, with
reference to the tectonic essay ‘Tell the Tale Detail.’
Intertwining architectonics with the architectural monster to
form an assemblage is the goal.

• Programme: Students will be able to address, relate and

assimilate the programme with the proposed intervention for
an appropriate design proposition within the public realm. This
proposal should also consider how interactions between people
(cultural exchanges) may take place with the programme at
hand.

• Performance: At the conclusion of this course students will

have an comprehensive understanding on how to enhance the
experience of the built assemblage (i.e interior and exterior),
through the programme on site to create interactions between
people and place.

• Form and Space: Students should conceive and generate an

assemblage that embodies the notion of the architectural
monster, with the architectural styles refenced, conditions of
site, and lastly through a number of manipulation techniques.
 • Media: Students should be able to communicate
development of theory, concept, through continuous making
and drawing to form a hybrid building. Students must
demonstrate clear development of the architectural monster
through the chosen medthologies, from their concept
production through to the final design proposal.

• Working Processes: Demonstrate design and creative work

processes that support collegiality and produce design outputs
enabling a range of users and communities.

For all further general course information see the ARCHDES300

COURSE OUTLINE in the FILES folder on CANVAS.