Density in Architecture
Maryland Institute College of Art
Environmental Design, Junior Design Studio
Fall 2008

The studio will explore New York City through the lens of ‘Delirous New York’ by Rem Koolhaus.  Students will begin with exercises to document the systems and forces acting upon an urban environment.  They will analyze the complexity of the system interactions, connections and overlaps.  Simultaneously, an investigation of layered physical materials at full scale will occur. 
Researching Central Park as constructed strata or ‘a synthetic arcadian carpet’, the studio will develop methods of notation and document the phenomena of density.  The studio will evaluate specific regions of density being charged by surrounding urban forces and pressures.   Each student will be asked to construct an operative strategy and material study that will become responsive to an altered environment.