Work session at ARUP

On Monday, April 25th, the students from Comprehensive Studio from Roger Williams SAAHP, had the opportunity to discuss their projects with Patrick McCafferty, Michael Shearer, Nicholas Rekstad and John Mackenzie, some of the leading engineers from ARUP in Cambridge.

The hands-on work session is organized every semester and focuses on structural and mechanical systems and its integration in the design process.  Patrick, Michael, Nicholas and John have been active participants in these sessions helping each student refine and improve their concepts.

The introduction of these work sessions has had a significant impact in the work produced in the studio over the last few years, and have been a true privilege not only for the students but also for those of us guiding them in this challenging course.

From a pedagogical standpoint, the intention is for the student to learn to explain ideas and intentions to consultants, in a situation not dissimilar to real practice.

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GSD Student Art Exhibition

GSD Student Art Exhibition took place at Gund Hall, Harvard University Graduate School of Design during Open House on April 8th. Exhibition showcased the students’ work from the course, “Painting for Designers: Techniques, Methods and Concepts” taught by professor Ewa Harabasz, with Junko Yamamoto serving as a teaching assistant.  

Japan 2016

Junko Yamamoto traveled to Japan with GSD Professors Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima from Atelier BowWow office in Tokyo.  The trip gave Junko an opportunity to meet and share experiences with the local people and develop a better understanding about the issues they are dealing with, the activities they promote and the future of the village they envision. Their wisdom, their respect for the land, and remarkable healthy and simple lifestyle is an example to be followed, and provided a great deal of inspiration for the work in the studio.

In addition to spending time with the farmers, Junko and colleagues in the studio, participated in a work session at Atelier BowWow to discuss preliminary findings and clarify concepts.

The trip also gave Junko the opportunity to connect with Ichikawa san, the loyal and meticulous contractor/carpenter/craftsman responsible for the construction of House K, with whom she discussed some of the changes happening in her hometown of Gunma.

 

 

 

 

Basel-Zurich 2016

Roberto Viola Ochoa traveled to Basel and Zurich with a group of graduate students from Roger Williams University with the objective of documenting the studio sites and seeing some of the best examples of architecture done in the last 30 years.

The students had the luxury of exploring in detail, through guided tours, several buildings such as REHAB clinic and Schaulager-Emanuel Hoffmann Foundation by Herzog and DeMeuron and the Vitra campus, which includes a collection of significant buildings.