Instant Urbanism – Berlin

Posted by jpfarr on Jun 19, 2012 in Studio Views | 0 comments

For Nicole Huber’s ARCH 502 studio, we were asked to develop an urban strategy aiming at implementing social, cultural, environmental, and economic strategies based on incremental development. Each of us was given the freedom to select our own sites, program, and overall approach to the project. It was a great exercise in researching and developing one’s own interests, and turning those interests into an intriguing studio project.

We were fortunate enough to take a ten day trip to Berlin at the beginning of May where we were able to explore the city and meet with local agencies, including the International Building Exhibition (IBA), and the Technical University, to gain a better understanding of the city. With the help of our amazing tour guide, Nicole, we visited numerous historical sites, museums, and architecture; and were exposed to more unknown cultural elements of the city such as the squatting community of artists known as Tacheles, which has existed in Berlin since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Walking along the Berlin Wall

Chapel of Reconciliation

Visit to Hamburg IBA

Tacheles Gallery

Graffiti art at RAW Squatter Community

Berlin Fernsehturm (television tower)

Nicole at the Reichstag

The studio as whole has had an extremely rich experience throughout the quarter. This studio was an excellent precursor to thesis preparation as we were able to choose our own research topic and find compelling ways of presenting them. In this way, reviews were very intriguing as each student had a different project, different findings, and a different outlook on the same city. Really the design methodologies of our projects were just as fascinating as the projects themselves.