A52U3B Urban Studio 5:3 12.0 credits

The students will be exposed to challenges of cultural, economic, demographic, political forces that challenge the established norms of planning. In the process many questions will be posed, such as: How do we plan for the new sustainable city today? What makes an urban environment sustainable? What forms of sustainability are there? What are the potential principal paremeters for future planning? Can we learn from the existing examples from the planned “eco cities” many already built around the world.

During this course we will explore the different relations between human activity, urban context, way of life vs. quality of life in respect to the overall impact on the environment in the given urban context. The course will further built on the previous two courses with the increased emphasis on the direct relation between human activity and the environment. The course will also emphasise the potential future role of architect and urban designer in the discourse of sustainability.

Overall goals
1.The project is part of the Urban Studio.
Studio Description: This studio discusses sustainable urban development in terms of globalization, climate changes, mega cities and urban strategies - transformed into new typologies and innovative urban design.
2. The course/project goal is to increase the student's knowledge in this area/field and skills/knowledge in the field of architecture in general. The students will enter the project with varying degrees of knowledge/skills and will subsequently end up at different levels at the end of the course/project.
 3. The individual student must show an increase in the particular skills/knowledge offered in the studio and in the field of architecture in general.

 Course goals

At the end of the course the students should:

-Have learned the various parimeters of the complex set of relationships between human settlements and natural resources.

-Have ability to clearly formulate and interpret the pattern and scale of human activity and the intensity of its impact on the environment.

-Have ability to criticaly examine various urban contexts in relastionship to their possible size, organization, infrastructure, urban typology, density as elements of potential new synergies in respect to the current environmental challenges.

-Have gained the ability to criticaly examine issues of sustainability in terms of environmental as well as social, economical and cultural issues.

-Have attained the ability to develop the program and guidelines for the complex urban framework which inegrates sustainability as the key factor in every stage of planning process.

-Have invented own work methodology and design skills that would enable them to better formulate urban design proposals in respect to specific conditions on the chosen site.

One year fully approved architectural studies at the advanced level, courses and projects.

The Sustainable Urban Development Reader edited by Stephen M. Wheeler and Timothy Beatley.

-The Green Imperative: Ecology and Ethics in Design and Architecture Victor Papanek

-Strategies for Sustainable Architecture Paola Sassi

-Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Solutions for Redesigning Suburbs Ellen Dunham Jones, June Williamson

-Sustainable Design: Ecology, Architecture, and Planning Daniel Williams

-Cradle to cradle: remaking the way we make things William McDonough & Michael Braungart.

-From eco-cities to living machines: principles of ecological design Nancy Jack Todd & John Todd

-The nature of order: an essay on the art of building and the nature of the universe Christopher Alexander.

- Cities Full of Space. Qualities of Density. Rudy Uytenhaak. Edited by Ed Melet, Jeroen Mensink

Designed by Jaap van Triest. Published 2008

-Urban Assymetries: Studies and Projects on Neoliberal Urbanization. Edited by Tahl Kaminer, Miguel Robles Duran, Heidi Sohn. 010 Publsihers 2010   

If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.

• PRO1 - Project, 9.0 credits, grading scale: P, F
• PRO2 - Project, 3.0 credits, grading scale: P, F

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

a) Presentation requirements
Submit DESIGN task according to specifications
Submit RESEARCH task according to specifications

The studio presentation will be part of the future diploma portfolio and shall be delivered in an appropriate and fully qualified way.

b) Examination

At examination the student will be assessed on how she/he has fulfilled the “Learning outcomes”

More specific course specific examination procedures to be announced at course start

80% attendance on all compulsory activites, including seminars, review and tutorials

Pass grade for research task according to specifications.

Completion: The project work shall be delivered and, if necessary, reworked within the set time limit.  See general directions.
(Overall principle: Autumn term projects must be approved during the following Spring term: Spring term projects must be approved before the start of the following Autumn term. The reworked projects must be delivered at least one week before the time limit.)
The project work is to be documented in a portfolio, including drawings, analysis and models. The work process shall be legible.

Per Fransson

• All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
• In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
• In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.