Intermediate 5 – 2011/12 Samantha Hardingham & David Greene Supersensible speculations – or - Everything I don’t know.

Here is what we have to offer you...confusion guided by a clear sense of purpose.

Gordon Matta-Clark c.1973 Intermediate unit 5 explores the architecture of the new nature that is evolving from a culture whose dominant raw materials exist outside of the visible spectrum. It is interested in an architecture that is conditioned by the processes and technologies of search and retrieval. What we look for, where we look, how we find it and what we do with that information is influenced by a heightened sense of inquiry and the ability to make choices. What are the architectural consequences now of a culture of continuous ventilation and circulation of information?

S e a r c h

What does it mean to search when you don’t always know what you are looking for? What are you looking for? Where do you look? Why? How often do your desires change? Why? What do you want to keep and for how long? Why? Where will you put it? Why? Who else will use it? Why?

• All work this year will demonstrate dynamic properties/qualities: movies in every medium.

• Past, present, future links will be made by means of essential re-reads of out-of-date and incomplete information: search not research – as employed by investigative journalists, archivists, collectors, fine artists and architects.

• Projects will engage in information, communication, function, location and people: we will travel within the UK.

• Design: the architectural consequences now of a culture of continuous ventilation and circulation of information.

• A visual feast.

TO DO: over the course of 32 weeks. In general the unit will meet twice each week – once for discussion, once for seminar and/or presentation and review of new work. A number of workshops will be undertaken. The unit space will be used as a studio not an office. The very first thing we will do is to build a green screen in the unit space for use throughout the year. Search One: To encourage multiple confusion, individual interests and to expect the unexpected. We are not interested in solutions but in responses. An invitation to respond to a series of unrealised architectural projects that each suggest a variety of optimum responses to designing for the exchange of information: an advert for Pontiac autombiles (c.1964) – the itinerant office; Cedric Price’s proposal for the Oxford Corner House, London (1965) - the world’s first internet cafe: Friedrick Kielser’s Endless House (c.1930) – an ‘elastic spatial concept’ for domestic space. Develop your search skills to design and build a bill of quantities, qualities and intent for each project: a thorough investigation of each project (in groups), edited and to be presented to the rest of the unit and guests. By thorough we mean to achieve an understanding of Form, Time and Behaviour: the expression of an idea on paper, material/fabrication/assembly investigations, conditions of context; site, social, political or otherwise and full immersion of the imagination in how to communicate the findings effectively.

Medium for presentation – film as documentation. Supporting material – 3 bills of quantities: firmness, commodity and delight.

Workshops/seminars: Toby Shew, designer and DJ – web-Searching Kilian Fabich and Stella-Sophie Seroglou, Karlsruhe – strategies for classification and retrieval. Centre for Investigative Journalism, City University – use of film in investigations. TS3 - Proposal must be discussed with design tutors then put to TS tutors - investigation & evaluation of subject matter – plan organization and testing.

Search Two: Sufficiently incomplete – solve unrelated problems by relating them. Rethink and re-edit all information in the context of now and make an initial design proposal for an architecture for the continuous circulation and ventilation of information (multiple aesthetic) that engages the simultaneous search, storage, retrieval and deployment information at a designated time and location. Consideration of all altered factors required: the idea, the expression of that idea on paper, material/fabrication/assembly investigations, conditions of context site; social, political or otherwise.

Medium for presentation - film (used as a means of both documentation and articulation of an idea). Supporting material – 3 bills of quantities: firmness, commodity and delight.

Workshops: John Walter, artist, Part One: Two Peacocks - hospitality on location in Newcastle – upon-Tyne. Dr Mark Miodownick, materials scientist – future materials. Rowan Mersh, textile sculptor – photogenius.

TS3 – Apply agreed proposal to design project: outline several aspects but focus on one.

Search Three: Acceptance of the truth should be considered and most likely questioned. Draw on aspects of the initial design proposal presented in the medium of film and develop by remaking as a set of physical models and drawings to scale. Undertake site investigations. Re-visit possibilities for materials technologies in relation to the site and articulate through design proposal.

Medium for presentation – to be determined by each student. Supporting material – 3 bills of quantities: firmness, commodity and delight.

Workshops: Shin Egashira – model Carlos Villaneuva Brandt – plan Theo Spyropoulos – test

TS3 - submit

Search Four: No artefact is a work of art unless is humanizes us. Design refinement and representation. Preparation of project/portfolio for final review. Construction/event.

Workshop: John Walter: Part Two – Opening night.

HTS statement: Intermediate 5 will actively engage in the HTS course materials, serving as a worthwhile analytical tool for the enhancement of design work. TS 3 statement of intent: Intermediate 5 presume that all design questions generate a technical response and therefore the technical study forms an intrinsic part of the design project and is integrated into the portfolio. The focus of the unit’s interests lie in potential new uses for old technologies and possible uses for new technologies, specifically in relation to materials. The appropriate means of deployment of each line of technical investigation will vary from project to project, but the unit expects that every study be tested by way of physical modeling to scale, acquisition of sample materials from manufacturers and analysis through drawing of possible applications or misappropriations. The following reading matter will be reviewed and discussed: Sauer, C., Made of…, Gestalten, 2010. Future Materials magazine – subscription only. McLean, W. & Silver, P. Fabrication: the designer’s guide, Architectural Press, 2006 McLean, W. & Silver, P. Introduction to Architectural Technology, Laurence King, 2008. Kula, D. Materiology: The Creative Industry's Guide to Materials and Technologies, 2011.