Auroville Cultural Centre, India

Andreas Bickford and Lindy Joubert

Studio Outline:

The studio will investigate Auroville on the east coast of India, an eco-community, which began as a vision of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, nearly 50 years ago.  Auroville ‘City of Dawn’, is a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities.  Auroville’s purpose is to realize human unity and is hailed as an international city by UNESCO.

This studio will offer a spectrum of choice, ranging across issues addressing the physical, mental and spiritual health of a community, within the core context of architecture, regenerative design, sustainability and human development.  Through the proposed design of a cultural activity facility for Indian children, living on the outskirts of Auroville, MSD students will explore the impact designers have in our world through a research and investigative process, interpreting the philosophy of Auroville, a community in an evolution of creating a clear vision of living. The architecture, the planning, the execution and decision-making with a guiding philosophical vision, offers students a unique experience to comprehend the responsible role as designers.

The studio will investigate the work of Roger Anger, one of Auroville’s founding design architects. We will visit several projects, meet the architects and engage with them to understand their vision and their creations in relation to the core vision of Auroville. Other aspects to be explored include the Sustainable Livelihood Institute SLI; the Global Eco-villages Network, GEN; places of study, of gathering and celebration, of work and gardening.  Students will explore the substantial effect Auroville has had not only on the local Indian communities, but also worldwide as a best practice model of sustainable and regenerative living.

Group discussion, shared crits, writing, drawing (both by hand and digital) and physical models will be used to integrate Art, Architecture, Culture and Landscape.  Prior to the Easter trip to Auroville, students will undertake research and investigation in the MSD studio with the final design proposals and submissions being prepared during and after the trip.

The trip to Auroville will include a program of investigating the architecture, meeting with Martin Scherffler, Auroville Consulting, and engaging with Auroville outreach programs and the design environment of Udayam and surrounds.

Studio Leaders

ANDREAS BICKFORD FQRC, NCARB, B.E.S., M. Arch., Self employed, conceptual design architect, artist, planner and, sculptor Born, Basel, Switzerland, lived in Canada now an Australian resident. As director & principle design architect, AGB Architects, I was involved in all projects during 29 years in practice. We completed many large (10mil+) projects. Many of our projects were in in isolated northern aboriginal communities and in rural communities with distinct aspects of culture. My experience with special clients allowed me to develop an awareness of “place”. Micro climate, climate, sun, winds, seasons, nature in all forms and local culture became a natural part of the design process, enabling sustainable projects.

LINDY JOUBERT is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Architecture and Planning at The University of Melbourne, Founding Director of the UNESCO Observatory and consultant at UNESCO, Paris; Vice President World Craft Council Asia Pacific – South Pacific region. Lindy was Director of the Asia Pacific Confederation for Arts Education; and team leader for numerous community architecture, art and health projects. She has had 34 international exhibitions, six in New York City. Editor-in-Chief of the UNESCO Observatory e-journal; series Editor-in-Chief of the UNESCO Observatory Global Village Reading Series; edited a book “ Educating in the Arts – the Asian Experience, Twenty-four essays” Springer, 2008 and currently preparing a sequel: ’Educating in the Crafts – the Global Experience’.

GREG BURGESS will be involved with this studio. He is recognised internationally for his work designing culturally sensitive structures for Indigenous communities. This is the 4th year he has been involved in the Design Studio program leaving a lasting impact on his students.

Reading and Reference:

YouTube videos: - Auroville, The City the Earth Needs. - Auroville Documentary – Journey to the City of Dawn. - Auroville: The Indian Paradise of Human Unity. - See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c6WanNyuGg

Field Trip

DATE: Week 8
COST: $1500

ST1/18 Monday 12pm - 3pm, MSD Room 237
ST2/18 Monday 3:15 - 6:15pm, MSD Room 237