Design Startup

Linus Tan

Studio Outline:

"Today everything has been broken, the system of the economy, the system of the technique, the system of the way of thinking. Architecture is much more than building, it is dealing with complex problems." – Odile Decq

Since everything is broken, are our architecture services still reliable? As risk takers and design futurists, we approach new projects by embracing the unknown. Yet, our business model have been conservative and is only seeing cautious changes to explore our ever-changing economy.

This studio questions the role of the future architect by asking, “is our current business service model, established 50 years ago, sufficient to sustain our profession for the next 50 years?”

Learning Outcomes:

This semester, we will examine our definition of shelter, workspaces and how we socialise in a knowledge based economy. We will explore problems related to our shifting attitudes of our environment and ideate on how architectural interventions can relieve these problems. We will constantly challenge our interventions as a product, service and platform in order to encourage continuity after it has been deployed.

This studio situates itself between creative designers and business developers. We examine architecture using human-centred design and business development as a self-referential workflow.

We see economic feasibility not as a force of resistance but as a creative driver. We asks students to use their architectural skills to create business opportunities to jumpstart their careers.

Reading and Reference:

Architecture schools need to teach entrepreneurship, says Odile Decq Jessica Mairs 20 Jul 2016 https://www.dezeen.com/2016/07/20/architects-need-to-become-more-entrepreneurial-says-odile-decq-news-architecture/

Architecture and Design Fees: Why Hourly Rates? Higgins, Ceilidh, Association of Consulting Architects Australia http://www.aca.org.au/article/architecture-and-design-fees-why-hourly-rates

Can this profession be saved? Thomas Fisher, Progressive Architecture; Feb 1994; 75, 2; ProQuest, pg. 44 Marina Bos-de Vos, 2014, Business Model Design of Architectural Service Firms, Proceedings Engineering Project Organisation Conference

ST1/31 Monday 6:15pm - 9:15pm, MSD Room 239
ST2/31 Thursday 6:15pm - 9:15pm, MSD Room 138