Studio 42

Beyond Narrative

Lucas Koleits & John Gatip

Studio Description

Beyond Narrative: Ad Extremis will navigate through socio-cultural, political and environmental extremes within the Anthropocene Era. Our studio will encourage you to go further in and further out of the role of the architect, interrogating the relationship of architecture and narrative. We will treat fiction as a tool to explore the consequences of emerging futures, to question the realities of the present and to launch your projects through the lens of storytelling.

Design and narrative will be treated as a symbiosis – where the design of the story will feed the architecture and the architecture will in turn feed the story. Every piece of architecture, from the humblest cottage to the grandest church, is subjected to this process. As architects, we will explore the potential of using narrative as a protagonist in the design process, allowing architecture to claim a new agency in our cities.

Ad Extremis will present three islands of extremes. These islands are vastly different to each one yet they share a common inhabitant, humans. Architecture being a product of human ingenuity will be examined to the extreme. Your project will traverse a cyclical and rigorous process of extensive research, creative writing, rapid prototyping and testing of ideas. The first half of semester is organized to help you distil your island site and reveal the stories you discover within it. From there, the studio leaders will work closely to develop and navigate through your project’s unique trajectory.

Studio Outcome

Throughout the semester, with the help of industry professionals, we will hold short workshops and investigations into the nature of the architectural narrative. This will include the investigation of the role of literature, film, game design, critical writing, theatre and storytelling in the built environment. You will be encouraged to explore an array of representational methods, such as film, creative writing and model making to contribute your architectural response. The structure of the studio across the semester will focus on the development of each of your own narrative, and teaching you methods to creatively explore these pathways, and effectively translate these ideas into a conceptual architectural proposal.

Studio Leaders

John Gatip is a registered architect with a Masters of Architecture degree from Melbourne School of Design. He is currently working at Inarc Architects with a strong focus on residential and heritage architecture. His work spans from architectural practice to sculpture, art installations, publication and exhibitions. Recently, he co-curated an exhibition that looked at interpretations of Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities as physical models. The exhibition opened on December 2018 at Bitonto, Italy with Antilia Gallery. John was also one of the editor for the third volume of Inflection Journal, a student run journal of the Melbourne School of Design that focused on the theme of transdisciplinary practice in architecture.

Lucas Koleits recently completed his Architectural Registration and is a graduate of Masters of Architecture from Melbourne School of Design as well as a Masters in Antarctic Science. He is currently working at Buro Architects where he specialises in small to medium scale residential projects. He has also worked at Hayball Architects where he focused on educational architecture. Lucas takes a multidisciplinary approach to architectural design, drawing on a broad experience of research and design skills. Lucas has also been published both locally and international for his works in the field of science and architecture.

Readings & References

• Islands (2011), San Rocco
• Field Guide to Entropic Landscape (2011), Jack Self
• The Active Layer (2010), Lateral Office
• Invisible Cities (1972), Italo Calvino
• Narrative Architecture (2012) Nigel Coates
• Delirious New York (1978), Rem Koolhaas
• Fairy Tales Vol 1 - 3 (2015-2017) Blank Space Project
• Citizens of No-Place (2012), Jimenez Lai
• The Timeless Way of Building (1979), Christopher Alexander
• Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
• Blade Runner (1982)
• Blade Runner 2040 (2017)
• Alien (1979)
• Ghost in the Shell (1994)
• Monument Valley (2014) UsTwo Games Ltd

Schedule Tuesdays 18:15-21:15 in Room 236; Thursdays 18:15-21:15 in Room 449

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