Thesis Studio/11

Renascence

Xiaojing Sang

Studio Description

In the past 3 years, the world has undergone too many changes. When everything returns to the original point, is our life just being pressed the restart button? For the office buildings that have suffered too much, the question may not have been answered, or the people looking for the answer have not yet come out of the fog. After experiencing unprecedented uncertainties, people’s views and minds have changed when they are reviewing their lives and work models again. However, the old work-life model can no longer meet people's psychological and physical needs.

Every individual’s life and work track constitute the lifeblood of the city. After the unprecedent epidemic, the journey of reviving a city’s glory has become difficult, especially to the office buildings that contributes the most important elements of the urban structure. It’s redefined its role in people's life and work. Is it the same as before, or should it be more abundant? Changes in the way of working determine people's quality of life, especially for the next generation, the world they are facing is diverse and changeable, find a way to meet the needs of both mental and physical health requires more flexible, adaptable and foreseeable models.

Office design will change for the future generations, unlike the traditional way, the office should not just be a "workplace" with 7 to 8 hours of work time plus 1 to 2 hours of travelling time, "going to work" almost occupies people's all daily lifetime. Designing an office is somehow almost like designing the other half of life for most people. When seeking innovative models for office buildings, we also need to understand the urban cultural and economic contexts that driving these models. The creation of architecture has never been a single technology, but a reaffirmation of the historical trend of time. As preparatory architects of society, students need to understand the role of architecture in a broader sense. The thesis level is the final stage of a master degree journey. Once students graduate and step into real life, they will also become someone who may work in office buildings. To what extent and in what ways can architects influence or improve the architectural model for an office building?

Studio Outcomes

In this studio, students will be encouraged to explore these in search of answers. The exploration process will combine thesis writing and office building design, go beyond architectural language and innovative architectural thinking. When conducting office models research, students can choose to renovate an existing building, or design a new building on a specific site. The research will consist of two parallel thinking routes of "rebirth" and "fiction". The two routes are not only criticism and reflection of each other, but also complement and perfection of each other. Students will have a clear understanding of their own design concepts and build up the ability to self-criticise and self-perfection on design in the future.

Submission:

Office building design and a 5,000-words report.

Studio Leader

Xiaojing Sang: Bachelor of Arch (2003), Tongji University, Shanghai; Masters, UNSW (2006); 2012-14, Tutor of Level D, UoM; 2007, Lab architecture studio; 2008-12 Lyons architecture; 2012-17 Denton Corker Marshall; 2020, 2022, Tutor of Design Thesis Level, UoM; 2021-current Gray Puksand.

Readings & References

In the process of research and design, reading materials are formulated by students according to the needs of exploration.

Schedule
Lecture Thursdays 17:15-18:15 in MSD B121 (Malaysian Theatre) in Weeks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10
Studio Wednesdays 18:15-21:15 and Fridays 09:00-12:00 in MSD Room 240

Off-campus Activities
Week 3 / Melbourne Office Towers

Contact Handbook