DS18

Tutors

John Cook
Ben Pollock
Laura Nica

The context of our global climate and ecological emergency provides the foundation for all DS18 investigations. We use the architectural project as a tool to test the effects of changing environmental processes upon life and design, and to communicate and represent these intangible global issues to new audiences in new ways. We aim to ground projects through directed and critical levels of research, using experimental diagrams, cartographic imaginations and computational tools to record, analyse and communicate the connections between the vast assemblage of project themes, relationships, scales, actors and material. This year commenced a new chapter for DS18, as we evolved our investigations vertically through the material of ground and water, upwards to air and our outer atmosphere. The studio’s wider framing was formed around three interlinked climatic phenomena: the Arctic Circle, the Ferrel/ Polar air cells, and the Polar Jet Stream. These entwined atmospheric systems shape the climates and weather patterns throughout the Northern Hemisphere, and are now destabilising and transforming unpredictably as a result of man’s anthropogenic exploitations. Stretching 13° of latitude within this belt of volatile climatic activity, Norway was the focus for this year’s investigations. As the country braces for our impending climatic breakdown, its landscapes are being reshaped, ecologies disturbed and urban settlements, agriculture and industry transformed. It is within this context of shifting territories, colliding boundaries and emerging practices that students were asked to explore the threats, risks and opportunities of the ‘other climates’. Students researched at a global, regional territorial scale. They constructed datasets, employed mapping and experimental micro simulations (CFD) to uncover scenarios, characters, and narratives within this context, as well as the atmospheric constituents they are entangled with. During the field trip, students furthered their research and contextual understanding through workshops held with ‘The High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment’ in Tromsø, and ‘The Norwegian Institute for Air Research’ in Kjeller. All of which was used to inform the second semester’s thesis project; to contextually explore these complex scenarios and interacting agents through novel programmatic assemblies, narratives, representation, and architecture.



DS18 would like to thank:

Ben Ashby & Shahid Padhani @ ARUP’s Advanced Digital Engineering Group

Aurelien Thomas @ Jestico + Whiles

Kathryn Donnelly @ High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment (FRAM)

Leonora Tarrason @ Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU)

Namik Mackic @ Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO)

Matthew Dalziel @ Oslo Architecture Triennale (OAT)

In addition, the various guest critiques who gifted us their time, thoughts and insights throughout the year.

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