DS 20

HOW IS THE practice of architecture responsibly formed in terms of creating new social and cultural relationships to our natural environment? This is the question DS20 students responded to in the context of the post-industrial landscape around Cody Dock. The abandoned former coke smelting dock is now a thriving ecological base adjacent to the River. DS20 students explored how to create neighbourhoods which encourage social interactions and meaningful places while promoting ecological awareness and ‘civic-ness’, to strengthening local identity and culture. The locus for this analysis was the unique opportunity to work with a diverse set of clients who informed the studio’s Live Project, the QHT-funded (university) ‘The Growing Space’ at Cody Dock. Here the students have are gaining direct, hands-on experience and able to be involved in all work stages, including the construction phase. We promote a bottom-up architectural approach, developing an in-depth understanding of inhabitation and programmatic activity. Through this process students develop a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between spatial, political, economic and social factors. In parallel to the Live Studio developed ambitious individual investigative proposals. The projects explored dynamic interactions between the existing conditions and future biophysical forces explored with projects such as ‘Living Build Centre’, an ‘Inhalorium’ and ‘Ruderal Autopoiesis’.