Assigment 1

Florida International University
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Design 7, Fall 1999

ASSIGMENT 1 : Precedents
due : Wednesday, Sept. 1st, 1999.

During this week we will develop an inventory of precedents of the most important themes that will illuminate the programming and architectural proposals of this studio. We have grouped the “precedent themes” into the categories described bellow.

REPORT OF PRECEDENTS (Andia’s Section) : Students are required to present their reports in Web format. Students are required to create a Web account in sites such as “tripod” or “Zoom”. Students in this section are also required to give the instructor an e-mail address by next Wednesday. Each one of the reports should include a summary with of the findings. More pages explaining the themes should follow the summary. Scanned material of the research should be included in an appendix.

REPORT OF PRECENDENTS (Rosales’ & Porter Brown Section): The report will be produced in 8 1/2" by 11" sheets of paper with Font Arial 10. Uniformity of the reports is important because all the reports will be compiled and used by the rest of the class. The reports will also serve as part of the final report of the class. Each one of the reports should include a summary with of the findings. More pages explaining the themes should follow the summary. Xeroxed material of the research should be included in an appendix.

ASSIGMENT
Students are required to survey one of the theme bellow and develop analytic observations.
The main objective of the assignment is to obtain a body of knowledge that can be accessible for the rest of the design studio. Clarity and deepness of the observations and graphic presentation will be the most important factor in the grade for this assignment.

PRECEDENT THEMES

1. Standards
The studio project will include several themes of transportation, exhibition spaces, commercial parking, fire code standards, and retail spaces. Students in this category will be required to survey standards for possible activities in the Manhattan Piers that will be proposed during the semester.
One good source for finding standards is “Time Saver Standards for Building Types” edited by Joseph de Chiara et. al.:
Bus terminal & Track terminal. Pg. 1114 – 1131
Commercial Parking, Pg. 916 – 937
Industrial warehouses, Pg. 1167 – 1173
Handicap, Pg. 1392 – 1404
Industrial Buildings, Pg. 1140 – 1147
Restaurant eating places, Pg. 827 – 842
Retail shops, Pg. 796

2. Convention Centers & Expo
Students in this category will survey design cases, standards, and architectural components in Convention Centers and Expo. Students will have to develop observations about how architectural subjects are treated in this cases and why.
(Die Halle Hall il Padiglione 26: Reference)

3. Theme Parks
Students in this category will survey design cases, standards, and architectural components in Theme Parks. Students will have to develop observations about how architectural subjects are treated by architects and why.

4. Architectural Precedent 1 : Data Scapes: MVRDV
The Hanover 2000, Holland Pavilion by MVRDV will be one of the architectural precedents that will have to be investigated by students in this theme. Students in this category will be required to analyze the Holland Pavilion project in light of the architectural thinking of the MVRDV office (check: http://www.mvrdv/nl).

5. Architectural Precedent 2: Foreign Office Architecture
The Yokohama Port project will be one of the architectural precedents for the studio. Students in this category will be required to analyze the Yokohama projects and how does it fit inside the architectural thinking of that office.
(El Croquis 76: Reference)

6. Architectural Precedent 3: Jean Nouvel
Two Projects: The Luzern terminal and the Manhattan Hotel/Retail center will be precedents for this studio. Students in this category are required to observe how Nouvel treat material, vistas, and architecture to meet the water. Students are required to study the whole body of work of this architect in order to develop their observations of these two projects.
(El Croquis 92: Reference; Jean Nouvel, Luzern: Reference)

7. Architectural Precedent 4: Ephimerality: Toyo Ito
Wind Tower and the Sendai museum will be precedents for this studio. Students in this category are required to observe how Ito treats material, and architectural strategy in these two projects. Students will have to observe how Ito plays with the relationship between urbanity and the ephimerality of urban life in the era of media. Students are required to study the whole body of work of Ito in order to develop their observations of these two projects.
(El Croquis 71: Reference)

8. Architectural Precedent 5: Staging: Philippe Starck
The Delano Hotel will be a precedent for this studio. Students in this category are required to observe how Starck treat material, staging, and architecture. Starck staging of the promenade between the city and the beach is one of the most important strategies we will observe in our studio. Compare the design of the Delano with other design from P. Starck.

9. Architectural Precedent 6: Popular Promenade: Ocean Drive
Students in this group will have to observe the history, the standards, and the spatial laws that make this a very popular space in Miami Beach. How can we learn from Ocean Drive? How can it be applied to the Manhattan Piers?

10. Architectural Precedent 7: Transfer Zone: Boat Terminal, Miami
Students in this group will have to observe the standards, and the spatial laws that occur in this transfer zone in Miami. Compare those observations to other stations and terminals infrastructures.
(The Architecture of Stations and Terminals: Reference)

11. Architectural Precedent 8: Zaha Hadid
The Spittlau project will be one of the architectural precedents for the studio. Students in this category will be required to analyze the project and how does it fit inside the architectural thinking of that office.
(El Croquis 73: Reference)

12. Architectural Precedent 9: Renzo Piano
The Tibaou Cultural Center and the Genova Port projects will be architectural precedents for the studio. Students in this category will be required to analyze the projects and how does it fit inside the architectural thinking of that office.
(El Croquis 92: Reference)

13. Architectural Precedent 10: Herzog/ De Meuron
The Dominous Warehouse in Napa Valley and the Ricola Europe projects will be architectural precedents for the studio. Students in this category will be required to analyze the project and how does it fit inside the architectural thinking of that office.
(El Croquis 84: Reference)

14. Architectural Precedent 11: Bernard Tschumi
The Le Fresnoy and the Park de la Villete projects will be architectural precedents for the studio. Students in this category will be required to analyze the projects and how does it fit inside the architectural thinking of that office.
(Tschumi, Le Fresnoy: Reference; GA Document: Reference)