ARC3161 - Architectural Design III (2021)

Greetings Dear Students,

This is to welcome you to the second trimester studio module on Architectural Design IV. The theme is 'CULTURAL CONTEXTS' and is inspired by the unique concept of cultivating learning environments that are participatory, reflective, action-focused and change-oriented. In this trimester, we will focus on a comprehensive housing upgrading project serving as a pragmatic example of embracing informality in Kigali. Through a participatory design approach, supported by lectures, readers, charrettes, guest lectures, field visits and complimentary research packages in ‘water and sanitation’ and ‘made in Rwanda construction materials’, we will develop a scheme that responds to community culture, across all scales of the existing urban landscape as well as the social behaviours of the community it is designed for. 

Learning Objectives:

1. To learn from selected precedent studies the: overall design concepts, interior and exterior relationships, human scale, urban life, cultural considerations, materials & construction and environmental efficiency.  

2. To understand the core relationships between people, buildings, space and context (social, cultural and  environmental). 

3. To appreciate the importance of the users’ necessities and how the design ought to answer to specific community and contextual dynamics using a participatory design approach.

4. To demonstrate how knowledge gained from 1,2,3,4 can be applied to generate design interventions for housing the target community.

Course Instructor:

Dr. Josephine Malonza