Research-led design studio I 2018-2019

Investigated Territory: Orkney Archipelago, Scotland

Undergraduate

ESALA — Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture I University of Edinburgh

THE TECHNOLOGICAL SHIFT TOWARDS SMART ENTITIES — DRIVEN BY AUTOMATION, MACHINE LEARNING AND IOT — MOSTLY PERCEIVED AS AN IMMATERIAL PHENOMENA, DECOUPLED FROM A PHYSICAL DIMENSION, RESIDES ON A VAST MATERIAL FOOTPRINT, WHICH EXISTS ALMOST UNNOTICED IN THE SUBURBS OF OUR PERCEPTION. TECTONICS OF THE IMMATERIAL, A RESEARCH-LED DESIGN STUDIO, ENGAGES WITH THE NOTION OF DATA AS AN IMMATERIAL ENTITY WHICH REVOLUTIONISES THE 21ST CENTURY, INITIATING IRREVERSIBLE GLOBAL DYNAMICS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME RELIES UPON A PHYSICAL FOOTPRINT, COMPRISED OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND BUILDINGS. 

THIS WORK IS MIRRORED IN RESEARCH-LED TEACHING THROUGHOUT THE PAST THREE YEARS DURING A SEMESTER-LONG DESIGN STUDIO IN 4TH YEAR BA/MA ARCHITECTURE, FOCUSSING ON THE PRESENTED TOPICS, WITHIN A GLOBAL BUT ALSO LOCAL — THE WESTERN ISLES AND THE ORKNEY ARCHIPELAGO — CONTEXT. STRATEGIES ARE BEING DEVELOPED TO REPURPOSE OBSOLETE OIL AND GAS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR DIGITAL ICT INFRASTRUCTURES AND HYBRIDISED PROGRAMMES. THE RESEARCH HAS BEEN THEMATISED IN A DEDICATED PANEL SESSION AT THE AHRA ‘SMARTNESS? BEYOND DISCOURSE AND PRACTICE’ CONFERENCE 2018 AT THE TU EINDHOVEN.

Ali Cadir

Daniel Chong

Seb Coupe