Tutors: Christopher Maloney; James Thomson: Alex Maxwell; Holly Doron

ARC5012 Design Process

Act 2; Scene 1
Project 3: Analysis and mapping
2015-16 SESSION

The story so far

Having interrogated notions of your own creativity against established models, you speculated on a
proposal for your ideal creative workspace. Following this you investigated notable contemporary
architecture practices and used the findings to inform experiments into design processes. Through a
documented process of reflection and refinement you used these experiments to develop your own
abilities, and began to define your ambitions.

Aim
This project has been devised to develop your knowledge of the symbiotic relationship between
architecture and context: How the history, politics, physical nature, and other elements of a
sites context influences architectural design, and likewise how architectural development
affects the context it inhabits.
Project 3 relates to the Module theme by requiring you to continue the practice of reflecting on and
documenting your design process, which you began in Project 2. In this project you will seek to
establish the start of your process: What questions do you ask to define the design work you will
undertake? Where and how do you find the answers? When do you know you have enough
information?
In this project you will be required to identify the relevant contextual data that will define and inform
requirements of your design. You will then develop and employ methodologies to gather this data in a
manner that ensures it is relevant, authentic, reliable, and useable. Finally you will develop techniques
to translate your raw analysis data into maps. This mapped data will be supported with other legible
graphic formats as required. The mapping element of Project 3 builds directly on the work on
diagramming you undertook in Project 2.

Brief
In your studio groups form two teams of equal size. Over the next two weeks both teams will analyse
the site for Project 4 at three scales: Macro (large), Meso (medium), Micro (small). Project 3 will end
with a whole group design project.
Week 1 Digbeth
Macro scale [Digbeths relationship to the city of Birmingham, and the wider World]
Consider history, economy, planning guidance and restrictions, etc.
Meso scale [The district of Digbeth]
Consider transport, density of development, density of inhabitants, its uses, its users, its intangible
qualities, etc.
Week 2 The Site
Micro scale [The site and its immediate surroundings]
Consider size, dimensions, access, boundaries, topography, views, adjacencies, previous uses and
history, etc.

ARC5012 Design Process 2015_16

Birmingham School of Architecture and Design

BA [HONS] ARCHITECTURE Level 5

Assessment
Assessment of the work will be in a pin-up discussion with your tutor and tutor group.
The focus of the discussion will be on:

The relevance of data collected.

The authenticity, and reliability of data collected.

The quality, clarity and legibility of map(s) produced from analysis data.

Resources
On Friday 30th of October there will be a Mapping and Urban Futures lecture and workshop exercise
with Professor Nick Dunn.
Make use of the Big city plan and Birmingham City Council Website to find a wealth of information
about Digbeth in relation to its current situation and future development.

Assessment Requirements
6 x A2 sheets total:

2 x A2 sheet of Macro analysis and mapping

2 x A2 sheet of Meso analysis and mapping

2 x A2 sheet of Micro analysis and mapping

Sheets must include at least one instance of evidence and documentation for each of the following:

Justification of data gathered;

Data gathering methodology;

Map(s) produced to communicate the data gathered.

Sketchbook / workbook / models: The source material generated must support your work.
A 15-minute presentation.

Assessment date
The work must be pinned up before 9:45 on Tuesday the 10th November 2015.

Project timetable and assessment date

Tuesday 27th October: Receive the brief and discuss in tutor groups. Studio session to
identify research and strategise production.

Friday 30th October: Mapping talk and workshop exercise with Professor Nick Dunn

Tuesday 3rd November: Pin-up discussion. Studio session to develop work. Receive details
of the site. Studio session to strategise production.

Tuesday 10th November: Formative Review. Studio session for a Project 4 design exercise.

Individual portfolio work

All members of the group are to include the work produced at the Formative Review as part of their
Portfolio Submission. All original work produced by you for the group submission should be included
in your sketchbook and workbook.
In addition you must produce:

1 x A2 sheet of your personal interpretation and analysis of the the sites context.

This sheet will include details of one element of the sites context, which you must relate to your own
design process.
Assessment of this sheet will consider your reflection on your own design process to evaluate:

The relevance of the contextual data to inform this process;

ARC5012 Design Process 2015_16

The authenticity, and reliability of data collected;

The quality, clarity and legibility of map(s) produced from analysis data.

Site
Digbeth: As defined by the Train track in the North, B4100 in the South, and Watery Lane Middleway

Passport to Practice
Part of the output from this Project has been identified as applicable to Passport to Practice.
Production of 1 A2 sheets with detailed mapping data will help employers assess your ability to
communicate site context information in a legible and controlled way.

PLEASE NOTE:

ALL INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

ANY CHANGES WILL BE NOTIFIED TO YOU IN ADVANCE WHERE POSSIBLE

ARC5012 Design Process 2015_16

ARC5012 Design Process 2015_16

Image Credits
Kevin Lynch (Mind map);
Giambattista Nolli (Figure ground plan of public space);
NASA (Berlin: Ccan you tell why the street lights are different colours?)

ARC5012 Design Process 2015_16