This course aims to provide its participants with some critical tools and concepts which focus on the act of experiencing architecture. We assume that in order to make supportive and significant architectural contributions, the designer's past experience plays a fundamental role in his/her externalization of understandings through design.

We believe that the landscape, architecture, and culture of Greece are among the most appropriate settings to develop a truly experiential as well as poetic memory of a place.

Poetic, here, means that something has meaning and transcends the actual appearance of its "thingness."

"Architecture, Myth,and Topography," in the context of this course, will be sources of inspiration for the creation of every individual's storehouse of architectural precedents as well as in the implementatuion of a hands-on final project. This project will be executed in Aegina during the last week of class.

RECORDING FORMAT

Spiral multi-media hardbound notebooks (approx. 81/2" x 11") are required. The choice of media will be left at the discretion of each individual. As part of the recording activity each member of the class will be required to make three measured free-hand surveys of environmental fragments (e.g., a small room, a fragment of a building, etc...)

EVALUATION

Evaluation will be based on individual involvement and participation (20%), the recording notebook (30%), a project proposal of a final hands-on project which will be developed throughout our one month stay in Greece (10%) and its implementation at the end of the course (40%). Evidence of inquisitiveness coupled with the rigour, thoughtfulness, and presentation of the project will count heavily in the evaluation process.