Studying space in all dimensions
Space and time are two of the most distinguishing components of architecture, yet their significance can all too often be lost in translation. For students of architecture, still images fail to provide a realistic sense of space for critical analysis and historical evaluation.
Amir Ameri, associate professor of architecture, is breathing new life into his students’ education through use of virtual reality imaging. This new technology accomplishes what one picture can’t come close to—it combines a multitude of photographic images to produce 360-degree panoramic views in both vertical and horizontal directions. Virtual reality imaging “allows for a total immersive experience of space, coupled with free movement through space at one’s discretion and pace,” says Ameri.
A faculty development grant is funding the purchase of QuickTime Virtual Reality (QTVR) equipment, which will allow Ameri to capture QTVR images for a new course on the history of American architecture.
Looking ahead, Ameri plans to produce a comprehensive QTVR image collection of seminal monuments in American architecture and make the collection available online for faculty, students and the academic community at large. In spring 2009, he expects to also include in the collection historic and contemporary buildings in Denver.
Building reflections
Many architecture schools help students take their designs beyond the planning process into actual construction. While bringing the design to life is an important part of the learning process, one crucial step is missing—research. A careful and critical reflection on the project’s process and outcomes is essential to improving the quality of the next generation of design-build projects.
Peter Schneider, professor of architecture and chancellor’s scholar at UC Denver, is changing the way students learn and think about architecture by developing a long-term program at the College of Architecture and Planning (CAP). The undergraduate/graduate program will be the first of its kind in the college to link design, construction and research.
A faculty development grant is assisting Schneider in his research. He will attend a series of major seminars and conferences to aid him in developing a best practices framework for design/construction/research projects. Additionally, he will review established programs that have proven successful at schools across the country.
Schneider will use CAP’s award-winning TrailerWrap, a design/build project exploring socially and ecologically responsible design in trailer parks, as a model for future project possibilities.
Developing an integrative design program focused on incremental improvement is crucial to the education of socially and environmentally-responsible designers, and to the future of sustainable design practice.