MIT: Independent Activities Period: IAP

IAP 2014 Activities by Sponsor - Architecture

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ACT (Art, Culture & Technology) TA Training

Val Grimm, Academic Assistant

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/10
Limited to 15 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

This workshop is designed to simulate an ACT (Art, Culture & Technology) class. Most ACT classes have a hands-on component and involve the exhibition of work. TA administrative tasks include marketing, budget management, and facilitating approvals. The hands-on and administrative elements are incorporated into the workshop. Emulating the structure and requirements of a course allows facilitators to introduce prospective TAs to the flow and needs of courses, identify potential issues, and discuss methods and resources for addressing issues.

Please register at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/W9TK53X

Sponsor(s): Architecture
Contact: Val Grimm, E15-213, 617-324-6289, valgrimm@mit.edu


Tue, 1/28 - Day 1 of 4

Jan/28 Tue 09:30AM-01:00PM E15-207, Closed-toe shoes & clothes for fabrication work

Marion Cunningham - Administrative Officer, Val Grimm - Academic Assistant, Madeleine Gallagher - Media Associate, Seth Avecilla - Fabrication Associate, Jeremy Grubman - Librarian/Archivist


Wed, 1/29 - Day 2 of 4

Jan/29 Wed 09:30AM-01:00PM E15-095, Closed-toe shoes & clothes for fabrication work

Marion Cunningham - Administrative Officer, Val Grimm - Academic Assistant, Madeleine Gallagher - Media Associate, Seth Avecilla - Fabrication Associate, Laura Chichisan - Administrative Assistant, Andrew Borosy - Financial Assistant


Thu, 1/30 - Day 3 of 4

Jan/30 Thu 09:30AM-01:00PM E15-207, Closed-toe shoes & clothes for fabrication work

Marion Cunningham - Administrative Officer, Val Grimm - Academic Assistant, Madeleine Gallagher - Media Associate, Laura Chichisan - Administrative Assistant, Seth Avecilla - Fabrication Associate


Fri, 1/31 - Day 4 of 4

Jan/31 Fri 09:30AM-01:00PM E15-207, Closed-toe shoes & clothes for fabrication work

Val Grimm - Academic Assistant, Marion Cunningham - Administrative Officer, Madeleine Gallagher - Media Associate, Seth Avecilla - Fabrication Associate, Andrew Borosy - Financial Assistant


Architecture & Psychology

Rhett Nichols, Alumna Courses 4 & 9

Feb/01 Sat 04:00PM-05:30PM 7-429 (Long Lounge)

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

A fun and interesting introduction to the range of topics in Psychology and Architecture.

The class will consist of an hour of speakers presenting short introductions to psychological studies applied to architecture, with time for questions and discussion afterward.

Topics will range from psychology and post occupancy evaluation, to psychological studies of crowding and small spaces.

No advance sign-up necessary; no enrollment limit.
RSVP to krnichols@gmail.com for an email regarding speakers & topics when full details are available.

Contact: Kathryn Rhett Nichols, '04 (courses 4 & 9)
krnichols@gmail.com

Sponsor(s): Architecture
Contact: Rhett Nichols, 7-337, 617-253-7386, krnichols@gmail.com


Art and Architecture Tour of the Boston Public Library

Cynthia Stewart, Docent, Boston Public Library

Jan/11 Sat 02:00PM-03:30PM Boston Public Lib, Meet inside Dartmouth St. entrance

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/09
Limited to 20 participants

Come tour the Boston Public Library McKim Building in Copley Square, one of America’s architectural treasures.  Designed by Charles Follen McKim in the Renaissance Revival style, the building was proclaimed “a palace for the people” when it opened its doors in 1895.  In addition to mosaics, murals and wall paintings, you’ll see features made of 20 varieties of marble.  The tour will end with a visit to Made In Boston, a special exhibition that brings together maps made in Boston the century before the American Revolution.

Note: Meet inside the Dartmouth Street entrance to the Boston Public Library

Sponsor(s): Architecture
Contact: Cynthia Stewart, 7-337, 617-253-4408, stewart@mit.edu


Designing around new concepts of the human

Tyler Stevermer, Editor, Thresholds 42; Master of Architecture candidate

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)
Limited to 10 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: None

Based on the forthcoming issue of MIT Architecture's peer-reviewed journal, Thresholds 42: Human.  This design workshop will reposition and develop new design strategies for what it means to be "human" within the contemporary and future built environment.

This workshop is primarily geared for those with architecture, art, or design backgrounds—however all are welcome.
Students should bring a laptop to all sessions (session schedule coming soon).

The workshop will be a condensed two week process.  The first week will be focused on introducing topics, formulating research interests, and discussion/development of design theories.  The second week will be used to investigate how the findings of the first week could influence design practice (thereby reshaping built form at a variety of scales) through a fast-paced, iterative design process.

Official class periods will primarily be dedicated to informal discussion and presentation.  Additional time outside of class will be necessary for reading, design research, and individual (or group) design work.

Design projects executed during this workshop may have the opportunity for exhibition.

Sponsor(s): Architecture
Contact: Tyler Stevermer, 608 886-7560, TSTEVER@MIT.EDU


Jan/20 Mon 01:30PM-04:30PM Location TBD

Introduction to course topics and readings followed by discussion


Jan/22 Wed 01:30PM-04:30PM Location TBD

Presentations and discussions based on readings from previous session.  Following this session, individual or course directions for projects will be initiated.


Jan/24 Fri 01:30PM-04:30PM Location TBD

Presentation and discussion of individual research trajectories and design precedents.


Jan/27 Mon 01:30PM-04:30PM Location TBD

Discussion of initial design proposals.


Jan/29 Wed 01:30PM-04:30PM Location TBD

Discussion and critique of initial design iteration.


Jan/31 Fri 01:30PM-04:30PM Location TBD

Presentation of final design proposal.


Forces Frozen

Caitlin Mueller, PhD Candidate

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/13
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

This 3-day workshop explores the world of structural ice shells, inspired by Swiss engineer and designer Heinz Isler (1926-2009).  We will start by researching and designing ice/fabric forms and the methods for making them, and will then spend the second day building formwork and rigging systems.  On the final day, we will construct a landscape of frozen structures on and around Krege Oval and share the work with friends and colleagues in a public exhibition.

Geared mainly toward undergraduates in courses 1 and 4 but open to all.

 

** Please contact Caitlin Mueller, caitlinm@mit.edu, to enroll **

Sponsor(s): Architecture
Contact: Caitlin Mueller, MIT PhD Student, Structural Design Lab, caitlinm@mit.edu


Forces Frozen: Session 1

Jan/21 Tue 10:00AM-03:00PM TBA-9-250, Bring a laptop if you have one

Caitlin Mueller - PhD Candidate, William Plunkett - MIT S.M. Student, Course 4, John Ochsendorf - Professor


Forces Frozen: Session 2

Jan/22 Wed 10:00AM-03:00PM TBA 9-250, Bring a laptop if you have one

Caitlin Mueller - PhD Candidate, William Plunkett - MIT S.M. Student, Course 4, John Ochsendorf - Professor


Session 3 - *TBA exact date (~1/23-31)

Jan/23 Thu 10:00AM-03:00PM TBA-Kresge Lawn/Oval, laptop if have one/VERY WARM OUTDOOR GEAR

Caitlin Mueller - PhD Candidate, William Plunkett - MIT S.M. Student, Course 4, John Ochsendorf - Professor


I thought I wanted to be an architect

Zaurie Zimmerman

Jan/29 Wed 02:30PM-05:00PM Stella Room, 7-338

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

Please email instructor if you plan to attend.

This course will reveal a fascinating alternative career path availableto those with architectural or building-related engineering degrees or experience in these fields. If a far more comprehensive role in the process of bringing buildings to life interests you, one that is exciting, rewarding, demanding and crucial to a building project's success, please join us.

Instructor holds B.S.A.D. and MArch degrees from MIT, is a registeredarchitect and a 25 year veteran of this profession.  

Part One

Analysis of the key aspects of the roles of architect, owner and contractor in the planning, design and construction processes.  Exploration of the interplay of forces in the quality/schedule/budget triangle and the crucial elements necessary to insure a successful project.  Introduction to development management, with a focus on sustainability, from the owner's perspective.

Part Two

Case studies of projects ranging from the mixed-use commercial development of Rowes Wharf, to projects developed on the campuses of non-profit institutions including an arts center, a technology building, a science lab, and the first building built on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, all demonstrating principles of successful project management.

Sponsor(s): Architecture
Contact: Zaurie Zimmerman, zaurie.zimmerman@gmail.com


Project Cyborg: Software for Programmable Matter

Skylar Tibbits, MIT Faculty

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 12/23
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

New advances across design, science and engineering fields have opened an opportunity to program physical materials, organic and inorganic. This capability offers information storage, computation and transformations in material property and/or physical shape. 4D Printing, “DNA origami”, smart materials and self-assembly robotics are some of the recent technologies to emerge from this paradigm shift. However, for the first time in recent history, our physical capabilities in fabrication and material programmability have outgrown our software capabilities. In other words, we need new design tools to take advantage of the complex dynamics, multi-material programmability, self-assembly behavior and domain-specific knowledge.

The Self-Assembly Lab at MIT has collaborated with Autodesk Research in its development of applications built on top of a new software package called Project Cyborg. The application operates in the browser and includes cloud-native simulation for self-assembly and programmable materials as well as optimization for multi-variable design constraints.

The workshop is taught by Skylar Tibbits (MIT) and Carlos Olguin from Autodesk. Students will be introduced to this new software tool and explore case study projects. This workshop is a unique opportunity for students to be one of the first users of this new tool that is not-yet on the market, as well as steer its development for powerful design possibilities.

To register, contact Skylar Tibbits, sjet@mit.edu.

Sponsor(s): Architecture
Contact: Skylar Tibbits, 5-421, 617-253-9407, sjet@mit.edu


Day 1 of 2

Jan/30 Thu 09:00AM-05:00PM N52-3rd Floor, Bring laptop

Carlos Olguin - Bio/Nano/Programmable Matter Grp at Autodesk, Skylar Tibbits - MIT Faculty


Day 2 of 2

Jan/31 Fri 09:00AM-05:00PM N52-3rd floor, Bring laptop

Skylar Tibbits - MIT Faculty, Carlos Olguin - Bio/Nano/Programmable Matter Grp at Autodesk