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Programs > Summer Programs > India Architecture | |||||||||
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INDIAInternational Humanitarian Design/Build
Eligibility and Application Requirements
The Program
The program of study will give participating students the chance to use their unique creative talents to design and construct a portable schoolhouse to serve the urban poor surrounding the city of Mumbai. During their time abroad, students will work closely with a people who speak a different language, have different customs, and carry different values to construct a work that is custom tailored to the specific needs, culture, and traditions of their adopted community. Once completed, these projects will not only benefit the receiving community in a way that boilerplate solutions simply cannot; they will also amplify the already sizable benefits gained from studying abroad. More than simple tourism, this experience will allow participating students to become active members of a community utterly unlike their own. The perspective gained from this experience will forever change the way both parties view themselves, their cultures, and their world. Although the program will touch on a vast array of topics relevant to the project overseas, specific attention will be given to the following areas of study: the art of socially-responsive design; experimental constructions; humanitarian art, architecture, and design; guerrilla art and design; improvisational fabrication techniques; indigenous materials and methods of construction; and sustainability.
About Mumbai
With a population of over 20 million people, Mumbai is India’s commercial capital and one of the world’s most populous metropolitan areas. The vibrancy of Mumbai’s streetlife, bazaars and nightlife, the diversity and energy of its growing population, and the color and polish of its impressive cosmopolitan charm present an astonishing image to the visitor, especially when placed against the plight of those who live within the slums surrounding the city. To truly understand Mumbai, one must become well acquainted with both realities. Through planned travel sessions and more informal excursions, students will have ample opportunity to explore one of the most important cities in the world and discover the unique and complex beauty of Mumbai.
Courses
Students enroll in the following two courses, for a total of six credits. Architecture 3080: Special Topics in Behavior and Culture: Experimental Constructions (3 cr) Architecture 3070: Special Topics in Site and Context: Creating Humanitarian Art and Architecture (3 cr)
Program Faculty
Scott Gerald Shall, RA (www.sgshall.com) is the principal designer of sgsa+d, llc and the director of the International Design Clinic (IDC). Professor Shall’s academic and professional work are based upon an ongoing study into issues ranging from sustainability and indigenous construction methodologies to contemporary cognitive patterns and learning processes. Through his work, Professor Shall has developed a unique guerrilla-style design process, which he teaches to his students through a series of design-abroad projects offered during the summer. This research has resulted in numerous publications, exhibitions, and speaking engagements, including both national and international venues. As an aid this effort, Professor Shall has founded the International Design Clinic (IDC, www.internationaldesignclinic.org) – a registered not-for-profit dedicated to giving students of design the chance to use their unique creative skills to aid communities in need around the world. In the summer of 2006, this work was centered in Oradea, Romania, where participating students spent four weeks designing and constructing a playground for abandoned children. Not surprisingly, the fruits of this work have had a profound impact upon Professor Shall’s growing architectural practice, sgsa+d (www.sgsad.com), producing a series of investigations that explore the unique potentials of the commonplace to create a provoking and thoughtful response.
Excursions
In order to anchor this experience within a slightly wider context, the program will include excursions to other areas in India.
Accommodations
While in India, students will stay in hotels or flats, with one or two students in each room, depending upon the needs of the group.
PROGRAM FEES AND CoSTS
2008 Program Dates
Program Date Change: Please note that students will be expected to participate in an online seminar, through which they will complete a series of research assignments prior to departure. The time commitment will be approximately two to three hours per week from mid-March up until departure for India. This online seminar replaces the seminar originally scheduled to take place in Philadelphia. The following dates reflect this change. Summer I: May 23-June 28, 2008* *Dates are tentative and subject to change.
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