CKV varendonck college
THE CITY
It all happens in the city: new trends, fashions and crazes often have their starting point there. Big cities like Paris, London, New York and Amsterdam have their own atmosphere, rhythm and dynamics, which are difficult to capture in a few words. But smaller cities also have a great attraction,
because life there seems more vibrant than outside and the opportunities for personal development are greater.
Since ancient times, people have moved from the countryside to the city in search of adventure or to try their luck.
When we talk about the city, we are talking about two concepts. First, a city is a location, a large space with streets and squares with many houses, factories, shops, offices and community spaces such as churches, cinemas and stadiums.
The character of the city is not only determined by the design of the space, but exists mainly by the interaction between the people who live there and their environment. There is a different atmosphere in Rotterdam than in Maastricht.
This is not only due to the difference between the Coolsingel and the Vrijthof. The imagination of this interaction
is expressed by writers, painters, sculptors, photographers and filmmakers, its representation by urban planners and architects.
Orientate
Assignment 1 You and the city
Life in a city does not always have only attractive sides and not everyone will always feel at home there. Think about what you think about the city. Write down as many associations as possible in keywords and then put them in two columns: positive and negative. Which ones predominate?
Below are some statements about the city. Indicate after each statement to what extent you agree with it. (1) completely agree, (2) partly agree, (3) I don't know exactly, (4) partly disagree, (5) completely disagree.
Compare your answers and see why opinions differ.
Describe briefly what you think an ideal city looks like. Think about what you find positive and/or what you miss in your own place of residence. What do you think is the best existing city and why?
Statements:
Living in a city is wonderful.
In a city people are more tolerant.
In a city you can be completely yourself.
When you're young, you should really live in a city.
Life in a city is more interesting than in a village.
In a city, no one looks at you.
It is dangerous in a city.
I would like to live in the city later.
If you like going out, you should actually live in a city.
People in a city are unhappier than people outside of it.
You really live in a city.
Art and culture only flourish in a city.
Assignment 2 Street art
In the lesson you will be inspired by street art
through the following sources:
-Bansky
- Julian Beever
Then you go out alone or in groups to discover live street art.
Please install the StreetArt app in advance.
Choose a city (e.g. Helmond, Eindhoven) or several separate locations where street art can be found.
Go here.
A. Photograph at least 3 street art works that you find impressive.
B.Take a selfie at each street art piece; you can also take a picture with a group!
C.Take 4 photos of interesting close-ups that you see in the different street art artworks.
D. Research the makers and theme/background of a work of your choice.
Architecture
The world around us is full of all kinds of architecture. Architecture is the art of designing, drawing and building buildings. Another word for architecture is architecture. Some buildings are more striking than others because of their design, because they are large and imposing or because they have unusual shapes and special materials. Usually, these are buildings with a special function, such as castles, museums, offices, stations, town halls, churches, bridges, etc.
Besides the exterior, the interior of a building can also be designed in a special way. Sometimes the design of both the exterior and the interior is designed by the architect, down to the furniture, wallpaper and floor covering.
What is a building? Vitruvius, a Roman architect from the first century BC, can help us answer this question. According to him, a good building has three properties:
Function
Construction
Beauty
The function of a building is the way it is used. This is the use a building has for people.
The construction ensures that the building remains upright. This consists, for example, of the beams in the attic or the concrete poles in a hall.
Beauty is a difficult concept. When is something beautiful and when is something ugly? There is no accounting for taste, they say, but you can say that attention has been paid to the appearance of each building.
Style is a concept closely related to beauty.
Not every building looks the same. There are big buildings, small buildings, light, dark and so on. Despite all these differences, you can also see certain similarities. For example, there are buildings that are all made of red brick or that have very pointed arched windows as a characteristic.
In clothing too, you see that groups of people dress in a similar way. Some people prefer a more casual way of dressing and wear, for example, wide trousers and loose T-shirts. Others have a more formal style. Just as with clothing, you can say that buildings with many similar features belong to the same style.
Remember the above four concepts well. They will return in the questions and the assignments.
In the lesson you will receive information about architectural history, building styles, building materials and constructions.
To research
In class, you will receive a presentation on examples of architecture and artistic elements that promote diversity and inclusivity. Then you will go and look for examples yourself. You will also start the first phase of your practical assignment with your group.
Designs
Assignment 1 Drawing perspective
We will practice spatial drawing. In the lesson you will receive an explanation of one and two vanishing point perspective and isometry. Then you choose your starting level: beginners make a cube in one vanishing point perspective, advanced students draw a house in two vanishing point perspective and experts can go wild with their own dream environment in two vanishing point perspective.
Assignment 2 Tag design
You are now going to work on a graffiti assignment yourself. You are doing this assignment alone. You are going to design a name tag and execute it.
Step 1: Creating your own tag: Break down the letters of your name and write them down. Experiment with different styles, sizes, thicknesses, colors and shapes. Start with the basics, what does a letter consist of? For example, an "M" is made up of 4 lines.
Make 1 adjustment per letter; for example, give the “M” a curl, or arrows at the ends. Make different adjustments for the different letters of your name. Can you also turn or stretch letters? Work thick, dripping or with slanted letters… everything is possible and allowed!
Step 2: Design in color: Now that you have a tag in which you have experimented with the lines, you can also add areas. You can fill these with colors, make the edges thicker, add shadows or patterns.
Image source: https://www.micklarock.com/
Assignment 3 Model
To prepare you well for the final assignment, you will receive a guest lecture from model builder Elvis Kaltofen. Elvis teaches at the Academy for Sustainable Built Environment and has his own design studio https://www.studiokaltofen.nl/
Want to know more about form studies? Then take a look at how they approach it at the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam
