Travelling Studio (Mysuru, India) (ABPL90296)

Travelling studios are working laboratories for design thought and production, and involve the exploration of complex, real-life issues. They expose students to unfamiliar cultures, places and people, and stimulate their ability to think creatively and solve problems. These studios aim to bring together students from architecture, urban design, landscape and planning streams and encourage an interdisciplinary focus. Pre-trip briefings or seminars will precede the travel component of the studio. The studio will incur travel costs, in addition to tuition fees. Faculty subsidies will, however, be available.

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SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT TRAVELLING STUDIO (MYSURU, INDIA)

Following its independence in 1947, from the 1950s to 70s India underwent a period of rapid change with the simultaneous reclamation of Indian national identity and the striving for inclusion in the western economically developed world. These forces coalesced in the architecture at the time, which simultaneously sought internationally modern characteristics but with reverence to the distinct Indian climate, cultural modes of occupation and available materials and technologies. With India’s unique structural conditions bound to its demographic, economic and cultural characteristics a challenge is presented to built environment design in formulating response strategies to India’s rapid expansion.

This travelling studio seeks to enquire how designers may offer a contribution in low-income, rapidly urbanising environments. It offers students the opportunity to learn, about India’s modernist residential typologies and the craft/trade-based systems and technologies that were adapted or discarded within a period of architectural transition. The purpose of the studio is to undertake research into a selection of crafts, trades, materials and technologies that supported India’s modernist housing; and to survey, analyse and design/document these to identify if they have a role to play in the contemporary context. It also offers the opportunity to investigate what happened to that industry and whether it is still economically, socially and environmentally possible to design and build utilising local craft/trade-based systems today. A key feature is to recognise the unique context under which buildings are made and the nature of the labour that carries out the task of bringing the design idea into a physical presence. The studio asks students if it is possible to consider the nature of this relationship and if designers have a role to play in facilitating social/technical opportunity and how this opportunity may be integrated into design.

APPROXIMATE COSTS

Return Flights: $1500
Accommodation: $750 (13 nights, up to $55 per night)
Local Travel: $150
Living expenses (meals and incidentals): $275 (11 days, up to $25 per day)

Note: Prices listed are subject to change. Participating students will receive a one-off subsidy of $800 from the Faculty utilised towards student’s accommodation costs and may be eligible to receive a one off payment of up to $1,000 from Melbourne Global Mobility (conditions apply).

CREDIT

This travelling studio can count as credit towards your course in one of the categories listed below:

• Master of Architecture: ABPL90142 (Master of Architecture Studio C), ABPL90143 (Master of Architecture Studio D), ABPL90115 (Master of Architecture Studio E) or Architecture specialisation elective or multidisciplinary elective
• Master of Construction: multidisciplinary elective
• Master of Landscape Architecture: Landscape Architecture specialisation elective, or multidisciplinary elective
• Master of Urban Design: Urban Design specialisation elective
• Master of Urban Planning: multidisciplinary elective

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For further information please check the following link: https://edsc.unimelb.edu.au/graduate/subject-options/travelling-studios