PROJECT DESCRIPTION (current)

Initially we talked about this project as being exactly what that sounds - not a museum, the contents of relate to drag queens - but a museum that is "dressed in drag" - and not just "in drag" but of the "queen" variety. Addressing, no ATTACKING SCALE. The intent being to gain an understanding of what "too much" means through actual experience (the only path towards true knowledge). You might also think of it another way. Its a discussion of what is "appropriate" or "within SCALE" by examining its opposite. (a figure/ground of appropriateness of scale if you will).

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The LARGER themes I have been focusing are as follows:

CREATIVITY & PROCESS: The studio is designed with the desire to gain a better understanding of these IDEAS/concepts. questions like "what is CREATIVITY," how does it come about? - all those deep philosophical questions that hit the very core of not just architecture, but life.

REPRESENTATION & THE NARRATIVE: I make a differentiation between BUILDING and ARCHITECTURE. You might say that all ARCHITECTURE is buildings, but not all buildings ARCHITECTURE. A building is transformed into architecture through NARRATIVE- the narrative of an idea/philosophy (what the architecture is about). It is the IDEA that makes the difference. Another way of looking at it is to say architecture IS the IDEA.

So if "architecture is the idea" we should be talking about representing the idea, and not the architecture. This is like talking about a facsimile when you should be talking about "the thing itself." Now this is an architecture class, so "architecture" is the "tool" or "medium" we are focused on, but I've begun to focus on other "tools" or "mediums" that deal with REPRESENTATION and the NARRATIVE.

SCALE (in excess): This is one of the main themes that has been carried over from the "queen" - and this is discussed in the first paragraph - but the basic strategy is to get the students to look at EVERYTHING from a different perspective, and get them outside their comfort zone. The students are encourage to approach everything in terms of "whats too much?" - or "THINK BIG"

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The studio itself has moved away from the specific subject of "drag queen," but is still hopefully investigating the sub-IDEAS of "drag queen" Some of these are as follows:

Subversive/creative
ideas of outcast
ideas similarity/difference
form vs function
public vs private
complexity & contradiction
Duck vs Decorated shed
transformation

...and so on.

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Fertile ground has been created with the intention that the students follow their interests, and they should be able to find SOMETHING here of interest - the goal being they have an IDEA that they can personally relate to, but also relates to the themes of the project and the building/site/neighborhood as well.

Additionally the project is experimenting with "web tools" for both research and design. the "web tools" are as follows, and are not fully described here.

BLOGGER - The blogs have a multiplicity of purpose - a way to communicate within the studio, and a way to communicate outside the studio as well. there are 3 MAIN blogs being used.

DETAILS:
(this one)
http://studio-details.blogspot.com/
NARRATIVES:
students (and myself) are posting "narratives" about ideas or relationships.
http://studio-narratives.blogspot.com/
COMMENTS/STATUS:
for outside comments and general studio wide issues.
http://studio-comments.blogspot.com/

Secondary Blogs are as follows:

TASKS:
group projects - completed and ongoing.
http://studio-task.blogspot.com/
READING:
readings - and analysis
http://studio-readings.blogspot.com/
TROUBLESHOOT/TUTORIALS:
self-help for the students.
http://studio-troubleshooting.blogspot.com/

FLICKR - a Museum in Drag GROUP has been created - this is so that all site photo's can be pooled together. The intent is that the photo's be "tagged" so that the students can complete quick searches and filter out specific ideas through this process.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/museumindrag/


YOUTUBE - The use of playlists as an excersise in creating RELATIONSHIPS and a method of finding where the interest lies. Its my hope that actual videos are posted at some point (well there are a few, but those are mine.)
http://www.youtube.com/user/STOLONDESIGN