Clemson University field studies visit to Plaza Europa with prof. Ivan Blasi

Yesterday, Wednesday March 20, our Clemson University students with prof Ivan Blasi have visited Plaza Europa in the District VII (Granvia L’H) part of L’Hospitalet’s , Barcelona recent urban development with master plan and landscape designed by Albert Viaplana.

Europa Square besides its density has distinguishable skyline from the rest of Barcelona city made up of high-rises, among the tallest structures in the city, some of which are designed by the renowned architect Toyo Ito, Jean Nouvel, Raffael Moneo etc.

Students had pleasure to visit newly opened Renaissance Barcelona Fira by Jean Nouvel and Ribas & Ribas Arquitectos and Andriana Ribas one of the architects in charge of the project and its construction explained to them details of the hotel vertical gardens and the curios vegetation drawing façade.

Later on they’ve visited Social Housing tower by Roldán + Berengué arqts and walked to the convention center, Fira pavilions and the hotel Fira by Toyo Ito.

Conversation with David Mackay MBM architects_February 27th

Past Wednesday February 27th, during the Field Trips Seminar with Prof. Ivan Blasi, our Clemson University students had an honor to visit MBM architects office formed by Oriol Bohigas, Josep Martorell and David Mackay and have participated in the conversation with one of the partner architects David Mackay.

you can read here more details about their visit in one of our past posts

and here are some photos from the visit

Design Studio Midterm reviews models_February 18th 2013.

While our Clemson University and Texas A&M University are enjoying their trip in Netherlands, here are some photos of their first project ideas models presented during the Design Studio Midterm reviews past February 18th.

Clemson University_Madrid rio_”star” visit of this year’s trip

Madrid’s most important recent project, finished in 2011, is the M30/Manzanares Linear Park, known by everybody as Madrid Río.
The project organizes the 8 km of the banks of the River Manzanares, design ing 115 Ha of parks, a dozen of bridges and 6 Ha of public and sports facilities, interpretation and art centres, an urban beach, playgrounds and cafes, and the restoration of the hydraulic architectural heritage. The project connects Madrid with the valuable landscapes around the city.
The authors of the project were Burgos & Garrido together with Porras La Casta, Rubio & Á-Sala, West 8 and the participation of Dominique Perrault. Clemson University students had the great privilege to visit 4km of this project with Jaime Álvarez from Burgos&Garrido who was in charge of the project and its construction. He showed them the monumental part of the project next to the Royal Palace and the Casa de Campo Park, the Salón de Pinos area, the Arganzuela PArk with Perrault’s bridge, the urban beach (which appeared after asking children from Madrid what was missing in their city) and the shell bridges by West8 and Daniel Canogar. More than 4 hours walking along the river which seemed to be only a few minutes. The importance of the project is reflected in its selection in the 2013 Mies van der Rohe Award.

Field Trip Seminar visit to MBM architects with Prof. Ivan Blasi, Wednesday February 27th

dear Clemson University students,

On Wednesday February 27th, during the Field Trips Seminar with Prof. Ivan Blasi, you will be visiting MBM architects, formed by Oriol Bohigas, Josep Martorell and David Mackay. The latter will introduce us to the development of one of Barcelona’s most important and strategic projects, the Olympic Village neighborhood built in 1992, but also to their most recent and also controversial projects such as the DHUB building in Plaça de les Glòries.

Deyan Sudjic, important critic and director of the Design Museum in London, said: “MBM is still at a level at which it can function as a studio rather than in a necessarily corporate way with a core of less than thirty people. It reflects a commitment to a particular way of doing things that is distinctively its own. One that allows it to mix practice with theory to the enrichment of both. But if it is city renewal that has given MBM a constituency far beyond Barcelona, they also have a distinguished record as architects of sensitivity and discretion. They are not interested in creating aggressive, or spectacular architectural objects, or signature buildings. Yet they make buildings with a distinctive flavour and warmth that clearly demonstrates their roots.”

.
Since you’re working in the nearby Barceloneta neighborhood in Studio. The relationship with the 1992 project by MBM can determine some of your concepts. Questions on ways of facing projects, work organization or the future of cities will for sure come out during the 2 hours at MBM. A unique opportunity!

Have a safe travels Friday and brilliant Field Studies trip to Madrid and Toledo!

To all our Clemson University Students,
We wish safe travels Friday and brilliant Field Studies trip to Madrid and Toledo with Professor Ivan Blasi.
Enjoy and send us  your postcards!

Clemson University_field studies Barcelona City Vision session with Prof. Ivan Blasi

Clemson University Field Studies session titled City Vision: view of Barcelona’s major infrastructural items: port, airport, high speed train, streets, roads, axes.
Here are some pictures from the visit to Montjuïc with Prof. Ivan Blasi, where Clemson University students walked from the castle and the sea path (ronda) where they could  see all these facilities and discuss their relationship with the city and how they determine its growth.
The transformation of a landscape: the 1929 Magic Mountain and the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion. How Modern Cities developed.

Clemson University_field studies Built Environment, Green areas and Empty spaces session.

During the Field Studies seminar session titled Built Environment, Green areas and Empty spaces , Clemson University students have visited Barcelona’s Can Baró with views of the city’s structure and its history, Park Güell, Plaça Lesseps and Gràcia with Professor Ivan Blasi, past January 22.

Clemson University visit to Valencia

Check out some photos from the Clemson University students independent trip to Valencia old city center and City of Arts and Sciences.

heck out some photos from the independent trip of our Clemson University students to Valencia

Design studio lecture series with Roger Paez, past Thursday, January 24.

For the closer understanding of Design studio first phase, the analytical and at the same time projective phase of the project, Texas A&M University and Clemson University students have received first lecture of the series by architect Roger Paez, MS in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University (NYC) past Thursday, January 24.

Roger Paez’s lecture has demonstrated the inherent potential of maps for use as design tools.  Illustrating the shortcomings of limiting our understanding of maps to a strictly representational viewpoint.  The epistemology offered by scientific positivism is entirely insufficient for a full understanding of maps.  Far from being transparent and neutral windows on the world, maps contain a large number of non-explicit cultural propositions in their codification.  These propositions provide an implicit framework for the design of the city.

To see more about professional work of the architect Roger Paez, check out his web page AiB