The Preliminary Studies is a preparatory assignment that focuses on investigating basic notions of
the city, and learning from examples of community library around the world. This assignment aims to
firstly introduce students to the basics in urban design and its relation to architecture, and secondly,
studying and determining the programmatic function, societal role and spatial layout of a community
library and architectural responses for urban infills.
The Preliminary Studies comprises of three components:
- Site Documentation
- Site Analysis
- Precedent Studies of Urban Infills and Community Library
The Site Documentation and Site Analysis will equip students with a firm understanding of the site they will be working with this semester, while the Precedent Studies will provide an insight into architectural responses for designing an urban infill community library. The outcome of the Preliminary Studies will include the production of site documentation materials (drawings and models in both digital and physical copy for further use), a comprehensive analysis of the site, and a detailed case study of a relevant urban infill and community library.
Reflection:
As students, this site analysis practice took a step further from our previous trails. Not only it involves the typical on-site analysis such as circulation, now there's city laws in which we have to specifically follow accordingly. Besides that, the community library is of course, community first, and interviews were made to further understanding the site to recognize their problems and needs.
