The Architect as Craftsman An exploration into craft at the urban scale.

摘要

The idea of craft at the urban scale is explored through the lens of architect as craftsman. What is craft? Who are the craftsmen and what is craft at the urban scale? Several characteristics emerge as important when defining what is craft: domain shift, trial and error, resistance and ambiguity, complexity and use of tools. These ideas are explored through the direct and indirect craft processes of Charles and Ray Eames and Gerrit Rietveld, and the contemporary example of the architect developer, extending the notion of craft beyond the design phase. Through the design and build of a chair, the craft process is tested, bringing into focus the elements of the city that should be considered when building for Bologna, and the site itself. It is though this exploration that the city of Bologna is investigated and a design is proposed for the STAVECO site, just south of the city centre. A parking lot performance space along with an accompanying market building is proposed and designed, addressing the parking pressures of the city, the site's previous use, and the city's dedication to public art festivals, where the city is often used as a canvas for such events. This space, along with the market, also address the site as an important threshold between the city and the surrounding hills. Craft at the urban scale is explored throughout the research, design, building of the chair, and the consideration of the site and surrounding environment. Craft emerges from this enquiry as an iterative process, dependent on exploration, questioning, and a desire to learn and grow from existing environmental factors.