This week's studio took a rather unique approach, where we undertook a design process exercise or 'game' all together. This was based on Urban Gallery, which is "a practical use of methodology developed and tested by Chora".
"In a short test project, ideas come quickly, creating instant alternative realities." ––– extract from the exercise brief
The EOTM methodology
The process is based on Chora's EOTM process - suggesting things which can happen at that specific location based on the follow four categories:
E – erasure is taking things away, making space.
O – origination is a point in time where something new begins to happen, origination sets something into the realm of the other, it is the basis for reaction.
T – Transformation indications a continuous change between two states of an object or situation, a change with a beginning and an end.
M – Migration describes things moving from one point to another, things that leave and don't return, of which sometimes traces remain.
Two pages of the brief, explaining the EOTM methodology and the design game process
Objects required
1:500 site model, which we all sat around
Numbered dried beans (3 each)
Paper
Pen/pencil
Close-up view of part of the 1:500 site model
Step-by-step process
Throw bean onto the site model.
Note its location (for future reference).
Apply the EOTM process.
Identify actors/agents.
Compose a mini-scenario on that location of the site, including as-found things and new actions and actors.
Suggest prototypes/micro-architectures that support the mini-scenario.
Consider how this location/scenario/prototype may connect with other people's to create a 'dynamic network'.
Repeat steps 1-7 with a new bean, ideally landing in a different location.
Beans on the site model, determining the random locations
Results and reflection
The clear benefits of undertaking this exercise as a group was that it generated many different possible activities on the site in a short space of time. The random nature of locations, due to the bean-throwing, meant that we all ended up considering spaces which we otherwise would have overlooked, and then the EOTM process and time limit gave us a structure to quickly propose ideas, without being too precious about them. Because we were a group of 10 people and we carried out 3 iterations, by the end of the exercise we had 30 different pieces of inspiration for moving forward with our project. This came at a good stage in the project, where we have a good enough understanding of the site to be able to suggest scenarios relevant to their siting, but haven't yet fixated on one particular programme for the site.
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