Socrates Stratis University of Cyprus, Department of Architecture, Nicosia, Cyprus 363
Another important aspect of project based logic is that there is no linear way of
designing. There is in fact, a continuous interrelation between all project parts and
actors that make the whole process dynamic and complex.
What is very crucial to note in this case is that within the project based logic
there are built in mechanisms of context evaluation which allow the construction
of the possible actions, readjustment of possible directions and means. The notion
of the context becomes central going beyond the physical context into the cultural
one. One could in fact define the cultural context as a register of contexts referring
to the physical, temporal and pragmatic domains^4.
Public vs private in the Case Studies 1 to 4 as a vehicle for the design studio
The purpose of the architectural design studio was to introduce in fact, the students
into the “project” based logic in architectural culture. The number of students was 17
and they worked in dynamic groups of 6 and 3 as well as on individual basis. The small
number of students with two tutors allowed the careful handling of quite complex
issues in the short time of a semester (14 weeks). The attempt was to expose them
to the characteristics of a “project” based logic in implicit and explicit manners. The
scenario of superimposition of case studies No 1, 2 and 3 into case study No 4 became
the vehicle for such attempt.
The students were exposed into complex conditions and they learnt how to manage
their way in such environments from the very beginning of their studies. They began
to learn in fact, to become creative and imaginative by getting exposed to “extreme”
conditions that question all given images and preconceptions in their minds, (a
pedagogical method that does not reproduce any limiting static world^5 ).
Their main project was to design a small family business (case No 1 to No 3) with
living spaces in a given site within a large hypermarket (case study No 4). Through an
architectural language developed by the study of morphogenetic forces, in this case
those of public vs. private they worked their way out through various phases:
Phase 1: Constructing a language of communication through public / private.
The students had to circulate around the Nicosia old city centre and study threshold
forms between public and private. They were given a matrix of domains in which
public and private exist, such as property, use, view (physical and tele-view), sound,
smell etc. They were invited to fill up the matrix with all possible examples of rela-
tions between public and private (for example, public property vs private use, private
property vs public view etc), (image 05)
This method enabled the students to construct a language of communication that
facilitated their comprehension of the urban environment, encouraged the commu-
nication amongst them but also between them and the tutors.
Phase 2: Analysing case studies 1-4 and enriching the public / private relations
Phase 2a
The students were invited to analyse the case studies No 1 to No 3 and define thresh-
old forms between private and public, from the private point of view. They were