LAA350 - Concept
Tin will hold the lecture Concept, and conduct a workshop specifically addressing: 1. context, 2. problem, 3. overarching idea, and how these components inform the 4. spatial guidelines of a project. As always, there are no absolute right or wrong answers in design or urban proposals; rather, some ideas may prove more compelling depending on the context or the perspective of a given jury.
This lecture consists of two parts: a lecture showing examples and then a rapid prototyping of a proposal’s backbone, where 4 elements needs to be described separately and coherently:
Context - Describe your site, location, or city through a distinctive observation you have made. This observation might at first appear obvious, yet it may also reveal subtler dynamics. You may ground your analysis in both tangible and intangible aspects — such as materiality, architecture, building typology, spatial volume, landscape, public space, planning methodology, cultural identity, demographics, economy, politics, or ideology.
Problem - Critically examine the complexities embedded within your chosen site or city. Focus on how your unique observation exposes tensions between the physical environment and social dynamics — including issues of accessibility, inequality, or cultural representation. This relationship emphasizes the need to confront these challenges to promote a more inclusive, equitable, and socially responsive urban fabric.
Overarching Idea - Investigate how the interplay between urban form and social processes can generate both opportunities and constraints, shaping pathways toward — or away from — greater spatial and social inclusion.
Spatial Guidelines - A deeper understanding of the site’s context and its underlying challenges demonstrates the need for spatial interventions that foreground accessibility and cultural representation. These considerations form a coherent framework for the project’s next phase, guiding targeted architectural and urban design strategies that actively engage with these issues.
The students had to fill out a form, and were handed out both a blank one and one example. The results are as following:
Tin’s projects presented:
The course LAA350 - Projects in Urban Planning is a 20 ECTS course, focusing on the urban development of the city centre in the medium-sized city Sarpsborg. The course encourages studies of structures, massing and in-between spaces. LAA350 was conceived and previously led by professor Elin Børrud, before her departure this year. The teaching staff consist of Anja Standal, the new course responsible (BYREG), and Tin Phan (EIEJUSS)
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Sep-Dec 2025.
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Anja Standal, BYREG
Tin Phan, EIEJUSS -
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