Aarhus Documents 01 A Beaux Arts Education for the 21st Century AARHUS DOCUMENTS 01 A Beaux Arts Education for the 21st Century Aarhus Documents 01: A Beaux Arts Education for the 21st Century Editor: Gerard Reinmuth Content Manager: Louise Heebøll Translation: John Mason, Jette Jansen, Tjeksproget.dk, Gerard Reinmuth, Louise Heebøll Layout: Gilbert Hansen, B Print: Narayana Press, Odder ISBN: 978-87-92700-01-8 Publisher: The Architectural Publisher B in collaboration with the Aarhus School of Architecture © 2011, Fonden til udgivelse af Arkitekturtidsskrift B Copenhagen and B the Aarhus School of Architecture, the authors and photographers ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to thank the students of fi rst year ture for providing regular feedback, cri- CONTENT 2009-2010 who are listed at the back of tique, disagreement and encouragement the book. The energy and vitality of the in equal measure. In particular, Niels student body at the Aarhus School of Park Nygaard must be acknowledged as 6 Foreword Torben Nielsen Architecture provides an inherent rea- a proxy co-researcher for the chapter on 8 Introduction Gerard Reinmuth son to be engaged within the school and ‘Architectural Education in Denmark’. A This book would never have been possi- this group were exemplars in this regard. detached perspective was provided by a ble without the extremely generous and I could also have individually thanked number of Australian colleagues of whom PART ONE: A NEW BACHELOR open way in which Anders Gammel- some particularly engaged and enthusias- Adrian Lahoud and Anthony Burke must gaard Nielsen and Anne Elisabeth Toft ad- tic members of the student body for their be mentioned. I would also like the thank 12 Redesigning First Year Gerard Reinmuth dressed my imposition in their teaching contribution to the success of the study the current Australian Ambassador to 14 Rethinking the Bachelor Degree Course Anne Elisabeth Toft & Anders Gammelgaard Nielsen program during the 2010 spring semes- trip to Australia, but I suspect that they Denmark, James Choi, who also reviewed ter. Having only just established a new know who they are already. my ‘context’ pieces and subsequently fi rst year program, Anne Elisabeth and provided further insight into Danish cul- 18 Context 1: ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION IN DENMARK Gerard Reinmuth Anders allowed their creation to be sub- The study tour would not have happened ture and politics. Teneil Van Dyck of my jected to a range of inquisitions, critiques without the support of the University of offi ce formally proof-read, edited and, and suggestions all before the fi rst year of Technology, Sydney. where necessary, challenged the fi nal PART TWO: FIRST YEAR, A CONVERSATION the new program had even been complet- texts and translations, providing a fresh ed. Over and above any pedagogic or in- The Rector of the Department of De- pair of eyes when we needed it most. 30 Slow Architecture Gerard Reinmuth tellectual machinery in place, a generous sign, Architecture and Building, Desley 34 Unit 1a: General Approach to the Teaching of Architecture Anders Gammelgaard Nielsen approach is perhaps the most signifi cant Luscombe, must be thanked for allow- My involvement in this pedagogical test- characteristic in determining the success ing such an ambitious invasion of her ing ground could not have occurred with- 40 Unit 1b: General Approach to the Teaching of Architecture Anne Elisabeth Toft of any pedagogic endeavour. Their partic- campus to occur at all, while Head of the out the full support of my practice and in ipation in this book was also signifi cant, School of Architecture Anthony Burke particular my co-directors Richard Blythe not only via their authorship of key texts must be thanked for backing the project and Scott Balmforth. I must also thank Projects concerning the fi rst year program but in a from the outset, advocating the venture Tamara Donnellan and Chris Rogers who 48 The Motor Unit 1a Anders Gammelgaard Nielsen co-editing role on the specifi c parts of the with the Rector and providing the neces- managed TERROIR’s Sydney offi ce in my book that relate to their respective studio sary leadership within the school to make absence allowing me large tranches of 72 Composition and De-composition Unit 1b Anne Elisabeth Toft assignments. it happen. The second Year Coordina- time overseas to participate in the proj- 94 Jack in the Box Unit 1a Anders Gammelgaard Nielsen tor, Joanne Jakovich, also deserves special ect. Anne Elisabeth and Anders were support- mention for her efforts to integrate one 116 Bridging the Gap Unit 1b Anne Elisabeth Toft ed in their teaching program by an en- hundred and twenty Scandinavian stu- Finally I wish to acknowledge Torben 140 Earth and Sky Unit 1a Anders Gammelgaard Nielsen thusiastic and highly engaged group of dents with her student body and teaching Nielsen, Rector of the Aarhus School of tutors who provided a valuable resource program and for her resolution of the nu- Architecture and originator of my in- 174 Structure, Seriality and the open Programme Unit 1b Anne Elisabeth Toft in terms of communicating the school’s merous organisational and coordination volvement in the fi rst year experiment program in fi ne detail. Of these tutors, dilemmas that regularly presented them- and of my role as Editor of this book. It Louise Heebøll continued her involve- selves during the time in Sydney. My as- is rare that someone in his position has 210 Context 2: SCHOOL IN A CITY, CITY IN A SCHOOL Gerard Reinmuth ment in the project as Content Manager sistant, Rachael Annear, must be thanked the bravery to invite an outsider to inter- for the book. Louise coordinated the de- for her role as proxy travel agent for the vene and critique a new experiment in livery of the book content and personally months before the trip. The combination education, particularly when this experi- PART THREE: AUSTRALIA photographed many of the student proj- of her delightful manner and organisa- ment is in many ways his personal proj- 224 A Practitioner in the Academy Gerard Reinmuth ects that appear on the following pages. tion skills defused one potential disaster ect and has been closely associated with She was also an important interface with after another and without her regular in- his ascension to Rector. To then ask me 229 The Opera in Three Acts Gilbert Hansen who must be thanked tervention the trip would not have been to be Guest Editor of a book on this ex- 250 Broken Hill Rasmus Grønbæk Hansen & Stefan Rask Nors for the graphic design and layout. Final- possible. periment and to provide no interven- ly, Louise’s understanding of Ander’s and tion whatsoever in the content is quite Anne Elisabeth’s separate approaches to A number of people went to great lengths remarkable. I hope that he fi nds this vol- 264 Context 3: A COLLECTIVE CULTURE Gerard Reinmuth teaching was of constant assistance and to either proof read my texts and engage ume worthy of the resources invested in this knowledge informed many of the de- in conversations about them. In partic- realising it and the lack of censorship to tailed decisions required to resolve the ular, I must thank Claus Peder Pedersen, which it was subjected. 270 The Future Torben Nielsen layout. Mads Tholstrup and Niels Park Nygaard Gerard Reinmuth, Aarhus, from the Aarhus School of Architec- December 2010. 4 - Acknowledgements Content - 5 0.1 Dear Reader, FOREWORD In your hand you are holding the fi rst book in a new series called ‘Aarhus Documents’ which will be pub- Torben Nielsen lished annually by the Aarhus School of Architecture. We have not edited the book ourselves but given a person – one who is not ordinarily part of our school and it’s history – free rein to analyse, criticise and give a honest assessment of the Aarhus School of Architecture – for good or bad – so that we can be challenged. The task has been given to the Australian architect and this year’s Visiting Professor at the Aarhus School of Architecture, Gerard Reinmuth. He is responsible for the conception of the book. Reinmuth developed the book’s structure and also collaborated with Gilbert Hansen on the layout. While this book initiates a series of annual publications, they will not be yearbooks in the normal sense. There is no description of the school’s present departments or projects from the fi rst to the last year of study. On the contrary, the book focuses solely on the fi rst year of study. A phase understood by all architects as the beginning of a long life in the puzzling and sometimes overwhelming world of architecture. A world of op- portunities, frustrations and wonderful experiences, a world where it is about generating form and space for the benefi t of human beings and their daily life. So, dear reader this book deals with the fi rst year of study at the Aarhus School of Architecture in the academic year of 2009/10. The fi rst year of study is perhaps the most important year of education because it lays the foundation for the rest of the architectural programme. This is where the standard is set. From a educational stance the fi rst year of study must challenge and fuel the coming years. This should continue throughout the academic pro- gramme. You have to be kept focussed in order to get better and develop both as a teacher, a researcher and a student. The Aarhus School of Architecture is in the middle of a process of change, with regard to both structure and content. Individual responsibility, the will to experiment and the development of artistic innovative work are intensifi ed.