About IDBE
Collaborative Studio Projects
Short intensive design projects are undertaken during each residential week. Design studios run throughout a residential week and typically include:
- Focus lectures
- Collaborative teamwork
- Review and discussion
- Completion of self assessment project diary sheets
Working in interdisciplinary teams, students respond to a brief and a site relating to the theme of the week. They develop design ideas stimulated by material covered in lectures. Tutors are drawn from the Departments of Architecture and Engineering or visiting professionals with a commitment to interdisciplinary design.
Project tasks range in scope and scale from a region to a component and they may be site specific or generic. The quality that they hold in common however is a relevance to real-world conditions. Recent projects have included: the design of an educational facility, modular building façade system; a heavily serviced laboratory building; and a transport interchange for the A14 at Huntingdon.
The studios are valuable for examining briefing, design and implementation, and are intended to encourage reflection and self assessment of the team process. Studio work concludes with a review of both the outputs and the team process and often includes external specialists. The review takes place on the final day of each of the residential weeks and provides an opportunity for discussion of the week’s achievements.