Beyond Media - Spot on Schools

RESEARCH BACKGROUND Beyond Media 2003 comprised an international congress of talks and exhibitions examining the theme: Media and New Sense of Place in Architecture. SIAL, together with the School of Architecture at the University of Auckland, was invited to participate in the Spot On Schools exhibition, a showcase of work by internationally distinguished schools of architecture. Curated by Paola Giaconia, the exhibition offered a survey of courses that explore the topic of communication in architecture, particularly the influence of new media in this field. RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION Research was undertaken by students in two architectural design studios, Memory Games and SYNTHETICscapes. Each studio investigated the role of the collective memory in creating visual and sonic narratives. Melbourne city's interstitial lanes and alleyways formed the initial site reference and from this point designs deviated into imagined worlds, exploring concepts of memory. A collaborative virtual environment software (stringCVE) was utilised by students with computer game engines as their primary design media. This allowed students to achieve pioneering design outcomes that united sound, spatial awareness and collective memory. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE The leading component of teaching objectives was audio design and final projects were delivered in Dolby 5.1 sound. Students also combined their final design worlds into grouped spaces, allowing navigation from one design to another, and subsequently experiencing a multi-layered understanding of Melbourne's CBD. The work was exhibited at Beyond Media - Spot on Schools, at the 7th International Festival for Architecture in Video, Italy, October 2-12, 2003.