Open Design | Relay Station
Building a Steadfast Pivot for an Uncertain Future
Today, human society’s economy, technology, and culture are advancing at an accelerating pace. Yet, behind this thriving progress lies growing uncertainty: regional development disparities, climate change, energy shortages, biodiversity loss, crises of faith, racial discrimination, cybersecurity threats, and pandemics. In such a volatile world, what role can architects play in shaping humanity’s future amidst emerging opportunities and challenges?
As part of the third-year architectural design course, this project falls under the subtopic of “Open Design” within four overarching themes: “Constrained Design,” “Systematic Design,” “Open Design,” and “Exploratory Design.” The assignment, titled Relay Station, encourages students to think openly, identify challenges, explore boundary conditions, leverage their initiative, and propose creative solutions. Over four weeks, students develop and submit their work as a combination of a strategic proposal and conceptual design.
01
Project Overview
The term “relay station” originally referred to a supply and transfer hub situated midway along transportation routes—an intermediate stop guiding travelers toward future destinations. This project challenges students to design such a relay station: a stable, predictable, and secure place for individuals or groups to pause amid rapid change, before continuing toward an uncertain future.
The theme welcomes any functional system that fits the concept of a relay station. The only requirement is to construct a spatial system that establishes a reliable external environment while maintaining internal consistency in ontology, technology, and logic.
02
Project Goals
- Develop design thinking rooted in thorough problem research to generate strategic solutions.
- Explore autonomy by maximizing objectives under minimal constraints.
- Construct compelling narratives around spatial system design.
- Summarize, refine, and effectively communicate design concepts.
03
Research Outcomes
This project culminates in a strategic proposal alongside a conceptual design, emphasizing critical thinking and diverse perspectives on challenges. Students are tasked with using the “relay station” as a conceptual framework, integrating current social contexts and future trends to create innovative architectural forms. These designs should boldly yet reasonably address societal, technological, cultural, and ecological needs.
Deliverables include two A0-sized posters: one that visually encapsulates the theme with strong identity and impact, and another featuring relevant design drawings accompanied by detailed textual explanations that fully articulate the project’s creative intent. Students collaborate in pairs to complete the assignment.
04
Selected Student Projects
Text and images provided by the Third Year Teaching Group
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up