Arch 700 focuses upon urban design problems varying in scale and in cultural context with a focus on a site in suburban Washington, DC, as part of the PALS initiative, and a waterfront site in greater Buenos Aires, Argentina. The studio involves the participation of the visiting Kea Professor, Pablo Guiraldes and concentrates upon the development of knowledge in urbanism, building types, urban morphology and the relationship and pressures brought to bear upon existing sites by their cultural and physical histories. Students work alone and in groups and are responsible for the development of base documentation, historical research and design documents.
The final problem of the semester is the development of proposals for a site in suburban Washington, DC at the Largo Metro station in Prince Georges County, MD and at the Canal San Fernando in greater Buenos Aires, Argentina. Emphasis is placed on plan strategies for each neighborhood, strategies for the re-use/transformation of existing buildings, phasing, and proposals that examine how a lower density neighborhood can be developed from the fragments of urban sprawl, new buildings, urban space and infrastructure.
