Most of the fundamental traits of buildings are determined early on in the phase of urban design, which specifies their program, proportions, relation to one another etc. As such, urban design has a great influence on the physical space we inhabit.

The studio will investigate contemporary strategies of urban design and planning, building upon the students understanding of the relationship between the urban scale and building scale. Using precedents to develop their proposals, students will aspire to position their design within a wide context, acknowledging that spatial strategies are tied to policies, history, urban politics, local influences and global trends.

The issue of urbanism and the virtual world will also be of focus. How can you connect the physical space of architecture and the virtual realm, which gradually occupies more and more space? What are the influences of the virtual world on the city? How can you develop a long-term plan which will accommodate unexpected scenarios and changes?

This semester we will focus on an area in south of Tel Aviv which undergoes rapid development. The process will aim at acquiring tools to develop an urban proposal, from the concept phase – relating to the existing conditions and the challenges they put forward – and up until designing parts in greater detail. Students will be encouraged to work in an iterative process and move back and forth between the urban scale and the building scale, in order to test the decisions taken in the urban scale.