This is an archive page for Guimarães

Forthcoming dates for this school to be announced.

Guimarães

Saturday 27 October – Sunday 4 November 2012

Contemporary modes of production have deeply changed the way in which architecture and creative disciplines relate and are positioned in the art and culture system. Modes of production are increasingly being challenged by computational design processes that include variation and adaptation (non-standard), digital fabrication and construction processes that materialise flexible and differentiated building components (mass-customization) with the same facility as traditional standardized components. Architects are now inscribed in a broader technological and cultural context where mass-customization represents both a social request and an industrial possibility intertwining computational design techniques and manufacturing production processes.

The Architectural Association Visiting School Guimarães 2012, in partnership with the School of Architecture of Universidade do Minho (EAUM) and in concordance with the Guimarães 2012 Cultural European Capital (CEC 2012) mission statement for the Arts and Architecture cycle, takes a critical approach to these relationships and encourages discussion about the modes in which creative and architectural practices can have a critical impact on other areas of contemporary production. Addressing the immediate context of Guimarães, AAVS aims to play a major local role in the investigation and discussion of these new modes of production via design, fabrication and assembly of a series of site-specific 1:1 architectural interventions on specific areas in the municipality of Guimarães linking the potentialities of computational design and fabrication technologies with traditional local materials and construction techniques.

The aim is to contrast disciplinary approaches to the actual idea of context, the transfer of meaning and the possibilities of positioning artistic and architectural practice in the contemporary world generating interventions and participation by audiences and creators from different geographical locations, while also contributing to enriching and empowering participative public spaces in Guimarães in 2012 and beyond. The Visiting School comprises a nine-day workshop (the daily studio sessions will be ended with informal conversations with invited speakers), a one-day symposium on contemporary modes of production and a one-month urban macro-exhibition of site-specific 1:1 architectural micro-interventions within Guimarães urban fabric, incorporating local materials and industrial resources available in the area.

Applications

The deadline for applications is 22 October 2012. All participants travelling from abroad are responsible for securing any visa required for entry to Portugal, and are advised to contact their home embassy early. After payment of fees, the AA School can provide a letter confirming participation in the workshop.

Fees

The AA Visiting School requires a fee of £695 per participant, which includes a £60 Visiting Membership, payable online at: www.aaschool.ac.uk/guimaraes. Fees do not include flights or accommodation, but accommodation options can be advised. Students need to bring their own laptops, digital equipment and model making tools. Please ensure this equipment is covered by your own insurance as the AA takes no responsibility for items lost or stolen at the workshop.

Eligibility
The workshop is open to current architecture, art and design students, practising architects, artists, designers, and other professionals.

Software Requirements: Adobe Creative Suite, Rhino (SR7 or later)