Introduction

One of the primary objectives for our work this semester is to gain an understanding of the relationship between architecture and place. Every project comes with many client and user expectations and aspirations relating to the relationship of the building to the site and city building form, materiality, performance, program, scale, economics, symbol, etc. The project also seeks to support academic learning models that are in their infancy. We, as designers, must learn to identify, understand and interpret these issues in our work if we are to to create and produce work that meets or exceeds client, and community expectations.

One obstacle for many new designers is that we all bring our individual feelings and values about architecture and environment to each project, and it is not unusual for these to be at odds with those of the community or client. In order to turn a potential obstacle into an asset, it is important to first understand how our own experiences and memories influence our current world view, and how these are similar to or different from the experiences and values held by others. This understanding will improve our ability to work successfully with others to identify shared values and experiences that inform design decision-making.

An environmental autobiography is an exercise designed to explore and come to understand how experiences of the built and "natural" environment influence currently held feelings and beliefs about architecture and place. It is like a conventional autobiography, however, the focus is on places you have experienced and how they have shaped who you are today.

Process

Think back to your childhood and move through to the present, identifying those places that stand out in your memory (good & bad). This needn't be an exhaustive list of every place you have lived in or experienced. Choose significant or representative places and explore what it is about them that make them so important to you. These may be places you lived, homes of friends, places you have visited as a tourist or temporary resident, schools you have attended, wilderness or urban places, etc.

Use a sketchbook or similar method to record your memories, feelings, images, etc. following the outline provided below:

• Examine the places objectively from the point of view of all your senses: what did it look like? how did it smell? feel to the touch? was there a particular sound? taste?
• Examine the places subjectively. What feelings do you recall about the place? Did you have an emotional reaction? if so, what was it like? Can you experience something today that brings back memories of that place? If so, what triggers that experience. Your memories may include people, but remember the focus of this exercise is on place.
• Analyse how these experiences with the built and natural environment have shaped who you are today and how you approach designing places for others. How have these places shaped your self-identity? design philosophy? connections to communities and culture? Can you find a pattern to your life that has been created by these memories?

Product

The goal is to produce an environmental autobiography that you will use to share your experiences with classmates, and examine how your experiences influence your approach to design. The format is wide open, but you must include, at minimum, a

• physical artifact (drawing, model, collage, bas relief, digital image, video, etc.)
• verbal/written component (prose, poetry, rap, ) etc.
• presention of not more than 5 - 7 minutes.