A critical examination of the spatial, social and theoretical context of work
As part of the small design project "Work is Half of our Lifes", we want to work together to explore the symbiotic relationship between the city and work, and how we can and, more importantly, want to integrate work into our cities today and in the future.
Production sites have always been places of creativity and innovation, both influencing the city and being influenced by the city. They shaped entire regions, were the origin of city foundations and population growth, and shaped our society(s). At the same time, leisure - gathering, living, recreation, entertainment, etc. - often took place in the context of the workplace. City and Production are still very closely intertwined today. The city houses entrepreneurs, workers, resources, and consumers, and sets in motion a chain of production, consumption, and reproduction.
In the context of small-scale design, labor/production and its spatial, social and theoretical context are at the center of our observation.
Among other things, we deal with utopian visionaries, examine the paternalism of big businesses, garden cities and company towns, discuss topics such as de-industrialization and neoliberalism, but also new trends such as "new work" and the effects of digitalization. We scrutinize housing typologies of working-class settlements and question contemporary implementations of the 15-minute city.
Supervised by an interdisciplinary team consisting of Karoline Mayer, Curator and filmmaker with a background in architecture (Architekturzentrum Wien), as well as Dorothee Huber and Ute Schneider (Research Department for Urban Planning and Design), and additional topic-specific input from other experts, the students will work on the following questions: What responsibility did/have companies towards their employees? Which social functions were part of the working environment in the different time periods and projects? How does the integration of production into the city or the city into production function in the individual projects?In order to find answers to these questions, concrete building case studies and theoretical positions from different epochs will be analyzed and researched in order to understand the cultural and socio-historical role of working in the context of developments in architecture and urban planning in the 18th and 19th centuries and up to the present, and to transfer them into applied future-oriented design concepts. We want to jointly develop visions for the future coexistence of city and production: The Productive City of the 21st Century - a constructive and lively coexistence and interaction in a networked and digitalized world, where work, leisure and living seamlessly flow into each other.
How we work
Design is conceived in three thematic blocks (Research & Design & Exhibition), which are worked on integratively. The students work out their research topics in small groups and transfer the findings to the present during the semester. Within several small design exercises, the research results will be approached and positions will be developed, which will finally be applied, questioned and/or also further developed at a concrete location in Budapest or Vienna in a contemporary context. The result of the design process will be an exhibition, where the acquired knowledge, the designs and positions will be displayed. The exercise does not only focus on the pure design, but also integrates theoretical and curatorial considerations.
The designing dates take place (roughly) every other Friday and are intended as a workshop format where people discuss, comment, design and work together. The exhibition will take place in the first week of March.
Participation in the field trip (260.850) is mandatory.
