Prof.Minoru Takeyama Design Studio @ MUSASHINO ART UNIVERSITY, TOKYO, JAPAN

in collaboration with  Jerzy Wojtowicz @ UBC

Joint Project for Japanese and Canadian Students of Architecture

w o r k    i n   p r o g r e s s

 (click on plan of Odaiba Fort for more)

There is growing consensus that Information Technology (IT) does not belong to category of tools (1). In the very recent past we used to think of computer as  another tool requiring development of techniques or skills. More recently in education and practice of design IT becomes accepted as MEDIA -  not just a tool.  This process is perhaps due to the rapid dissemination on computing literacy, progressive accessibility and ease of use of IT. 

Many ask to what extend the networked machine   can become the  integral part of the creative process for the contemporary designer? Perhaps this question has to remain rhetorical for now, as in our opinion it can be only resolved through act of design. 
 

Collective Memory with  Electronic Collage Project  
Collage comes from French for "pasting". In art  it was originally Dada and Cubist  formulated technique of combining   "found" materials such as fragments  of newspaper or fabric with the conventional painting.  

Exploring the creative aspects of the New Media you are asked to develop the digital collage  instrumental in  reading / writing of  the past / future conditions of the city. 
First  illustrate your fragmentary vision of  the urban life in the Edo period and than  bridge it into the projection  of future urban condition in the mid XXI century in the collage form. Use this content to construct  the idea for multi-layer,  interactive electronic collage affording new reading of Tokyo.  At the end of the project we will be  asked to discuss how and if  the  new media affords an additional opportunity to address our collective memory? 

The basic familiarity with image processing is welcome,  but not required to complete this short workshop assignment. The collectively prepared the material outlined below will integrated with the projects of Canadian students in the fall of 1998. The project will be  published on the web as well as  in CD ROM format  for the benefit of  larger audience. 
 

Hand-in format 
The project is to be presented on screen as a sequence of digital  interactive images. 
You are asked to present process as well as product for the discussion: 
1. Original Source Elements (as digitally recorded) 
2. Elements as edited, (manipulated, modified, cropped) 
3. Collage Composition  (with the layer structure preserved) 
4. Short paragraph describing the intention of the project and crediting the source material is expected. 

Digital Media 
Image Processing Software (Photoshop, or similar) scanner, digital camera, 
PowerPoint, Netscape Communicator, Slide Show. Other software (optional): Adobe AftereEfects, Director, Form Z, QTVR Authoring, Adobe Premiere. The additional modelling and animation software software might introduced  by instructor  if needed. 

Student Projects 
The proposed projects will be linked to this page in September 1998