University of Washington - College of Built Environments
Denmark Travel Study and Interdisciplinary Master Studio Program
The University of Washington-College of Built Environments in collaboration with the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and Gehl Architects has developed a Copenhagen, Denmark based, multi-disciplinary, two+ week, travel study program. Each September a study group comprised of up to thirty(30) University of Washington students, six(6) Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts Danish students, and two(2) University of Washington professors will tour Copenhagen and the Øresund region.
Students will gain first-hand knowledge of the methods of Gehl Architects, and especially an opportunity to experience and study the vital spaces that the firm has advanced in Copenhagen so that they can apply this knowledge to their design work in the studio and in their future careers. One week will focus on Gehl's work and influence, while the second week will encompass other examples of sustainable design in Denmark and the Øresund region.
The travel study program is a preparatory experience to the Scan|Design Foundation Interdisciplinary Master Studio in which all the students will be enrolled and is typically scheduled Fall Quarter. A Gehl Architect's project manager will interact with the class for two separate weeks during the term, providing guidance on the student projects.
2008
In the kick-off year, twenty-eight (28) students studied the design outcomes of Gehl Architects' and others' work with the goal of creating better public spaces and more sustainable, humane cities. The group was led by Associate Professor Nancy Rottle and Assistant Professor Kathryn Rogers Merlino. Gehl Architects helped to set up and host the two-week travel study program. Students stayed primarily in Copenhagen, but there were excursions to see exemplary projects outside the city.
The student travel to Denmark is a focused study of the Danish approach to creating successful public space and walkable, bikeable cities.
The Travel Study Trip was enormously successful. The students that participated in the Travel-Study Program are profoundly enriched by the breadth and depth of experiences provided for them in Denmark, including lectures, guided tours, field exercises, and social events. They have great respect for the design examples that they witnessed.
The students’ design work in the autumn Interdisciplinary Master Studio showed significant influence from their Fall 2008 travel-study experience and the Master Teaching of Louise Grassov from Gehl Architects. The interdisciplinary student teams proposed bold, well-considered solutions to the challenges of designing humane, sustainable pedestrian space in Seattle, which we presented in a beautiful color booklet to the City of Seattle - Department of Transportation.
2009
The 2009 Study Tour was held September 4-20, 2009. Twenty-four Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning students toured the Øresund region. The group was led by Associate Professor Nancy Rottle, Assistant Professor Peter Cohan, and further guided by the professional staff of Gehl Architects,Ccopenhagen's bicycle planners, Malmö’s mayor, and
designers of the innovative
Western Harbor project.
A combination of lectures and
tours gave students an understanding of the historic and contemporary forces which have influenced
patterns of development in Copenhagen and Malmö, sketching and analysis exercises gave them a
chance to read and interpret these patterns in the urban fabric. Together, the group walked through
Copenhagen’s vibrant, historic core, sketched and analyzed how the city’s great squares and streets
support a dense and rich urban experience, and cycled on
the city’s bike tracks to explore its regenerated
neighborhoods, striking architecture, active waterways, and tranquil parks.
Through the experience of innovative projects,
exposure to the experience and knowledge of
professionals, and immersion in the daily
patterns of city life, students gained valuable
understanding of Danish culture and lifestyle.
Students relished the uniquely Danish
opportunity to explore the city by bike - many
listed this as one of the highlights of the
Scan|Design trip - and one student commented
that “having a bicycle to travel around the city
really helped me feel like I was joining in with
the culture of the city and understanding the
city the same way a local resident does every
day.”
The Interdisciplinary Master Studio is being held Winter Quarter.
2010
The 2010 Study Tour will be held during the first 3 weeks of September. Course details are currently in the final stages of development and will be posted soon.
For more information on the programs:
Scan Design Travel Study and Master Studio at the University of Washington |
