DIGITAL RURALISM WORKSHOP | 土人学社

In the age of cities, the world continues unrelentingly towards urbanization. Massive migration to established cities in   China, acting as hyper-dense attractors, has led to the hinterland and natural resources to be increasingly overtaken. Currently, rural territories are depicted through

nearly vacated   villages, sparse industry , ineffective agricultural production and older generations without the capacity to relocate. What if the future would depend on the rural context and not the current models of growth dictated by rapid urbanization   processes?

Rural landscapes can potentially seed potential new models of growth encouraging symbiotic relationships with nature.

The main aim of this intensive design workshop is the   learning of analytical tools applied to grasping geographic,   environmental and social

potentials of rural contexts, to   explore how villages can expand through models of   adaptation.This research will be led through a design

methodology based on GIS analysis, generative approaches and data-driven experimentation.

AAVS Shanghai. Wu Wenjing, Wang Yadian,Chloe Haentjens. 2016

The site of TA’s academy, Xixinan village in Anhui Province, will serve as the context for design proposals. Students will be introduced to the

use of drones (UVAs) for landscape surveying and 3d mapping in order to generate a comprehensive digital model of Xixinan.   Through

computational methods, patterns for intervention will be developed at the territorial scale, followed by a more detailed study, to be selected

and   developed through environmental analysis and digital modeling. Design proposals will explore the specific circumstances of the context

through simulations of microclimate and their relationship geometries. The   outcomes will be a blend of social and environmental   patterns

aiming for hyper-contextualized models of growth.

Drone Landscape Surveying. MAPS. 2017

Mavic Pro. DJI. 2016

SCHEDULE

TUTORS

Mary Polites and Ignacio Lopez-Buson hold master´s degrees in Landscape Urbanism and Emergent Technologies and Design from the

Architectural Association (AA) in London. In 2014 they formed MAPS (Methods for the Architecture of Patterns and Systems) with their

colleague Du Chen, to start a research, teaching and design initiative in Shanghai. MAPS primary focus is to analyze the complexity of current

social, economic and natural systems and articulate their logics into diverse and livable environments in China. Their teaching experience

relates to landscape, urbanism, GIS and computational design, and includes positions at the London Architectural Association (AA), AA Visiting

School Shanghai, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Tongji University in Shanghai, and Turenscape Academy.

Mary   Polites

Master of Emergent Technologies at AA, Assistant Professor at Tongji University Design & Innovation College and

Co-Director of BiDL (Biomimetic Design Lab)

Ignacio Lopez-Buson

Master of Landscape Urbanism at AA; Director and Co-Founder of MAPS

SPECIAL GUESTS

Neville Mars

Director，MARS Architects, Shanghai

Tom Verebes

Provost, Turenscape Academy; Director OCEAN CN Studio; Director AA Visiting School Shanghai

Xiong，Ying

Acadmic Director, Turenscape Academy; Master of Landscape Architecture, ASU

COME AND JOIN US！