This call is for team leads (Fellows) for the summer 2018 session of Critical Practice Studio. Team leads, a blend between teaching mentors and visionary professionals, are awarded a CRITPraX Fellowship. Critical Practice Studio is a summer entry experience for graduate students at Lawrence Tech in the Architecture, Interior Design, Urban Design and MFA Social Practice degrees. It is a team-based, competitive charrette/workshop style studio that meets in four multi-day sessions over the summer. The studio is focused around the work and vision of an acknowledged and accomplished designer or practice involved in a critical practice; a masterclass. This year the master practitioner is Austin+Mergold (http://www.austin-mergold.com/). The master practitioner frames the overall studio and sets the focus and the topics for the team projects. Each student team is organized around the Fellow, a second experienced practitioner who leads the studio group.
This summer's experimental projects will be based around the methodologies and philosophies formulated by Austin+Mergold, a practice that blends landscape architecture, architecture and urban design. The experience this summer is American Spolia, a process of slow architecture engaging vernacular landscapes. Projects run fast with team direction provided by the Fellow in response to the
For example of past work, visit the CRITPraX website (http://criticalpractice.ltu.edu/)
Team leads spend 10 weeks developing a series of short projects guiding a group of eight to twelve students. Personal agendas playing out within the overall studio topic are expected and required. These positions should be inherent and visible in the application, building off the central philosophies and methods of the lead practitioner.
Application
The Fellowship is a 10-week position that requires on-ground presence at four weekend workshops. Formal studio meetings are at the Southfield, Detroit campus on the following schedule:
May 18-20, 2018 (course kickoff/introduction – Charrette One);
June 1-3, 2018 (Charrette Two);
June 22-24, 2018 (Charrette Three);
July 13-15, 2018 (gallery review – Post-Production).
Studio experience starts at 9:00 am on Friday morning and concludes at 2:00 pm on Sunday during each session. Fellows will also meet with their teams on a flexible schedule between workshop sessions in order to guide and develop the project outcomes (10 hours min. direct contact). These interactions might be virtual using digital modalities rather than physical meetings.
Fellows will be awarded a stipend for summer efforts equivalent to an adjunct teaching salary.
Application requirement: short statement of position that considers acts of speculation, narrative, prototyping and relational pursuits. In addition, provide a portfolio focused on recent writing, projects and products (8 items max) and supporting documentation (photograph/illustration). All sub-disciplines of applied design are eligible for the Fellowship (architectural design, urban design, interior design, industrial design, interaction design, graphic design, etc).
Applications should be emailed to Philip Plowright at pplowright@ltu.edu by April 10, 2018. The jury will notify selected Fellows by Friday, April 20, 2018. Email subject line should be “CRITPraX18 Fellowship”.