We Seek to Rethink the Structure of Architectural Education
In this immersive and intensive program, attendants will collaboratively imagine and build an environment in Minecraft Creative Mode. Collectively, the participants will consider the potential of video game technologies in offering new ways to simulate and navigate the complexities of our contemporary hyper-connected world. The environment created in Minecraft will be the basis of a number of architectural exercises that will introduce the participants to the pleasures of spatial, formal, and material explorations at the core of the practice of architecture. Participants will learn about architecture as a discipline involved in shaping the built environment with a deeply cultural and social approach.
Meet the Team
Ghazal Al Abassy Asbagh
Porgram Coordinator & Assistant Professor at the Department of Architecture at AUB
Ghazal teaches and practices between Beirut and Manhattan. She writes prolifically on contemporary architecture, with a focus on architecture pedagogy. She studied Civil Engineering and architecture and holds a degree in Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Dina Abou Saleh
Architect and Game Designer at RobocomVR
Dina studied architecture at the American University of Beirut. Her passion lies in the field of computational design and VR technologies. She is currently working as a game designer at the company RobocomVr where she is part of the team working on the project for the Esports hub in Al Qana.
About The studio
Collaborative Gaming
As this course is primarily geared toward younger high-school aged students, it builds on spatial practices prevalent in gaming platforms.
Gaming platforms such as Minecraft operate in design oriented environments such as in Minecraft’s ‘creative mode’. The environment created in the gaming platform will become the launching pad for introducing the participants to architecture.
Software Tutorials
No prior knowledge of gaming, sketching, drawing, model making, or software is required.
Students will be expected to have a laptop that can run the gaming platform as well as the 3D modeling software. Introductory tutorials will be given as a basic introduction to 3d modeling software as well as the gaming enviroment.
Online Learning
Studio Archigame uses its digital platform to establish a non-hierarchical network across the globe.
Thematic discussions, lectures, student presentations, and online studio sessions will will be held on Zoom and using a multitude of platforms such as Concept Board and Discord. The studio uses a digital platform to reach out to students across the globe .