Since becoming the U5 studio (undergraduate programme) coordinator in 2016, Patrick Hwang made two important tweaks to the programme. First, by introducing short and purposeful design exercises early in the semester; second, by increasing the collaborative and interactivity between students across the sections. In 2016, the study area is in Kennedy Town, a vibrant district in the midst of urban renewal and gentrification, and our topic is collective living as an approach to place-making. The term includes four main activities. Act 1: A mini architectural competition, Act 2: Public space and density study workshop, Act 3: Urban investigation and preliminary design, Act 4: Building articulation and Place-making. The fourth and longest part focuses on the design of a Place of Collective Living in dialogue with the existing urban fabric. The emphasis is on collective living as a potential to respond / transform the larger scale fabric in the city of Hong Kong.
