It's been a busy week throughout the studios, with dissertation synopsis deadlines and international field trips jetting off. We can't wait to hear back from them - but in the meantime we're throwing back to DS2's trip to Grymsdyke farm - and checking in on the finished 'poovilion'! DS2's Live Build Project Our first project this year was to construct a composting toilet. We visited Grymsdyke farm, a residential workshop run by Guan Lee. Guan set up the workshop to assist with his own PhD project, and so it is equipped with all the equipment we could need and more, including a CNC machine, a robot for 3D printing ceramics, electric saws, sanders, drills, sewing machines and hand tools. We st

Hi everyone! We're just popping in to let you know that we've extended the deadline for Ritual. There are now three weeks remaining to get in any submissions - and don't forget that we're looking for image submissions as well as articles! If there's something that you'd like published and don't know how to move forward, don't hesitate to give us an email at osazine@gmail.com - we're on hand to help you out! Looking forward to seeing all your beautiful work...

With deadlines starting to set in, this week on the blog we'd like to remind everyone to enjoy yourselves and try not to stress out too much. We're hoping that you'll get excited with our review of the DS2 visit to Heatherwick studios! DS2 Visit to Heatherwick Studios / Kerry Fox At Heatherwick studios, we were excited to see models and prototypes of well-known projects, as well as some that we can’t tell you about as they’re live projects! At each stage our tutor, Michael Kloihofer, made clear the iterative process that went into the design. The office is filled with objects, books and old models - anything to excite the creative process. In the studios, there are no stupid answers - but pl

Design Engine are an award winning practice, and their lecture for OxArch showed just how that level of design is achieved. One of the recurring themes of the lecture was the sense of the importance of context. In projects like the Hubert Perrodo Building, the surrounding context was thoroughly analysed to interpret what features of the surrounding buildings could be adapted and echoed in the new design. The colour of the stonework and the vertical elements of the windows led to the ceramic sun shades of the new building's facade. These ceramic pieces were only able to be developed through close work with the manufacturer - innovation that Design Engine places a high importance on. Focusing

What another great week we've had here in the architecture school. With model making, construction and research going on throughout the building, there's been some great work produced. So much so, that we'd love to see it going into the magazine. We'd like to remind you all that the call for submissions for Ritual is still out. If you have an idea, but don't know how to develop it into an article, our writing workshop on Monday 22nd October should help out! Come along for advice on how to write architectural journalism, as well as last minute dissertation help! DS3 London Site Visit / Beatriz AntunaTentor On the 2nd of October, Design Studio 3 participated in a seminar and a “reading the cit

Three beginnings / four projects If Do were the first practice to talk for the OXArch lecture series, Reconstruction. If Do is a firm which starts every project with the question What if? The lecture described four projects which illustrated the practice’s ethics, making buildings which positively impact their wider surroundings. Buildings have a huge impact on the environment producing a third of CO2 and consuming 25% of global water. If Do aim to produce buildings which are aware of their environmental impact are able to become part of communities. Historically, buildings have had this power; barn raisings brought together communities to create something for themselves, giving the greater

With another hectic week gone by, there's been some great work produced in the studios! Here at OSA, we are beginning to receive submissions for Ritual, and we're really excited to get into the editing process. It's been great to see people really getting stuck into research, in specialisations and in design studios, like DS1 and DS3 who have been really focusing on the research side of their projects. Other groups have been getting straight into making, customising their space, and really starting to build an architectural home. Student of the Week This week, the student of the week is not a single student, but an entire design studio. DS2 are at the build stage of their live project - a pa

It's been a crazy week in studio, not so much a week of settling in but of hitting the ground running! Specialisations have kicked off with lectures, and we've had a taste of what to expect from supporting modules. In studio, design studios and units have been busy setting their intent, and on field trips. DS2 London Visit / Kerry Fox In the next 2 weeks, DS2 are taking part in a live build project, to create a pavilion (really, a housing for a compostable loo) for Hogsmill Garden in Surbiton. We visited the garden on Tuesday, a busy community space bursting with life. The location alongside the Hogsmill river and the needs of the garden users drove design tutorials at the RIBA, where we spl