TES | FOUNDATION STUDIO

The Foundation Studio (Temel Stüdyo or TES) is conducted collaboratively by the following departments under the coordination of the Faculty of Architecture at Istanbul Technical University:

  • MIM – Department of Architecture
  • SBP – Department of Urban and Regional Planning
  • ENT – Department of Industrial Design
  • ICM – Department of Interior Architecture
  • PEM – Department of Landscape Architecture

TES ‐ Integrated Foundation Studio is executed in two consecutive semesters as TES I (the first semester) and TES II (the second semester).  All TES modules in these semesters are taught in English.

TES I | FOUNDATION STUDIO I consists of three different courses:

  • TES111E Project I
  • TES112E Visual Communication I: Visualization and Technical Drawing
  • TES113E Basic Design and Visual Arts

TES II | FOUNDATION STUDIO II consists of two different courses:

  • TES121E Project II
  • TES122E Visual Communication II: Visualization and Perspective

 

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES

The aim of TES is to deliver topics and concepts that students would use throughout their undergraduate education in ITU Faculty of Architecture within an integrated systematic model. In this regard, students would adopt a paradigm of working, thinking and producing in an interdisciplinary media which is crucial for modern education in all architectural departments.

TES aims to increase the level of integrity and collaborative work among all five departments. The framework of TES is designed to deliver knowledge and increase design skill of students. With this purpose, the studio will be supported by theoretical discourses and various implementations for students to use throughout their education life.

The expected results of this proposed model are listed below:

  1. To provide a cooperation among first‐year students and teaching staff of all departments in the Faculty of Architecture,
  2. Addressing the multi‐dimensional structure of the planning and design in the studio within an ontological unity,
  3. Providing the ability to evaluate the students’ performance on each learning package created with course modules in the 1st and 2nd semester, so that the necessity to repeat all the studios in case of a student’s failure of some course modules will disappear,
  4. Ensuring compatibility of generated course modules with existing courses in each department,
  5. Being consistent with national and international accreditation system through the learning outcomes of the course modules,
  6. Increasing commission facilities of part‐time lecturers from domestic and abroad as well as the lecturers from faculty and university through an open and modular structure without causing financial, administrative and legal problems,
  7. Enabling a flexible ratio among modular structure of course modules related,
  8. Increasing the ability of students to plan/design regarding their discipline in the 3rd semester following TES. This will be possible through their experiences in formulating common principles and a common outlook in the first two studios.

METHODOLOGY

The first-year program is executed as integrated systematic course modules for all five departments, to avoid repetitions and loss of time and to convey the message that some of the concepts and principles are parts of a whole. Methods of each module are conveyed one by one in the course outline. Daily and weekly schedule of each module of each semester is shown in the program in terms of reflecting the coordination between these modules.

Foundation Studio will be supported by theoretical courses and homework, where equal importance is given to both the creative thinking and design process and the product. Products must be collected and organized as a portfolio. A sketchbook is recommended for collecting thoughts, designs and any written or visual material in one hand. The aim is to make students in the habit of holding a sketchbook that they can use whenever they need to turn back to see what they have been doing. The project diary, on the other hand, will be kept by the students in a different notebook that will reflect their insight and experience of the Project throughout the semester. In addition to these, products will be shared via websites of students and common group. For an efficient communication media with students, social media (Facebook), blogs (WordPress) and cloud services (Google Drive) may be used.

HOMEWORKS: Exercises for consolidation.

LECTURE: Speech delivered by instructors or guest lecturers on a specific topic.

COLLOQUIUM: Exhibition, presentation, debate, and discussion/evaluation with the participation of all groups.

SKETCHBOOK: A sketchbook is expected to consist of topics, views and design concepts reflected via verbal or visual techniques covering theoretical courses, design studio, seminars, and exhibitions throughout the semester.

PROJECT JOURNAL: Considering their semester experiences students are expected to keep a project journal by taking notes, drawing sketches, and collecting images.

PORTFOLIO: Students are expected to present a portfolio of their semester works.

EVALUATION

Both the process and the submissions of each student’s work will be considered carefully and equally in the evaluation. In other words, presentation and documentation of student’s work and their submissions will be considered as important as student’s performance and participation throughout the semester. Weekly and daily exercises for students will be held during studio hours, and each student work will be submitted on a deadline. Additionally, to get ready on time for the next week’s assignment, all students and instructors are strongly advised to follow the weekly schedule. Otherwise, any lacking or incomplete exercise as a submission will affect student’s final grade negatively. Final Project modules covers all educational outcomes that are planned to be delivered through the semester, and the details of the final projects for each course. In the Final Jury Week, presentation of final projects will be handled by the participation of instructors, a group of shareholders from departments, faculty, other universities and professionals. Detailed assessment criteria can be found in the course catalog form and course syllabi of each section.