LEARNING FROM GREAT MASTERS

Depending on country and culture students, particularly over-seas students may have little education in art, drawing, painting or even in music.

With a vague understanding of architecture, students can feel overwhelmed when they encounter the complexity of architecture.

One very effective method is learning form great masters.

Imitating a small masterpiece be it Le Corbusier's Cabanon, Ralph Erskine's House Lådan (box), Renzo Piano's Diogene. Redrawing plans and sections, understanding the dimensions, construction, and materiality before individually reinterpreting this design.

But not just architectural designs, students can learn drawing and sketching very successful by studying and emulating Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt.

Understanding composition, the relationship of objects arranged in space, the interstices, the relationship of shadow and light, the direction of light, textures, colour and atmosphere, Renaissance paintings by Vermeer or De Hooch are excellent study objects, and in general the students enjoy these tasks a lot and gain a lot.

These paintings can be reduced, deconstructed, and transformed into actual spatial arrangements, into architecture. For many students these tasks are a revelation and boost their understanding of techniques and qualities in design.

This is a vast and flexible resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as for teachers.