1st assignment: What is Non-Lieux?

Each Student is required to do a 10min. powerpoint presentation of Non-Lieux in Paris. It should be more then just visual presentation. You must further investigate the very meaning of Non-Lieux in relation to the seminar and studio's objectives. Constantly questions the status quo of a place/space? Why? What? Who?...... Be creative about your process! Requirement: sketches, photos, drawings, and collages or any other means best suited your idea. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Possible Research Topics (les themes)

Adaptive Reuse and/or Revitalization

Ethnic Centers and the Balkanization of urban life

From the Middle to the Edge: Center/Periphery relations OR the historic core

Housing (affordable, market rate, live-work, mobile homes, tract housing, emergency shelter, homelessness)

Infrastructure (water, power, internet, postal service)

It’s the Environment stupid

Neighborhoods and Zones

Public Space: ‘the third place’ the Spectacle today

Shopping (open markets, department stores, malls, shopping streets)

Security and Surveillance: how architecture protects us from urban violence

Sustainable Urban Systems

Tourism

Transportation (choose your weapon: rail, airport, mass transit, automobile, ports)

Urban Sprawl, or what’s the big deal about Suburbia?

The Social Imaginary: The Stories we tell ourselves about cities

The Wrath of God: Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth

I have kept the list short because there are many ways to interpret each of these topics. The themes are meant

to guide your investigation of the non-lieu, which is the Studio project.

Research Methodology (les methods)

units of analysis: city/metropolitan area (county)/region/state/nation/global alliance

defining the problem, generating thesis

determining the strategy

identifying primary and secondary literature

identifying research source materials

testing of hypothesis against previous research results

presenting modified hypothesis and evidence