ARCH5110/6210K
Advanced Architectural Design Studio I & II: FRAMES – Lessons For Hyper-Dense Cities: The Hong Kong Perspective
Target Students MArch1, MArch2
Course Term 1 & 2
Course Type Studio
Venue Studio
Teacher(s) TANG, Elva / GODEFROY, Claude
Hong Kong’s urban fabric is defined by its verticality, adaptability, and ingenuity. Using Hong Kong as a case study, this studio delves into the unique architectural typologies and urban systems that have emerged in response to the city’s extraordinary spatial, cultural, and socio-economic conditions. With its unparalleled density, Hong Kong serves as a 1:1 laboratory for extreme architecture and urbanism, offering valuable lessons for cities worldwide. Students will investigate how principles embedded in Hong Kong’s architecture—such as multifunctional spaces, efficient land use, and elevated pedestrian networks—can inform the design of liveable, resilient, and sustainable urban centers globally.
The studio is structured around two interconnected parts:
1. Collective Research
Students will engage in a collaborative survey of Hong Kong’s urban fragments, cataloguing and analysing key architectural typologies that shape its identity. Drawing inspiration from the methodology of Cyril and Caroline Desroche in Los Angeles Standards, students will document its built environment through photography, drawings, and critical analysis. The findings will culminate in a publication and exhibition, showcasing how Hong Kong’s architectural typologies embody resilience, identity, and innovation.
2. Individual Design Exploration
Students will shift from collective analysis to individual or group design projects, applying the lessons of Hong Kong’s urbanism to other hyper-dense contexts. Students will be encouraged to select sites in cities such as Tokyo, Bangkok, Taipei, Shenzhen, Shanghai, or their own chosen locations, allowing them to explore diverse cultural and environmental narratives. These projects will rethink how to approach the design of hyper-dense city centres.
