Mapping. Drawing. Thinking

arch5131D | 202021T2 elective course for UG & MArch students.

This course explores key ideas about cartography as a medium in architecture and urbanism. From conceptual mind-map to advance technology in urban data mapping, different ways of documentation and representation has been used to record our built environment. The abstraction of information through maps and drawings provides an effective way to read the city, which can also become a vehicle to drive social/political agenda. Framed within the larger social context from 19th century to nowadays, this course would explore key discourse on urbanism through the narrative of drawing/mapping as a way of thinking.

Introduction
Lecture 1: Reading the city through maps and drawings
Lecture 2: Mapping Social Condition – 19th c cartography
Lecture 3: The Modernist City in Maps – 20th c cartography
Lecture 4: Mapping Hong Kong – narratives and memories
Lecture 5: Urban Data – visualisation and representation

Project: Mapping TST

The TST waterfront area has a rich deposit of history and urban activities, which this mapping project will explore through various methods as discussed in the course. The area from Hung Hom to West Kowloon is divided into 5 zones for 5 groups to research, discover and develop components of their map. Operations to map can be as open as possible with high or low resemblance to actuality, the only rule would be the coordination between adjacent groups to match boundary.

The Process: in reference to James Corner’s article The Agency of Mapping, a 3-step process is followed to produce maps of TST.

Step 0 – Initial Investigation: we will spend an afternoon on a field walk to collect data and impression of the area, to be captured in a mind map of the journey
Step 1 – FIELD | Set up the surface analogues to actual ground (scaled and flat)
Step 2 – EXTRACT | Observe and select items to put onto the graphic FIELD
Step 3 – PLOTTINGS | Draw out the “hidden” relationships between the EXTRACT