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Atom Interviews

Workshop Atom 01

Date: 1/11/2011

Atom discussion

Date: 25/10/2011

Questionnaire

Date: 17/10/2011

We have created an online questionnaire for all students to reply to. With this first glance at the needs and ideas of the MSc1 Hyperbody students, we will try to understand in what way we can create a good way to respond to these needs.

The online questionnaire can be found here.
A summary of responses can be found here.

Based on the responses, we can already see the following:

• Of all social media websites, Facebook would probably be the best way to reach most students.
• All respondents would like to work together with other atoms, while none of them are doing that at the moment.
• Almost none of the atoms have tried to create a collaboration between them and other atoms.
• Almost all the students are interested in meeting the other students in an informal manner, for example in the Bouwpub.
• There is a great demand in more knowledge about Graahopper and Rhino.

Interview Atom 06

Date: 13/10/2011

Key aspects

• Up to now, Atom 6 has focussed mostly on analytical and theoretical research. They didn't work on an actual design yet, but have created a strong foundation to built upon for the rest of the semester.

• When they feel the need to connect to other atoms to combine their strengths, they will do so. But at this moment they don't see a need for this.

Demands

• Atom 06 is mostly interested in programming tools and tutorials.

• In order to really understand the different programs available and the connections between them we should somehow list these and show how the interaction between these programs works.

• Workshops explaining programs like Grasshopper and Processing organized by us are needed right now. This doesn't necessarily have to be with teachers guiding us, some clear explanation of tutorials will do fine. It is also very important that the goal of every workshop is clear, what are we making and how can we use this scripting building block within other scripts?

• Rather then a forum with discussion, Atom 06 likes to have a clear information layout, with maybe a voting system for the next workshop topic or in general what certain atoms would like to learn.

• Some sort of teachers question and answer history or archive is helpful. This way the same questions will not be asked multiple times, relieving the teachers and the students.

• Atom 06 doesn't need a intermediate device in order to contact other atoms, but they do like some clearer image of every atom than the wiki is providing now.

• An overview of past projects, maybe with workshops learning about these techniques and see what these projects are about.

• Free coffee provided by Koen's free coffee pass will help a lot!

Interview Atom 11

Date: 13/10/2011

Key aspects

• Atom 11 is still finding their true identity. After the phase one remarks on Wednesday 13 October they are planning to redefine their concept of intimacy: what is it all about, what is the scope within this concept, and how does it relate to the chosen physical means borders.

• After they redefined their strategy for the next phase, we will contact them again in order to update this information.

Demands

• Atom 11 needs more verbal connections to the other atoms or individuals within the atoms. Right now the incentive for this direct contact is non existing. According to this atom, verbal connections will give a much more clear image of other atoms and thus the connection to them.

• A summary of the other atoms, about key aspects in their concepts and specializations within the individuals is needed to be able to quickly see who to contact for information or help. U need to be interested in another atom or person before u speak to them.

• They like to have a instant feedback while using our platform. If this feedback takes too long, then the questions asked will be irrelevant by the time the answers are received.

• When new information is gathered, related to this atom, they like to be notified directly. This is again because of the relevance of the information. Old information is most likely not useful anymore.

• audio/video comments on questions or other relevant information. This way the information stream is much more interactive and easier to process then written texts.

Interviews Teachers

Walter A. Aprile

Date: 27/10/2011

• There is a technical and a social challenge. The architectural space and the social environment. How do our actors (atoms + teachers) work socially?

• Most software is social, u can work with this as part of your design. Make use of standardized systems: 50% of the software fails, everybody is trying to reinvent the wheel every time again.

• In software there is always a pyramid structure: One person (or two in our case) have the right to edit everything, some persons can track bugs and are able to add minor content, lots of persons are users. There is a rule: 1 million - 1000 - 1, f u have a million persons using your software, only a 1000 will actively add content, and there will be only one main editor.

• In order for people to use your software the tools must be simple and easy to use. No extra effort should be needed, the tool must be recognized instantly. Also the tools should give an added value to the users normal daily life routine.

• Ask yourself: what is it that many people would like as a platform. Make one for free, then other people will follow (preferably physical, something people can touch. This is very much needed in interaction!). This is a proven concept. Try to find tools we architects use and use this in your design. In order to find these tools, first find similarities between our atoms, then try to build a platform on that.

• There is a translation between the atoms concepts and the used technologies, we should do the translation, otherwise the groups will never come together on the same topics.

• The big question: What makes it their interest to share their own knowledge? For instance Flickr! why do people put pictures on this site, showing off? easy way to share pictures? own portfolio or website? Make your own showing off section!

• Idea: Make a booklet from the works and findings of the London study trip, a showing off platform. Let them work directly in the layout (google helps). The study trip should be interesting, there should be something unique in order for people to be interested immediately.

• References: Jacques Tati - obstacles in architecture. Peter Greenway - The draughtsmen + The architects belly

mrs.prof.dr. F.M.T Brazier

Date: 27/10/2011

dr. Stephan G. Lukosch

Date: 24/10/2011

Tanja Buttler and Thieme Hennis (PhD Candidates)

Date: 24/10/2011

Dimitrie Stefanescu

Date: 16/10/2011

How do you communicate to your students?

• Through usb stick and email, sending the workshop files to everyone at once.

• Tutoring individuals is best, especially at the beginning. Once a problem pops up more then once, a classical half hour tutorial is needed.

How to improve this communication?

• Longer (3 day) intensive workshops are really needed to get personal with the students and actually learning them the basic skills.

• On the gh3d group there is a community with a lot of tutorials and basic scripts, here u can actually search the help for your exact problems.

What are your exact skills students can ask u about?

• On my website there is some stuff about processing and grasshopper

• The scripts I gave in the workshop are self explanatory for the students. Making a self explanatory script though is quite difficult. The examples I've used on the workshop actually took a week to prepare, and this was stuff which I already had.

Should be organize extra workshops to enhance the students skills in these programs?

• Extra workshops are always welcome, however keep in mind that:

Learning these programming skills will take more then a few workshops. Actually messing around with these programs yourselves and ask us teachers about the problems you encountered will learn u a lot more.

• Dimitrie initially proposed to teach processing half-a-day per week over one quarter, or even a semester. He got three days in the end to do it.

Do you know other skilled students/teachers who like to teach these skills to students?

• A lot of students want to learn, but I don't know anyone who wants to engage in teaching. On the internet there are a lot of gurus who love to share all their knowledge though.

Roxana Palfi

Date: 16/10/2011

How do you communicate to your students?

• Mostly through email, although this is probably not the most effective method.

How to improve this communication?

• We (PAN architects) thought of a open source portal for better communication with the students. In this portal we would like to make scripts and tutorials (grasshopper) available for all students to use for free.

What are your exact skills students can ask u about?

• I work in Generic Components, Grasshopper and Virtools.

Should be organize extra workshops to enhance the students skills in these programs?

• Workshop and face to face meetings are always the best for moving forward.

Do you know other skilled students/teachers who like to teach these skills to students?

• Unfortunately no. Almost all our fellow colleagues that graduated from Hyperbody have left the Netherlands.

Team

You

And us:

Joost Noorden

Koen Kegel

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