Abstract:

Establishing several periods of confinement was a common strategy, adopted by various governments, to combat the Covid19 pandemic, amidst other general behavioural guidelines, such as social distancing, or the use of respiratory masks. The education sector was forced to transform teaching/learning methodologies without time to plan and test them previously. Online classes became the norm for a significant part of the two last term years, form primary schools to universities.

For artistic and technical courses, focused strongly on project-based learning and group discussion as crucial pedagogical strategies, online classes posed an enormous challenge as it implied significant constraints and significant risk of failure and demotivation among students.

Several dynamics, such as field visits and workshops were cancelled. In the architecture courses, namely in the Design Studio, these are part of the formal curriculum, and considered basal in the students’ academic journey. Workshops promote interaction between students, encourage mutual knowledge and stimulate creativity in approaching new situations, from the collective exploration of their meanings and values, sharing explanations about what is at stake, and the identification of mutually acceptable solutions or alternatives. It is argued that reflecting and debating new situations reinforces self-knowledge and gives «muscle» to respond to other problems, fostering integrated problem-solving competency. It is a dynamic that intents to give the student the ability to store and organize information in different ways, restructure knowledge and apply it flexibly. Such strategies play a strong role in the development of key competences regarding complex problem solving, such as architecture and sustainability issues.

Finding therefore models that allowed to promote these practices and counteract social distancing during the confinement was a major concern for the Design Studio Architecture Course.

Revolution Our Body nº2 was a workshop designed and implemented during this context of lock down, occurring during the second semester of the school year of 2020-2021. The challenge was to reinterpret the artist Ernesto de Sousa’s participation in the collective exhibition “Alternativa Zero” (Zero Alternative) from 1977, as a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of his birth. The present article describes the activity Revolution Our Body nº2 and its results, concluding with the possibilities that these new models of participation allow, including its replicability and scalability.

The strong adhesion and interest shown by the students, evidenced in the observable behaviors, and explicitly mentioned during the workshop evaluation, lead us to believe that the objectives initially designed were achieved. The project allowed the students to gain awareness of themselves and others, leading them to think and organize - express / interpret - and transmit thoughts and feelings, while contributing to fostering the confidence necessary for spontaneity. In addition to the playful and creative components of the workshop, students' motivation was strongly influenced by the surprise effect and novelty of the dynamics proposed, in comparison with other practices already known to them.

Keywords:

Covid19, architecture, students, collective, artistic, experience, confinement.