Studio Culture Policy | SCE
Revised and ratified by the SCE 2017-18 SCE Student Council and SCE Leadership Council
Ratified by the 2014-15 SCE Student Council and SCE Leadership Council
Introduction
At Parsons School of Constructed Environments, the studio is the core of the educational curriculum. It is the place of experimentation, research, critique and exploration. In the space of the studio, aesthetic skills are developed, ideas are tested and diverse modes of thought are fostered and brought to bear upon design challenges. Since studio is the focus of the School, the identity and culture of all the programs at Parsons SCE - including the Master of Architecture program - are constructed and maintained in the studio spaces SCE utilizes across the university.
Physical Environment
In addition to the physical conditions necessary for a studio to function productively, a number of important cultural conditions must be fostered so that ideas are freely exchanged, students’ individual development is supported, and the larger ideals of the university are enacted. These physical and social conditions constitute the Parsons’ Studio Culture Policy.
Working Environment
A supportive studio environment requires that each participant, student and faculty, is committed to the productive, sustainable and healthy functioning of the school. To instill the principles of Health, Safety, and Welfare that are the foundation of professional ethics in our SCE disciplines - specifically, in Architecture and Interior Design - each studio participant must behave responsibly, respect the communal space and personal space and property of his or her colleagues, must work to maintain an environment that is conducive to learning and working for all. A successful studio culture seeks to foster interaction among students, faculty, departments, and the New York community in order to make the experience of the programs at the school as diverse and robust as possible. The open atelier organization of the studio spaces encourages an atmosphere where students share common experiences and learn from one another. Common areas are a crucial component of this environment, both as an arena for students to engage their peers socially and as a venue for group discussions, pinups, and places for collaboration.
During reviews, classes and intensive use of the studio, headphones should be used, conversation levels should be considerate, and use of noise-producing tools and equipment should be avoided or used only in appropriately designated spaces. For example, in studios E200 and E300 production noise is to be avoided between 9 am and 9 pm, while the Glass Corner and Donghia Gallery are silent working zones after 9 pm. Similarly, at L12, quiet time in the 1200 studio is 9 am - 9 pm, while the Sky Room is the silent zone after 9 pm. Restricted materials should be stored and used only appropriately in safe, designated spaces with proper oversight.
As such, it is imperative that students and instructors take responsibility for the maintenance of common areas, ensuring that these areas are clean and available for others to use. To promote these values, a Studio Etiquette Policy has been created that is part of the SCE Culture Policy, and included within in all SCE course syllabi, and available to SCE faculty in online resources.
SCE Storage, Shared Shelving System, and Student Monitors
To provide and support a safe, healthy and conducive working environment, the SCE believes in sharing resources and taking responsibility for leaving the workspace better than it was found on a daily basis, as set forth as SCE Studio Etiquette. Students and faculty maintain safe storage wherever their storage resides in manner appropriate to the storage space. At the conclusion of each studio session, and work sessions outside of studio, faculty and students return workspaces and storage to orderly, clean condition.
SCE Studio Etiquette Policy
Shared space requires respect for one another. As a community, our faculty, students, and staff work together to create a safe, welcoming, and productive environment. It is SCE Studio Etiquette to not adversely impact the work of others, and to leave our spaces cleaner than we found them. To accomplish this, faculty lead by example by managing each class session and students uphold it by day-to-day participation in maintaining the studio in general and organizing their workplace in particular.
Routine activities inside and outside of class:
- Each course should reserve approximately ten minutes at the close of each class or critique to tidy-up as a group. Faculty should note participation and factor into grading (as class participation, or citizenship)
- Outside of class, creative activity often generates a good mess resulting from energized investigations, but it also necessitates bringing spaces back to order.
- Food: everyone participates in storing, cleaning up and disposing of food and drink appropriately to promote health, safety and welfare.
- Shared workspaces and furniture should be returned to a clean usable state after a short period of use, not to exceed 3 hours, or overnight.
- At the end of each semester, everyone participates in clearing out the studio, sorting reusable materials to be moved to designated SCE recycling areas.
We expect design processes practices to include organization, considered arrangement of materials and projects, as well as storage throughout one’s work-cycle. How we work defines our work. If you are unclear how to leave things, please reach out to your peers for support and refer to posted guidelines. These are our studios, our classrooms, our offices, our school -- a locale we learn in and from which outside visitors learn. Please contribute to the productive creative culture at SCE by being mindful of the environment where we all work.
(Included in all UG SCE syllabi since F2015; as approved by SCE’s School Curriculum Committee in F2017, will be including in all G+UG SCE syllabi from F2018)
Studio Installations
(Regarding temporary installations in SCE Public Spaces and elsewhere at The New School)
Students are allowed to use public areas on the 2nd and 3rd floors of 25 E13th St. for temporary installations related to coursework. All sites chosen for temporary installations must be reviewed and approved by faculty and/or SCE administration. Spaces that may be used include corridors, galleries, classrooms and pin-up areas. Installations shall not inhibit use by others (e.g.: installation in gallery must not interfere with a planned exhibition) or violate life safety or egress path requirements. Materials located in egress corridors cannot be flammable. No installations are allowed in the stairs wells or elevators.
Installations shall be executed in a sustainable manner that does not degrade existing finishes or surfaces. Installations that require holes for mounting are restricted to paintable surfaces only. Holes are limited in size to that of required fasteners only (e.g.: nails and screws). No sections of wall, floor or ceiling surfaces shall be removed. All surfaces shall be returned to the original state of finish at the conclusion of the installation period.
All installations are subject to review by the New School fire safety director and building super. Students and Faculty must establish, and notify the SCE Office of, a deinstall/repair completion date which is to be within 24 hours of the class review.
Diversity
The diversity of the student body and faculty is one of Parsons’ greatest assets. The location of Parsons in the diverse urban context of New York City attracts students from a wide variety of places, cultures and backgrounds. The New School’s Diversity Policy (see article 3.4 of APR) facilitates an atmosphere of multi-cultural, ethnic diversity and understanding amongst students from under-represented populations and students from more dominant cultural groups. Diversity at the New School and at Parsons is also defined as representative of students of all sexual orientations, and physical, mental and learning abilities.
Accessibility
Taking pride in Parson’s assets of diversity, the School of Constructed Environments aims to provide physical, mental and emotional comfort for all students. The New School accommodates students across a range of physical, mental and emotional needs, and welcomes all students to explore their academic and creative potential and engage with like-minded individuals in a safe and accessible learning environment for all.
Social Pedagogy
The New School is known historically as an institution concerned with social issues. This legacy reverberates in the choice of studio projects students are asked to tackle, ensuring that they work on topics relevant to broader cultural and societal issues. Such issues are also engaged in various public events, including a lecture series, tours, and site visits that expand the classroom to encompass the urban context.
Sustainable practices, from responsible personal behavior to sustainable building practices, are emphasized in the studio, both as a matter of culture and of curriculum. From the optimization of studio materials and recycling of scrap to the design of energy efficient buildings, sustainable practices are fostered in both the studio environment and design work. Following the integration of theory and practice in social and sustainable ideals, the collaborative process is another intrinsic component of studio culture. In order for a studio culture to flourish, collaborative projects are a necessity. This manner of working ensures that students are exposed to the ideas of others, and to the pragmatic nature of collaboration in architecture.
Studio work is structured to be challenging, requiring rigor and dedication of students without placing unrealistic expectations on students’ time. Instructors strive to organize the studio such that class time is used efficiently and course expectations allow for the successful completion of studio and other course work. Time away from studio and time for sleep are essential for students to maintain healthy lives and relationships. Parsons acknowledges this explicitly in its policy to close studio facilities for six hours every night, removing the temptation to spend all night in studio. The building is also closed during all major holidays.
Reviews and Critique Culture
Studio reviews focus student work on specific educational benchmark moments and provide students the opportunity to publicly present their design projects. Reviews are open to all students in the department and provide an essential peer-to-peer learning opportunity. In addition, instructors are encouraged to hold peer reviews throughout the semester.
Critics from diverse institutional and professional backgrounds enrich discussion and expand students’ exposure to the field. While work presented at reviews should be of the highest quality, reviews are first and foremost educational opportunities and should be treated as such. At reviews, critics’ comments should focus on ways to expand or improve student work in constructive and supportive ways. Reviews should be timed to ensure that students’ work is given equal attention. In addition to studio reviews, student portfolios are reviewed annually in order to gauge student progress, to identify strengths and weaknesses, and to further develop students’ presentation skills.
Evaluation
Parsons attracts busy educators and professionals from the top of their fields. In order for this system to function effectively, however, feedback from students, full-time and part-time faculty is essential. Course evaluations give students the opportunity to anonymously report on the strengths and weaknesses of individual courses while providing instructors with valuable input on teaching methods, assignments, and course content. In addition, full–time faculty assessments of adjunct instructors provide feedback and evaluation at an institutional level.
Annual Policy Assessment
To ensure the continued relevance the Parson’s studio policy in a changing world, this document should be revised annually by student representatives from the programs of the School of Constructed Environments. In order to maximize the inclusive nature of the policy, faculty and students of SCE are emailed copies, encouraging comments to be submitted to the drafting committee. This line of communication is open throughout the year, through the student council meetings of the SCE where elected representatives of different years and programs come together with faculty, and through frequent email notifications.