Bern University of Applied Sciences

www.ahb.bfh.ch/elopArchitecture, Wood and Civil Engineering

v

elop*6

crossroads / crossfunctions Stanford / Palo AltoProject Fall 2013/14

Organized byStanford University

LeadBern University of Applied SciencesSchool of Architecture

Crossroads / Crossfunctions - Stanford / Palo Altoelop* has been engaged since its outset in 2009 in complex tasks that can only successful-ly be tackled by multi-disciplinary teams. elop* works with students and faculty from an international network of partner universities (elop* alliance).

After 5 editions that have taken place in Switzerland (x3), China and Germany, in 2013 the program goes to USA for the first time. Stanford University, an elop*alliance partner, has taken the initiative to organise elop*6.

The challenging and complex nature of the context and the theme at stake are ideal for an elop* project. The inspiring research and academic environment of Stanford and Silicon Valley bring an extra layer of motivation to the project.

The elop*6 project „crossroads / crossfunctions – Stanford / Palo Alto“ has its specific focus on innovative concepts for future sustainable solutions in multifunctional infrastructural envi-ronments and in dealing with stakeholders of diverse nature and position (academic institu-tion, real estate investors, infrastructural planners, local population, administration).

Contact & ApplicationsDisciplinesStudents in the master‘s or third year Bachelor‘s program of the following disciplines are welcome to apply:• Architecture• Landscape Architecture• Urban Studies / Planning• Art / Art Education / Visual Communication• Building Technologies HVACR (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration)• Construction Engineering and Management• Civil and structural engineering• Social Work / Social Sciences

Application DocumentsStudents interested in participation submit:• Curriculum Vitae• Letter of Motivation• What value can you bring to a transdisciplinary team?• What do you expect to learn from elop*?Deadline: June 15th, 2013 to: elop.ahb@bfh.chConfirmation of participation from the elop* team will be returned before end July 2013.

Bern University of Applied SciencesArchitecture, Wood and Civil Engineering / elop*Pestalozzistrasse 20Postfach 1058CH-3401 Burgdorf - SwitzerlandPhone +41 34 426 41 07Fax +41 34 426 43 94E-mail elop.ahb@bfh.chHomepage www.ahb.bfh.ch/elop

elop* coordination and leadKathrin Merz BFH-AHBKey Portilla-Kawamura BFH-AHB

elop*6 organisation John Barton, Stanford University

elop*6crossroads / crossfunctions

Title Page: Palm Drive looking from Stanford University towards Palo Alto downtown

This Page: Palo Alto historical map and satellite view highlighting major IT companies

Context

Environment-focused Learning and Operative Platformelop* is a teaching, learning and service-providing platform focused on transdisciplinary and transcultural problem-solving processes in the field of built and social environments. The transdisciplinary (TD) method is further enhanced by the use of virtual and physical collabo-ration and communication methods and tools that bring together a pool of diverse compe-tences.

Values The richness of elop*’s project-based approach emanates from the collective intelligence achieved through the aggregation of culturally diverse and multidisciplinary actors such as planners and stakeholders, participating in an applied research environment based on real projects.

elop*’s flexible collaboration network fosters a decentralised problem-solving model and a culture of accountability based on the diverse competences provided by its members.

Student-centered programThe students are at the heart of elop*s working model. They build multidisciplinary teams with one (or two) student(s) coming from each field of expertise. Since they originate from different universities around the world, they bring together different methodologies and cultural understandings to tackle a task and have access to an attractive set of faculty coaches.

After the kick-off weeks, team members work in noncollocated, distributed, interdisciplinary teams – each team member administrates his/her disciplinary contribution but also assu-mes responsibilities for the entire process and final product. The role of coaches is to steer the development process and support the transdisciplinary culture in the teams.

Stakeholders, experts and consultants from the industry, who are not part of the university, are an additional and essential part of elop* courses. Their participation contributes a high degree of practical knowledge to the projects. In this manner, elop* manages to build a bridge between academic education and professional practice. The intensive interaction between these two elements guarantees a rapid transfer of know-how and keeping a moti-vating atmosphere of constant challenge in the project environment.

The evaluation of the final project results are in the duty of an elop* jury. Each team receives a jury feedback on the output (resulting product) and outcome (richness of the TD process) with an acknowledgement of the contributions following a specific set of criteria. elop* puts a strong emphasis on the assessment and self-assessment of the processes.

elop*

Design innovation, which essentially means the definition, development, and creation of new concepts and their successful launch, is the driving factor for a powerful, competitive economy and the prosperity of society. Therefore, the education of professionals at univer-sities and the continuous development of architects, engineers, urban designers, social scientists, artists etc. in the wide field of design innovation are of central importance to cope with the global challenges to jointly develop and implement sustainable processes. These processes must respect efficiency (in the use of limited resources), sufficiency (by reducing the wishes to the necessary), and congruence (by fostering and reinforcing recyclable pro-ducts).

The Iceberg Transdisciplinary MethodTD-method competences can best be described as an archipelago of icebergs where each island is sustained on a deep disciplinary know-how, however the part that is visible to the other peers is only the essential upper crust, thus enabling the formation of a common TD-language as the basis for a successful collaboration.

From this metaphor emerges a whole set of methods, tools and collaboration frameworks that help guarantee and monitor the successful development of a TD project development. Participation in an elop* project entails a challenging confrontation with one’s own limits and the discovery that these limits can be expanded when working in a rich collaborative envi-ronment.

elop* is not only about to significantly remould the landscape of teaching and learning at universities, it also intends to yield substantial influence concerning decision-making and the creation of practical work processes. In association with university teaching staff, the coaches are instrumental in contributing expert knowledge and regular feedbacks to the teams, and at the same time they are also actively involved in the evaluation of processes and outputs.

The latter will be of increasing importance in the future, as scientific research has been initiated in connection with the integration of certain PBL (Process-/Project-/Problem-Based Learning) methods. It is the intention of this kind of research to support students with regard to the awareness of their personal learning styles.

Design Thinking methodMoving away from a traditional linear project evolution scheme, elop* applies the principles of Design Thinking. The project advances through a series of cyclical modes that together form the continuum of innovation.

Design projects undergo a number of loops, each one consisting of three spaces: Observation (or Inspiration), Ideation and Implementation (or Prototyping). Methods, exerci-ses and tools specific to each modality are implemented in order to foster the gradual crystallization of the project.

Blended learning collaborationelop* as learning platform enables and facilitates transdisciplinary processes. It has proven to offer an excellent test bed for research in the field of modern teaching and learning as well as in the area of evaluation of novel learning spaces.

Collaboration and communication in a multicultural working environment with geographical-ly displaced teams is a challenge overcome at elop* through the application of a blended learning/collaboration model.

Physical collaboration periods, with team members and stakeholders located in the same geographical environment, typically take place at the beginning and at the end of the design process.Virtual collaboration, both synchronous and asynchronous, is enabled by the appropriate use of information and communication technologies (ICT) during most of the project deve-lopment process.

A Network of TD competenceelop* is supported on a robust and diverse network called the elop*alliance. The alliance partners commit to the common challenge of a transdisciplinary teaching and learning environment and actively work together in the system. They acquire and organize the elop* projects on an yearly rotational basis.

The Bern University of Applied Sciences, School of Architecture, Wood and Civil Engineering (AWC/BUAS), as leader and initiator of elop*, takes the responsibility for the coordination of the projects (such as the review meetings, coaching sessions, etc.) elop*s coordinating office together with the organizing University (Stanford University in elop*6) provide the necessary documentation for the course and offers an introduction to information and col-laboration technologies.

The established elop*alliance, consisting of 7 international partner universities and other associated institutions, enables a pool of diverse and complimentary competences in the fields of built & social environments. The definition of the task is a joint process between all elop* alliance partners. The responsibility for the disciplinary supervision of the students remains with the sending home universities. A close coaching accompaniment and moni-toring of the project by the faculty of the partner universities is essential.

The elop*allianceThe alliance partner universities are: Stanford University (US), Tecnologico de Monterrey (MX), Cologne University of Applied Sciences (DE), Bauhaus Weimar University (DE), Haute Ecole du Paysage, d‘Ingénierie et d‘Architecture (HEPIA) Geneva (CH), Polytech Marseille (F) and Politecnico di Milano (IT).

The elop*alumni includes more than 100 former students, some of them now actively enga-ged in crossdisciplinary careers. Through internet-based social media channels elop*alumni continue to contribute to the richness of the project.

Stakeholders, including industrial partners, planning administrations and private organisati-ons, provide the chance of developing real applied TD-method competences and consul-tancy as well as the necessary point of view of users and interest groups.

«Education is not an arsenal - it is a horizon.»

Structure of the Course

Phase A | Week 38 – 40 2013Virtual Kick-Off

Disciplinary Analyses and ResearchWhile getting to know Video Conferencing as a communication tool, the students receive an introduction in challanges of transdisciplinary working and get a first understanding of the project topic as well as some TD methodological insight. This important background will allow for a well-founded start into the project and to elaborate adequate goals in a transdis-ciplinary way.

Lectures on Specific TopicsLectures are given to facilitate the start-up for the project with respect to a common no-menclature. Topics will be specified in more detail during the Physical Kick-Off at Stanford University and during the entire project.

Phase B | Week 41 2013Physical Kick-Off at Stanford University, USA

With their physical presence at Stanford, the students and faculty members come together mainly for the following purposes:

Team FormationThe students build a profound social link among each other and create a basis for a reliable collaboration during the course of the project.

On-Site ResearchThe students get the possibility to visit the site and to discover the local situation. They are given the unique opportunity to meet the client / stakeholders and to collect information offered by the authorities and the academic team.

Hans Blumenberg

„Kaleidoscope“ by Olafur Eliasson, as a Part of „ Meant To Be Lived In (Today I Am Feeling Prismatic)„ Produced by West of Rome, in Pasadana CA. Photography©2005FredrikNilse

Project PlanningDefinition of the project’s process outline/plan: At the end of the physical kick-off week, the teams are to present a preliminary project plan including work packages, time line, definition of milestones, resource planning, schedule of further activities, etc. The presentation of the project plan to faculty, mentors, and experts from industry concludes the kick-off week, dismissing the students to their home universities with comments and recommendations for the next phase of the project.

LecturesCrucial aspects of the project are addressed by lectures given by experts and project part-ners.

Instructions on ICTThe students get an introduction in collaborating and communicating by ICT (tools, me-thods, tips). Therefore, all students attend a workshop on how to use the different tools (video conferencing, blog, data sharing, presentation, idea formation, decision making, and design process management).

Phase C | Week 43 2013 – 3 2014Back at Home University | Virtual Collaboration

The goal of the central third phase is to develop the design, to formulate expertise and to create solutions. After the introductory days, the students return to their home universities. At the same time, they as well form disciplinary local teams at the different locations to ex-change basic information useful for all project teams. During Phase C the teams present their intermediary results of their work on two review sessions by using videoconferencing tech-nology. These reviews provide the opportunity for the teams to get feedback from coaches, stakeholders and colleagues.

Between the reviews, the teams organize (weekly) coaching sessions together with their local coaches, and periodically also with their team coaches.

Phase D | Week 4 2014Final Presentation of the Project | at Stanford Universtiy USA

The final presentation has the goal to show the project‘s results to the stakeholders in Stan-ford / Palo Alto and to the local population and to offer possibilities for a discourse. The final week of project development prior to the final presentation is a crucial and exciting culminating moment of the project. This intensive time gives team members the chance to wrap up their ideas and bring the project conclusions to the fore.

Sep 2013 Oct 2013 Nov 2013 Dec 2013 Jan 2014 Final Review Stanford, USA Jan. 23rd

Virtual Kick Off Sep. 19th

by Video Conference VC

Kick-Off Stanford USAOct 6th-12th

Review 1

by VC

Review 2

by VC

also possibleby Video Conference

Final PreparationJan. 18th - 22nd

Virt

ual C

oope

ratio

nP

hysi

cal P

rese

nce

A B C D

38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 01 02 03 04 05

(dates are subject to alterations)

Edward Ruscha; Then and Now; 1973-2004

Project Topic „Crossroads / Crossfunctions“

BackgroundLeland and Jane Stanford founded Stanford University in memory of their son who died of typhoid at the age of 15. The campus was placed in the center of a large piece of land (7000 acres) owned by the family. This land was, and is, adjacent to and contiguous with the Palo Alto train station and the City of Palo Alto. This is not a coincidence. Stanford came into his fortune through railway purchases, land purchases and various questionable financial dealings. Stanford was one of the original ”Robber Barons” of the 19th century.

That the campus was placed at the center of this large tract of land, away from the city, was intentional. Designed as a memorial and as “A Place Apart” the campus is noted for its long formal paths and distance from the town and its insular and focused qualities.

Over time, this distance has remained and the land between the campus and the city has remained largely undeveloped.

The City of Palo Alto grew as the university did, and has served as the home community for the university for over a hundred years. Though much of the growth of the town occur-red after WW II, the downtown has remained a thriving 2 and 3-story area with a few taller buildings. Palo Alto’s population is about 70,000 and is one of the wealthiest communities in America.

Palo Alto is a broadly liberal city and a leader in green building. The city owns its own utilities and now buys over 20% of its electricity from renewable resources, maintains thousand of acres of parkland, offers an astounding range of public services and has a vigorous and often time-consuming political dialogue.

The wealth of Palo Alto is a direct result of both the University’s proximity and many genera-tions of wise and entrepreneurial leaders. The University in the 1930’s developed its “Indus-trial Park” on campus land just east of campus. This area has served as the start-up engine of the Silicon Valley ever since and boasts the world headquarters of Hewlett Packard and many other companies. Similarly Palo Alto as a whole has become a hub of venture capital and start-up ventures. Google, Facebook, e-Trade, Yahoo and many other companies were either founded in Palo Alto or moved their first headquarters there. Palo Alto attracts so much business that during the day the population expands to 140,000 people and the Palo Alto train station is the busiest in the area.

Aerial View Palo Alto, CA, USA Source Google Earth

Project Topic „Crossroads / Crossfunctions“

Stanford University and the City of Palo Alto live in quiet competition with each other. Much of the non-academic space of the campus lies in the jurisdiction of Palo Alto (the shopping center, hospital, research park etc.). Palo Alto provides some utilities to the campus, all the fire protection and, separately the world-renowned Palo Alto Unified School District, educa-tes the children of faculty and graduate students at schools located both on and off the Stan-ford campus. Stanford, in turn, offers world-class facilities, walking trails, and entertainment events for the community while maintaining a rigorous stand of independence its land use.

ChallengeRecently a piece of campus land right at the edge of campus and bordering downtown, Palo Alto, now refereed to as 27 University Avenue, which has been largely vacant, has been suggested for large scale development. The proposal has come from a Stanford benefactor and regional developer, John Arrillaga. His proposal is to build several tall buildings (8 stories) and a theater to support the local arts. The development is largely suburban in nature and proposes building much taller than Palo Alto normally allows. Palo Alto has a 50’ (15.25 meters) height limit so this development has been doubly controversial; after all building on nearly empty land and the densities suggested, has raised discussion levels considerably. It should be noted that the theater would be the gift of “public benefit” in exchange for the right to build the taller than otherwise allowed buildings. Though Stanford has been relatively quiet about this development it is clear that they see this area as a potential site of a 21st Century Research Park; an area that can link the University more tightly to the start-up community beyond is borders.

Recently the city of Palo Alto has suggested some time is needed to discuss, consider the necessary zoning issues and develop a real plan for the area. This is wise as the land, though on the campus is disconnected from the main campus by a wide boulevard and there are large and complex infrastructure issues associated with the area that should be considered at the same time. Not the least of these infrastructure issues is the imminent construction of a High Speed Rail line that will run at the edge of the site and encompass the train station. Further the 1940’s era intersection just east of the site is badly in need of updating.

Thus this is your task. Develop a localized plan for this piece of land that takes an affirmative stand as to its status as campus, or city, or both, develops a 21st Century Research Park and a maintains smart-growth principals, advances green building, suggests improvements to the transportation infrastructure and anticipates future growth.

v

elop*6

crossroads / crossfunctions Stanford / Palo AltoProject Fall 2013/14

Organized byStanford University

LeadBern University of Applied SciencesSchool of Architecture

Edward Ruscha; Then and Now; 1973

Bern University of Applied Sciences

www.ahb.bfh.ch/elopArchitecture, Wood and Civil Engineering