Reflexive Summary. Semester 2.
My experience over the last two semesters has been life-changing. I approached the exercise with skepticism at first and encountered various challenges, including language problems and difficulty with content organisation. However, as my first semester went, I progressively overcome these difficulties and found myself more involved and motivated. Topic selection and remaining on-track challenges lingered throughout the second semester, but I am glad to say that I have almost surmounted these obstacles as well, and I now have a multitude of blog subjects in mind.
Additionally, the second semester of my MAUD programme proved to be even more enriching, as I delved into subjects such as “Housing Alternatives” and “Urban Design and the use of design codes”. One memorable experience was my participation in a housing project in Gateshead, Newcastle. This hands-on experience exposed me to fresh housing design concepts and approaches. Designing homes in the chilly environment of the United Kingdom brought particular challenges, necessitating considerations for insulation, heating systems, and energy economy. This encounter extended my viewpoint and enabled me to consider novel alternatives.
One more memorable event related to “Housing Alternatives” module, was my visit to Cambridge’s Marmalade Lane, where I gained a better knowledge of co-housing. It was life-changing to witness a real-life co-housing community in action. It demonstrated the advantages of communal living and motivated me to apply similar approaches to my own dwelling designs. The sense of community and shared resources demonstrated the importance of building social bonds in housing complexes.
The modeling for the “Design Codes” module reminded me of my undergraduate university studies and gave me the opportunity to work with my hands, as I consider this kind of assignment to be art, and art is exactly what I lack in this course.
These modules introduced me to various house design concepts, safer street visions, biodiversity enhancement strategies, and green energy approaches for reducing carbon emissions. Participating in assignments such as physical model creation for the Urban Design module broadened my perspective and deepened my appreciation for module. It also reminded me of my undergraduate university studies and gave me the opportunity to work with my hands as I consider this kind of assignment to be art, and art is exactly what I extremely lack in this course.
As I mentioned, blogging has broadened my knowledge and enhanced my writing and reading skills, giving me more confidence in my abilities. Initially afraid to share my work publicly, I gradually gained confidence and was inspired by other bloggers’ fascinating storytelling approaches and good concept organisation. The comments I received on my blog posts related to my dissertation topic, which were presented as several blog posts about “urban biodiversity loss while focusing on mitigation global warming problem” were encouraging and emphasised the importance of sharing my work with a larger audience. It has helped me understand the positive and negative aspects that I may have neglected and has broadened my ideological horizons. I appreciate Ms. Aileen’s personalised response, as she took the time to examine each student’s blog and provide unique feedback.
In summary, not only has blogging improved my understanding of urban design, but it has also helped to build a collaborative resource base within the urban design community. It’s given me the opportunity to investigate precedent analyses, get insights from case studies, and implement novel design principles into my projects, especially since it set a good base for the development of my thesis. The gratification of meeting like-minded people and adding to the field’s knowledge has been priceless. As I move on in my career, I will bring the insights and skills learned via blogging with me, confident in my capacity to make substantial contributions to Urban Design.
