Content of Learning Activity

The course is the subject of a general introduction identifying and explaining the challenges of this new approach by insisting on the ecological crisis, in particular on the elimination of living beings by showing how these are produced by the destruction of living environments. then artificialized then built (uprooting of hedges, trees, brambles, destruction of soil, concreting, construction then reconstitution of a perfectly smooth lawn) construction practices never including the existence of non-humans (e.g. roofs overflow for swallows, bats, owls or use of a smooth surface de facto preventing the development of all non-human life), the extraction of the resources necessary for the extremely polluting construction and their transformation into devices that are themselves ecocidal, etc. . in short, to architectural and urban planning practices that are almost absolutely dominant today. In the introduction, through examples, alternative approaches are presented which, each time, 1) start from the specificity of the environment, from its own powers, to think of a non-destructive development reinforcing the presence of the living beings who populate it; 2) reflect this layout using materials provided by the environment as such or nearby; 3) can easily be collectively invented.

The introduction is followed by a walk on a site selected by the supervisors, a walk commented by a naturalist and/or people working in the field of ecology. This walk will aim to show students how and why any environment is always a living environment for many living beings, why each space has its own potentialities determined by the nature of the soil, the fauna and flora present, its connection to d other green or living spaces, the presence of water or not, sunshine, the history that has shaped this place and has undoubtedly marked it, etc.

3 axes of in situ research are offered to students working in groups of 4 or 5 depending on the number of registrants:
AXIS 1, QUAD 1: choice, analysis, study of the powers or potentialities specific to a green space (simply mowed lawn type in a social housing estate, urban field or urban park). Students will have to choose by themselves a green space accessible by bike from the FA+U. After explaining why they choose one terrain over another, they should begin analyzing that terrain. It will be a question of analyzing, listing, understanding the specificity of this environment - including a lawn - and understanding how this environment could interact with the surrounding space - it can be a forest , cultivated areas, but also houses sheltering swallows or sparrows, etc.
This field analysis work can be carried out with various tools and will be the subject of a logbook presenting the progress of the research, the presentation of the elements on which we insist (the importance of this or that flower, with description, drawing, of such living things).
AXIS 1, QUAD 2: it will then be a question of proposing a light development of this green space on the basis of the potentialities identified in quad 1. This can take several forms ranging from a collective garden cultivated in such a way as to increase the density -human, in the development of a natural space likely to densify, attract or create a connection with other spaces reinforcing the presence of non-human living beings or of a collective architectural device (kiosk, etc.) co-used by humans and other living beings. Each time, care must be taken to ensure that this environment, although connected to others, can "operate" independently (question of the presence and/or collection of water, for example).
This light development developing the potentialities specific to the chosen ground must be carried out without destroying the environment (no mechanized preparation of the ground) with the elements which one has on hand (the ground for example if it is clayey, wood there are, but taken intelligently, etc.) or, in other words, taking into account a small scale.
No finalized project is expected, but a logbook presenting the progress of the research bringing together sketches, texts or material elements such as a straw clay brick.

AX2, QUAD 1: choice, analysis, study of the powers or potentialities specific to an industrial wasteland, a concrete place like a parking lot or a highly artificialized place on the urban outskirts. The students will have to choose by themselves a concrete space accessible by bike from the FA+U. After explaining why they choose one terrain over another, they should begin analyzing that terrain. It will be a question of analyzing, listing, understanding the specificity of this environment. Indeed, environments destroyed and transformed by human activities

Required Learning Resources/Tools

Bibliothèque du service

Recommended Learning Resources/Tools

Not applicable

Other Recommended Reading

Not applicable

Mode of delivery

• Face-to-face

Type of Teaching Activity/Activities

• Cours magistraux
• Conférences

Evaluations

The assessment methods of the Learning Activity (AA) are specified in the course description of the corresponding Educational Component (UE)