Application Exercises 2016

Transcription

1 CONTACT DETAILS There are TWO parts to the application process to be considered for the Architecture degree. Firstly, the general undergraduate applications process that everyone coming to Wits needs to undertake. This process includes submission of final school grades. Start that process here if you haven t already: Online Applications: This document covers the second part of the process, which follows the Online Application. It is a process specific to Architecture, and involves the submission of hard copies of materials and a personal interview. All material and correspondence for this stage of the process must be ed to applications.bas@wits.ac.za Physical address: Reception desk, School of Architecture and Planning, John Moffat Building East Campus, University of the Witwatersrand, Jorissen Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg (08h00-13h00, 14h00-16h00) Mail: BAS Applications, School of Architecture and Planning, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050 Tel: Application Exercises 2016 BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES 1

2 Contents EXERCISE PAGE 1.1 Important Dates & Procedures Getting Started Exercise Exercise Exercise The Interview Submission Form 12 KEY LINKS Online Applications: Financial Aid and scholarships: Rules and syllabus: Additional information on architecture as a career: 2 2

3 1.1 Important Dates & Procedures THE SELECTION PROCEDURE Architecture is a popular degree and places are limited, so there is a competitive selection process. Applicants must meet the specified minimum academic requirements shown here: In addition, there are the three stages of selection to be passed to be considered for the architecture degree. First, the School evaluates spatial imagination, creative problem-solving and communication abilities in a set of selection exercises. These are detailed in this applications exercise booklet. Applicants who have successfully completed the exercise, have met minimum requirements and show potential in the practice exercises are then invited to personal interviews at the Wits School of Architecture and Planning (SoAP) in October. Applicants who don t respond to the interview invitations will be excluded from further consideration. We strongly advise that you job-shadow an architect or designer as detailed below and find out about architecture in books and blogs to find out if you are going to enjoy this highly demanding course and profession. We check the academic results of suitable applicants after the interviews. The total selection score consists of scores for the exercises, the interview and an academic score based on APS points: The academic score is based on grade 11 (or complete grade 12) results, which you must submit before the interview. We give provisional offers to the applicants based on total scores. Applicants who accept the conditional offer and maintain good academic performance and do equally well in their final exams, will receive firm offers. After the publication of matric results, some new places become available and are offered to wait-listed applicants, including applicants whose marks improved to give them qualifying scores. If offers are declined, these places are offered to the next in line- this late acceptance could even be after the first registration date. If you accept an offer elsewhere, please notify us. KEY DATES Exercise available: 30 April 2016 Online Applications close: 30 June 2016 Submission of exercises: before 16:00 on 8 August 2016 Interview invitations sent out: 9 September 2016 Dates of interview for applicants who have been successful in the exercises: 5-7 October 2016 Date of notification of early and provisional offers: 17 October 2016 Provisional offers will be converted to firm offers a few days after Wits receives the NSC results in January. Additional firm offers will be made thereafter. First-year registration: January 2017 Orientation week 2017: before term starts - please check Term starts: 6 February

4 1.2 Getting Started THE PROCESS Apply online for the BAS degree, pay your application fee and get a person number before 30 June to start the process. Exercise 3 is not compulsory but recommended, and the task should be completed before your interview. Make sure that you give an address (or mobile number if you don t have an address) that will be checked daily and that you reply to the interview invitation when it arrives. Send the exercises by registered mail or by courier to: BAS applications, School of Architecture and Planning, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050 or hand deliver them the to the reception desk of the School of Architecture and Planning, John Moffat Building East Campus, University of the Witwatersrand, Braamfontein, and get a receipt. We will not evaluate ed exercises or deliveries received after 16:00 on 8 August You will receive an interview invitation or a rejection by 9 September For queries pertaining to this exercise, Applications.BAS@wits.ac.za Exercises 1 and 2 must both be submitted as paper copies if you are to get an interview. Please check that your person number is on EVERY SHEET and you have fully completed and attached the submission form. Without this, it cannot be assessed. Please make and keep a copy of your submissions in case there is a problem. Wits person numbers and mail tracking or receipt numbers must accompany all inquiries. If you have not heard from us by 9 September 2016, please to check. 4 4

5 1.3 Exercise 1 A CANNY GIFT FOR SOMEONE YOU LIKE THE CHECKLIST TO SUBMIT MAKING A storyboard, 1 or 2 A4 sheets using the issued layout: Storyboard Layout Guide The object of your object (200 words) The object you have made out of recycled can(s) or parts thereof, which you only bring to the interview. You can send an A4 sheet of photos of it as part of this exercise. THE SCENARIO It is 10pm on the last day of the year and in 12 hours, you are going to meet a person you like a lot. You would really like to bring this important person a gift on this special occasion but all shops are closed and you are in the middle of a CANtastic New Year s party. All you have are aluminium beverage cans lying around, very little time and your unlimited imagination. You look around and what you see are posters saying: re-use, re-cycle, re-cover with photographs of funny and beautiful objects made out of cans. With the words and images spinning in your own head, an idea suddenly strikes you- a special gift for the most special person made out of recycled can(s). THE TASK Imagine, design and make an object out of a can and/or several cans or parts of cans. The object you design and make will serve as a special gift for the most special person in your life Develop a step-by-step instruction manual that clearly lays out the making of the gift. The instruction manual should be mostly made up of images. Use one or two A4 sheets of paper as per the layout issued to you. Draw in black ink only, either a felt tip pen or other drawing pen and NOT a pencil. You may use one other colour in the drawing. You need to communicate your ideas clearly and in such a way that another person or someone who does not speak much of your language is able to produce a similar object using your How To Make a out of Can manual. As an addition to the manual, explain the invention of your object in a short text of not more than 200 words. The write ups should say something about the person for whom you are making it, why you chose the object you did and its significance for you and the recipient of the gift. THE DECISION There are a number of decisions YOU need to take in the process. In the text you need to communicate why you did what you did, and in the manual you need to explain how you did it. 5 5

6 YOU need to decide * For whom you are making the gift (your grandmother, father, sister, brother, friend, dog etc.) * What kind of object you are going to make. * What you are going to call the object. YOU need to choose one of the following options * Make an object from: a) One can, OR b) Several cans, OR c) Selected parts of a can You may not use glue. You should use pliers, a proper cutting knife and a ruler to bend against. Be careful not to cut yourself on the sharp edges of the can. GETTING HELP For this project, if you feel stuck, you should look at a precedent. This means examples of recycled can objects. These objects, mostly made by local artists, can be found on the street corners, in markets, curio shops and the internet. You can consult these artists and traders or someone good at making things for advice on which tools you should use to make the object or you can figure that out for yourself. However, the final object must be a product of your own hands. SAMPLES OF RECYCLED OBJECTS Below are samples of objects from Pinterest that have previously been made. Although you may take inspiration that you may find online and in shops your final product should be the product of your own personal story and imagination. 6

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8 STORYBOARD LAYOUT SAMPLES Please note that these examples serve as mere suggestions as to layout possibilities and you are free to explore alternatives using the guide provided. 8

9 1.4 Exercise 2 THE JOURNEY REPRESENTATION THE CHECKLIST TO SUBMIT Your drawing must be in pencil only (no colour may be used). Work on an A3 sheet of paper. You may fold it to fit into an A4 envelope THE TASK This is an exercise in free hand artistic drawing. There is no correct or incorrect interpretation, we want to see your creative interpretation of the requirements listed below: Draw a familiar route, one which you travel frequently, it could be the route you follow to school or to work. Open your senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste as you think about the experience of your journey. Think about all the things and experiences both familiar and unusual which happen along the way. Consider your destination and how it feels to arrive. Think of this as a journey through space, time and emotions. Your drawings must communicate the following: * The sequence of events that make up the journey *Familiar and unusual aspects of the route *Landmarks and special places and resting points along the way *The spatial relationships between these places *Feelings, memories and states of mind that accompany you on your journey *Quantities of light and shadow You need to find a creative way to represent your ideas graphically for the above. A two dimensional map on its own will not be sufficient, and tracing is not permitted 9 9

10 1.5 Exercise 3 JOB SHADOWING AN ARCHITECT EVALUATING THE CHECKLIST TO SUBMIT For your own information record: The name and details of the architect or firm A timeline explaining what you did on the day Your impressions of the role of the architect in a building (or design) project Sketches of what you saw in the office of the architect and on site Consider whether this is a career that you would enjoy BACKGROUND Having some exposure to the profession of architecture before the interview is strongly recommended. This exposure will allow you to explore and better understand the profession of architecture and will serve to eliminate any uncertainty or misconceptions of what a future in architecture holds at the application stage. THE TASK Do your best to undertake a day of job-shadowing in an architectural practice. This involves following the day to day roles and responsibilities of an architect in practice to gain maximum benefit from the experience. During the day and when you get home, make notes and sketches about conversations, the office, any building sites you visit as well as your own observations. If job shadowing becomes impossible because you do not live near a practice, consider a substitute experience of either job shadowing a registered draughtsperson or if that is not possible, of spending a day on a building site on a day when the person responsible for drawing the building plans makes a site visit. For a comprehensive list of registered architects and architectural firms, see the following websites: The South African Council for the Architectural Profession: The South African Institute of Architects: Gauteng Institute for Architecture: 10

11 1.6 The Interview BACKGROUND This is the last step in applying. It takes place in the School s home, the John Moffat Building and you ll be able to see what BAS students do, ask questions and look around at student work and their studios. Staff in the BAS degree will be conducting the interviews. If you re invited to the interview, we will ask a few questions about you, your interests and look at any creative work that you bring along. This can include anything you ve invented, organised and created such as an object you designed and made, ideas and drawings or a production or event you planned. It can also include your actual canny gift. You will have to be available all morning or afternoon although the interviews last 5-10 minutes. In the remainder of the waiting time, you will be asked to do various creative exercises. Bring a pencil, eraser, sharpener, ruler and a pair of scissors

12 1.7 Submission Form for 2017 Please print out and submit the following information with your exercise submission. APPLICANT S CONTACT INFORMATION IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2016 APPLICANT S SURNAME FIRST NAMES WITS PERSON NUMBER POSTAL ADDRESS TELEPHONE CELLPHONE FAX NUMBER If you have already written matric but are re-writing any subjects in 2016, please tick here 12