Having the opportunity to create a wearable technology that can potentially be part of the solution for such a pressing issue was something rather exciting to accomplish. I think in-depth research and constant brainstorming helped me make a rather thoughtful project, and I believe I’ve grown a lot.

-Class of 2023 Student Seher Y.

Driving Question: How can I create a wearable inspired by the Expo 2020 ‘Opportunity’ theme that solves or draws awareness to a contemporary problem?

Every 40 seconds, someone ends their life. My smartwatch concept has the primary purpose of monitoring the suicidal behavior of the patient while providing a feature of manually alerting selected people about their suicidal state. The watch monitors physical symptoms (e.g. heart rate, breath irregularities, stress, motion tracking) by using sensors to detect suicide risk objectively and rapidly. Out of sight, easy-to-use, and effective.

I gained a newfound appreciation for all of the work that goes into architecture. This module made me excited for the future since I got to learn about many new and upcoming sustainable technologies.

-Class of 2023 Student Saffron B.

My project, “Central Palm,” is located on the golden shores of Kite Beach. The central courtyard is the house’s spine, allowing year-round use due to the shade of the ghaf tree while still maintaining privacy from the outside world. The state-of-the-art Tesla solar roof reduces the owners’ reliance on the grid, even allowing you to sell excess solar energy back to the grid. Water-collecting tech that utilizes local sea breezes alongside sound-absorbing glass, inspired by the Czech Republic Expo pavilion, combines sustainability and modernity, thereby maintaining harmony with the local environment. The house features traditional Islamic design, such as columns, a majlis space for entertaining guests, and a prayer room. This house isn’t the future; this house is now.

One of my favorite sessions was right after our wexplore, visiting Tierra del Sol. It was unbelievable. The place was fantastic and so heart-warming. Everything was so thought out and showed an impressively accurate representation of what a community space should look like. I spent such a great time there and hope to go again. I learned more than I could’ve imagined.

-Class of 2023 Student Mila F.

Driving Question: How might we use our understanding of architecture through time to design a context-informed structure?

Our group designed what we believe is a modern take on a traditional Oaxacan house and gastronomical hub which showcases the Oaxaca’s rich food and drink diversity.

What new things did you learn about yourself?

We learned about the impact of colonialism on Mexican architecture through our experience through seeing the use of traditional European elements that incorporate Mexican structures.

What are your big takeaway lessons from this project?

Our biggest takeaway was the process of the environmental impact analysis as I feel like the process of environmental impact analysis will be very important in any project I want to do that involves construction thinking about input and output I am putting in the environment.

This module was one of my favourites, as I learned more about the ins and outs of sustainable buildings in the state of Oaxaca and a little bit of architecture. Ever since TGS introduced the core value of Pixki, I have become more aware of the environment and the impact humans have had and will continue to have on the world around us. Every small project like this makes me think more and become conscious of my actions.

-Class of 2022 Student Viktoria L.

Driving Question: How might we use our understanding of architecture through time to design a context-informed structure?

What were your goals for this module? How did you achieve them?

Our goal this term was to create a sustainable settlement that involved the development of a community garden, greenhouse, and administrative building to encourage ethnobotanical practices in the city of Oaxaca. We achieved this by creating an environmental impact statement, presenting it to a panel of Oaxacan architects, and applying the feedback we received from them to build a miniature settlement in real life.

We acquired the knowledge to do so from our weXplore, where we first practiced building models and creating environmental impact assessments. Tierra De Sol also factored in, as it’s where we learned more about sustainable practices. Oaxacan architects also played a large part, as they answered our questions even after the panel.

What new things did you learn about yourself?

We learned that we are very good at building expandable walls as a team. At Tierra De Sol, we were given the chance to do so, and we were the fastest, most efficient group of all. We sawed and drilled twice as many sticks as everyone else. Our secret was that everyone had a role in the activity, and we worked the best we could.

This module was unique to me, as I had never known how interested I was in architecture until I experienced it during these two months. I have also learned the importance of focusing on the journey and the learning instead of making my product look perfect.

-Class of 2023 Student Sara G.

Driving Question: How can I design and build a model home or community that will function efficiently in a desert environment?

Are you looking for a house that is both nature-friendly and luxurious? Then my project, “Fresh Air,” is perfect for you! Located in The Palm Islands, it combines different panoramic views, from the relaxing beach view to the moat with the fish, and finally, the lush green spaces all around the house.

This house combines many aspects of sustainability: It saves water by taking it from the beach and using it in the pool and the moat. The greywater is used for watering the garden and for the flowers all around the house. The materials used (concrete, bamboo, etc.) are very eco-friendly. Solar panels help produce electricity using solar energy. The fish in the moat produce waste that contributes to the growing of plants.

Driving Question: How can I modernize traditional Filipino fashion?

Project Overview: For her mastery project, CM1 Student Gigi Engalla set out to create a fashion collection that modernizes the traditional Filipino. To do so, she mastered elements of couture craftsmanship and developed a deep understanding of Filipino fashion by learning about its significance and how its classic features can be integrated into a modern medium.

Driving Question: How can I apply my knowledge of emergent behaviors in a visual program to find the most efficient rule sets for species’ environments?

Module Overview: Throughout the course of this project, Seb learned how to program in C# and Java alongside learning how to create a polished simulation of emergent behaviors in species using the Unity 3D-processing software. Emergent behaviors refer to when individual parts come together to work as a whole, in this case, the flocking behavior of birds. 

Seb started by looking at birds as they are the most heavily documented species in emergent behaviors. He gathered data about the best rule sets. Based on this data, he determined which of the birds’ flocking patterns, including separation, alignment, and cohesion, were the most effective. 

Project Reflection: “I learned a lot in all aspects of the product: data synthesis, graphing, programming, and more. The bit I enjoyed most was by far the data analysis, as I got some actual feasible results, all from my computer simulation.”

Driving Question: How can I use photography to raise awareness about our human behavior’s impact on the environment?

Project Description

My personal project this term is a photography project about human behavior’s impact on the environment. While wondering why we are not acting as urgently as we should for the climate crisis, I found people often see the crisis as a distant challenge, both in time and in space. Through this project, I wanted to raise awareness about the impact of our daily and individual actions on the environment, and ultimately, bring people closer to the challenge.

Reflection:

“My main takeaway from this project is that, no matter how global any challenge is, the individual action will end up making the difference.”

Driving Question: How might I grow my creativity during the COVID-19 crisis through exploring the science of creativity and innovation and experimenting with art?

What were your goals for this module? How did you achieve them?

Learning about something my parents are passionate about and learning the basics about photography and applied geometry in nature was my objective of the module. I also wanted to grow my creative confidence and challenge myself to try something new. I did this by taking lessons from my dad, getting ideas, and researching. I think my final products and process portfolio reflect such.

What did you learn about yourself or about your creative process or about your medium?

I learned I have a hard time going with the flow and not planning photos. I thrive when I plan and trust myself. I challenged myself by trying something new and showing my work to others, when it’s not my strength and by mixing two areas of improvement in one summative and module. I met my expectations and went above them by taking photos that I am proud of and clearly show my progress. I’m impressed with what I achieved in some of my photos, the math and geometry in others, and how I saw the world finding more shapes. Photography is a great form to capture life and emotions, and it’s quite a complicated art form for me.

Driving Question: How might I grow my creativity during the COVID-19 crisis through exploring the science of creativity and innovation and experimenting with art?

What were your goals for this module? How did you achieve them?

My goals for this module were to grow my creativity, to understand the geometry needed to both make and understand my quilt, and to make something to symbolize the COVID-19 crisis. I feel that I have achieved all my goals by having a lot of patience and determination to figure out the many challenges.

What did you learn about yourself or about your creative process or about your medium?

Again, patience I think was the biggest thing this module. In sewing, I needed to have patience in order to pin, sew, and press each individual piece. For my creative process, I learned that it is important to be patient and think all possible ideas before analyzing them and determining which one is best. Lastly, I needed a lot of patience in order to learn about the many factors that go into the math for a golden spiral.