framework for the implementation of a virtual design studio model in ...

Appendix A
a. The University of Sharjah Field work
Interview with Dr. Hassan Radoine Transcript
Q1. Do you think the aspect of the virtual collaborative studio was
fulfilled in this workshop?
Absolutely, the student were very virtual, the collaboration aspect was
very strong and was obviously present. If they were not virtual they will
not think of redesigning sharjah in 3 days the way they worked and the
utilisation of technology helped the student overcome many problems
that might prevent the production of films in this short time. As an
outsider I think you were successful in meeting the virtual elements and
in widening the scope and the horizons of the student imagination. The
use of the virtual tour was also helpful in that matter as the student had
an imagination of sharjah and for places they would never visit or it
would have been very time consuming and efforts as well to do a field
visit. The student‟s horizon was widened and they were sent to fly and
then come back to a connecting dot so you objective was attended and
obtained.
In terms of what you said about creativity in the Middle East, do you
think that this workshop contributed in promoting it taking in
consideration the student‟s final products?
When I said about Middle East I was trying to put in context your model
of VDS in the Middle East setting and specially the UAE. The
problematic area is the architectural education and the elements are
creativity, collaboration and virtuality and the objective is to know the
capacity of Middle East minds/ intellectuality and how they perceived
themselves. To cope with difficult situations and how they perceive their
own self. Understanding their own issue (the case of sharjah) through
creative engine to make student of sharjah realise their own problems
which might not seem obvious for a citizen who is living in this city and
for the student to realise and address this issue was a great success of
the studio and a way of new thinking. The strategic issues of the city in
its urban planning level was reduced to the architectural level and
addressed inside the vds studio was beautiful. They were dealing with
the urban planning and they think they can do it (make them believe in
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