AR4003 - Technology 1 (2017/18)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2017/18 | ||||||||||||
| Module title | Technology 1 | ||||||||||||
| Module level | Certificate (04) | ||||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 30 | ||||||||||||
| School | School of Art, Architecture and Design | ||||||||||||
| Total study hours | 300 | ||||||||||||
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| Assessment components |
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| Running in 2017/18(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) |
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Module summary
The module introduces the disciplines of building technology and enables the student to identify and work with the basic principles involved in their application. The module introduces structural design, material properties and selection, building services and environmental design, design and construction of building elements and components. It is focused on well-considered sustainable design principles and the construction of habitable space in smaller scale buildings and interiors. The module explores the different disciplines of building technology in-situ through site visits and surveys, through making and drawing workshops, as well as through lectures, seminars and the utilisation of a wide variety of published sources.
Module aims
The module aims to prepare students as architects and interior architects for the complex task of getting their work built. It aims to familiarise them with the scope of the industry and the different disciplines involved the design and delivery of buildings; all of which have their own knowledge base, consultants, specialists, manufacturers, resources and forms of communication. The module aims to assist the student in beginning to frame this complex world and understand how they can work with it to achieve well-considered sustainable designs. To achieve this aim, the module focuses on two important modes of learning: a) the means to construct coherent and usable bodies of knowledge, and b) to see how principles are enacted in practice
Syllabus
The lecture series introduces a knowledge base, principles, terminology and practice. The seminars and workshops develop familiarity and use through practise and experimentation in context. Aspects of the course will be specific to Architecture and Interior Architecture through targeted site visits, surveying techniques and seminar topics in relation to case studies and current practice.
A) Structure
Introduction to structural principles, types and performance in relation to location, culture, form and material. These lectures are followed by seminars and/or workshops.
B) Materials
Introduction to characteristics and properties of materials in relation to the source, processes of extraction, production, manufacture and use in building. The practical and ecological implications of use are considered in terms of renewability, recyclability, bio-degradability as well as transport. These lectures are followed by seminars and/or workshops.
C) Construction
Introduction to principles, technologies and processes of construction relating the efficient use of method, material, sequence and performance integrated through and within the design process to address aspects of user comfort, safety, protection and escape. These lectures are followed by seminars and/or workshops.
D) Environment
Introduction to principles and technologies of active and passive systems of ventilation, acoustics and thermal performance as they impact on human comfort and building design. These lectures are followed by seminars and/or workshops.
E) Services
Introduction to principles of providing and removing water, air, power and waste from buildings using physical, mechanical and electrical systems. Aspects of providing comfort and hygiene are considered in terms of energy consumption and environmental impact. These lectures followed by seminars and/or workshops.
Learning and teaching
The module focuses on two important modes of learning, on the one hand the process of constructing coherent and usable bodies of knowledge, on the other, seeing how principles are enacted in practice.
The learning and teaching for the Tech Book is organised around a series of subject-based lectures introducing basic principles of structures, materials and construction, environmental design and sustainability and services.
The lectures are supplemented by practical 'workshops' that engage the student in the different subject areas through practise, active learning and problem solving. This involves completing a series of technological tasks and compiling these into a documentation of their knowledge and experience of building technology – the Tech Book component.
The learning and teaching for Annotated Drawings is organised around seminars and tutorials supporting individual student projects. The students choose from and use tasks from the 5 areas of Technology 1 to propose a development, adaptation or improvement to a simple small-scale architectural case study and through this process show how they may ‘present as believable’ their own design work.
The composition and annotation of technical drawings is the key part of the proposal, the testing/experimentation and the outcome as presented in document. The drawings are supported by other technical objects ie, models, data-models, charts, tables, diagrams, sketches etc. The effectiveness of composition of the document overall, and individual pages, integrating text, image and diagram is seen as aspect in communicating technology.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the main technologies involved in the building industry;
2. Identify and classify different structural, environmental, constructional and material systems and the attendant conceptual and practical terms of reference in building technology;
3. Use a variety of means (quantitative and qualitative) to analyse and compare different structural, environmental, constructional and material systems in relation to performance, physical comfort and sustainability;
4. Undertake through drawing the integrated study of the technology involved in a simple small-scale architectural design proposal;
Assessment strategy
The strategy is to provide an iterative and developmental model of assessment.
The assessment items develop the acquisition of knowledge(lectures/tasks) and use of practise (tasks/workshops) through experimentation (workshops/techbook, tutorials/proposal) towards critical reflection(proposal/drawings) and judgment (drawings/outcome/document).
Technology Book (50%)
A collated document that demonstrates organisation, understanding and critical reflection of the knowledge and principles of the core syllabus areas: structures, materials and construction, building services, environmental comfort and sustainability.
The technology book is an individual record of participation in the core lectures and workshops presented as a document of carefully composed text, images and diagrams; including original writing and referenced texts, annotated original and referenced photographs, surveys and scaled 2D/3D drawings.
Annotated Drawings (50%)
A set of conventionally scaled, referenced and coordinated architectural drawings (eg1:100, 1:20 and 1:5) demonstrating the integration of structure, building services, materials and construction in a simple architectural enclosure developed to be used to describe and support a proposal for change; including the orientation, building elements, components and construction sequence collated into a carefully composed document.
Bibliography
Ashby, M.F. & Johnson, K., 2009. Materials and Design: The Art and Science of Material Selection in Product Design 2nd ed., Butterworth-Heinemann.
Gordon, J.E., 1988. The Science of Structures and Materials illustrated ed., Scientific American Library.
Lengen, J. van, 2008. Barefoot Architect: A Handbook for Green Building, Bolinas, Calif. : Enfield: Shelter.
Sassi, P., 2006. Strategies for Sustainable Architecture, Taylor & Francis.