School of Architecture Fall 2007 Florida A&M ... - FAMU SOA Home

School of Architecture Fall 2007
Florida A&M University
ARC 3324 Design 3.1 5 CR Mon Wed Fri 1:30-5:30 PM Third Floor Studio
Instructors: Beth Lewis, Gretchen Miller, Enn Ots
Course Description
Context
This semester we will focus on freestanding buildings on sites with significant natural and or man-made features. You will visit,
document, and analyze local sites as part of the design process. In order for you to manage the range of issues that will be involved --
from technical to aesthetic -- the buildings and settings will be relatively small, yet increasing in size and complexity as the term
progresses.
At this point in your architectural education you already have graphic skills sufficient to communicate at a basic level using the
traditional media of drawing and modeling. We expect you to continue to improve in this regard. Clarity, legibility, and aesthetic
appeal of your design products will always be a consideration, even in the beginning stages of a project. Verbal communication is
important in architecture, not only because the creative process takes place on a verbal as well as visual level, but also because
architects must communicate with others in great detail and with a high level of precision in the course of the conception and
realization of a building. We expect you to exhibit facility in both written and spoken communication.
Values
We will expect you to engage us in meaningful discussion about values, because there is much difference of opinion, both within the
profession, and within the general public, about what constitutes good architecture. The clearer you can be about your own values
and design intent, the easier it will be to have a meaningful discussion about your work. Build on what you have learned in previous
design, theory, technology, and history courses. The assignments, exercises and projects for this studio will be coordinated with the
other courses third year architecture students take concurrently such as architecture history, structures and computer skills.
Design Emphases
We will investigate how the formal geometry of built form meshes with existing context. It is expected that your designs will take
advantage of the positive aspects of climate as well as work toward minimizing its adverse effects. User requirements of the sites and
buildings are always important. In most cases the instructors will act as your clients, giving you the requirements for the hypothetical
users for the particular project under investigation.
You will investigate space and surface from both a technical and aesthetic perspective. In this regard, you will design with real
materials in mind for both building skin and structure. Your designs must have geometry of structural support consistent with the
materials and systems you are using. In some cases, we will limit your choice of systems to better aid you in this development. We
are particularly interested in the distinctions and interactions between massive systems, such as masonry walls, with strong physical
and psychological connections to the earth, and frame systems, with their inherent lightness and openness.
The development of good places is important. Places have specific, memorable, characteristics that distinguish them from the
general background noise of the environment at large. Good places are where people like to be, to pause, to be at rest, to be at ease.
Good places often occur at the edges of activity, the edges of buildings, the interfaces between different natural systems, such as
between land and water.
Several ideas from your previous theory and design courses have special relevance to third year design -- especially pragmatic design,
phenomenology, and green architecture. The use of precedent will also be an important part of the design exercises undertaken. It
consists of lessons from the past that are worthy of study and emulation (Iconic design process). We can talk of precedent in terms of
a theoretical idea, a process, a physical or intellectual system, or a building. There are good design precedents in all the topic areas
covered by this course. It is important that you study such examples, both ones presented by the instructors and ones you discover
yourself, and use their lessons in your own designs.
The idea of "system" infuses this discussion and is inherent in architecture and building. A system has logic, a set of principles that
give it structure and make it work. In this course we are particularly interested in the physical ordering systems that govern the form
of buildings, ranging from structural systems, to the movement of the earth and how it affects light, weather, and the biosphere.
There are often conflicts among the requirements of the different systems, and an important task of the architect is to resolve these
conflicts with as little compromise to each system as possible. Much of the creativity in making good architecture involves bringing all
these systems together in a harmonious, even elegant, way. Every building is unique, because it is located in a unique place at a
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unique moment in time. You, as a unique individual, bring your own talents and views to a project. So no matter how many restrictions
a design project has, there are always opportunities to be creative, to make a unique design. Remember that architecture is a social art
requiring you to balance your own ego against the needs of the people (and animals and plants) that will be affected by your design
decisions. The ethics of design is not a trivial concern.
Design Process
Making good architecture is an intense endeavor, even for the most skilled designers. Most good design evolves from a series of
solutions that become more resolved (fewer conflicts, more harmony among the requirements of the design) with each succeeding
solution. Students do not easily embrace this idea of an iterative, cyclical, process of design. This seems to be because your past
academic experience has mostly involved doing an assignment once, handing it in, and moving on to something else. This is not how
architecture is created, so in this course, you will definitely be required to work in an iterative way. It is extremely important, if you
really want to be an architect, to learn all the lessons this course has to teach. A building that has a great spatial configuration but no
structure to hold it in place is not architecture.
What we ask you, as students in an educational setting, to do is reach a level of completion roughly comparable to what is usually
achieved in architectural practice within a few days -- that is, the preliminary design level. At this level, space and building form,
including the general form of the systems of support, materials, and service are delineated. Often, selected important details of
construction are also explored.
Contemporary architectural practice is usually a team endeavor, wherein people with different levels of experience and different areas
of expertise collaborate closely. In school, this is more difficult, partly because all of you have roughly the same experience and skill
level. In this course you will sometimes work together to develop background material for a project and you will meet in small groups
to review and comment on each other's work. Learning through these group settings is an important component of the studio.
NAAB Student Performance Criteria to be met by Design 3.1:
12. Human behavior
Understanding of the theories and methods of inquiry that seek to clarify the relationship between human behavior and the
physical environment.
14. Accessibility
Ability to design both site and building to accommodate individuals with varying physical abilities
15. Site Conditions
Ability to respond to natural and built site characteristics in the development of a program and design of a project
Additionally, the course will touch on the following:
• Research Skills
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Fundamental Design Skills
• Collaborative Skills
• Structural Systems
• Environmental Systems
• Building Envelope Systems
At the end of the semester you are required to submit a brief 3.1 design portfolio (4 – 6 pages) that demonstrates achievement of the
above performance criteria as well as a CD documenting your semester work.
Design Media
Designing involves the almost simultaneous use of many media to search for form through the exploration of the boundaries and
conflicts inherent in the given project. The particular sequence of media use and emphasis will vary with the designer and project.
Buildings and their settings are primarily three-dimensional. Accordingly, your design process will rely heavily on making models and
drawing perspectives, axonometric drawings, and sections. You will work to scale, even in the earliest stages of a design project.
Thus, in Design 3.1 we expect the emphasis to be upon drawing and physical models, rather than CAAD.
Course Required Textbook
Building Construction Illustrated, Francis D. K. Ching ISBN 0471358983
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Course Recommended and Reserve Textbooks
The Architect's Studio Companion (3rd Ed.) Allen and Iano (will be required for Design 3.2)
Design-Tech: Building Science for Architects, Jason Alread and Thomas Leslie, ISBN 0-7506-6557-2
The Green Studio Handbook, Alison G. Kwok and Walter T. Grondzik, ISBN 0-7506-8022-9
Design Drawing, Francis D. K. Ching ISBN 0442019092
Form, Space and Order, Francis D. K. Ching ISBN 0442017928
Architectural Graphic Standards Student Edition ISBN 0471348171
Archispeak: An Illustrated Guide to Architectural Terms. Tom Porter. ISBN 0-415-30012-6
Sun, Wind and Light: Architectural Design Strategies, G. Z. Brown and Mark DeKay ISBN 0471348775
From time to time we will also put materials on reserve in the architecture library or post in the studio. These required readings will
cover topics from aesthetics to technics relevant to the current design project.
Logistics and Scheduling
The first hour or two of Wednesday class will be devoted to a lecture, discussion, and/or an in-class exercise in the studio or a lecture
or conference room. In-class exercises will be related to the current design project and will focus on required skill development,
technical and theoretical issues.
Students are required to be in class and working for the entire four hours of scheduled studio time, unless specifically told otherwise.
Attendance will be taken at the beginning of class, and if shown to be necessary, at the end of class. Studio participation is a key part
of course evaluation and your attendance, preparedness, and diligence will affect your course grade.
You must have a workable drafting setup in studio even if you plan to work at home outside of class time. We strongly encourage you
to make the studio your primary study environment as this creates the opportunity to learn from each other. The open studio
arrangement on which the school is based is designed to encourage interaction across the year levels of the school. The fourth-year,
fifth-year, and graduate students can be a valuable resource for many skills and ideas.
A drawback of the open studios is that noise can easily travel from space to space. In deference to the others in the School of
Architecture community, no loud talking or music is allowed. Use headphones if you want to listen to music. Do not disrupt or walk
through other class meetings that are occurring in the School -- use common sense and courtesy. As with all your other classes,
please turn all cell phones off during studio. Unless it is an emergency, your incoming and outgoing calls can wait until studio time is
over.
Several class meetings will occur on sites located within Tallahassee but off campus. Participation in such meetings is mandatory and
transportation must be arranged individually or in groups. A studio field trip of several days duration is a possibility and participation will
be mandatory for all students.
Working with your Instructor
It is to your benefit to actively seek out our help and take seriously the advice we give you. Our goal is to help you become the best
designer you can be. If we point out weaknesses in your design, do not feel that we think less of you as a person. If you want us to
help you, you have to be brutally honest with yourself and admit when you don't understand something or when you need help. The
faster you make the mistakes that every novice designer makes; the faster you will become skilled.
Le Corbusier stated that "creativity is a patient search." Searching involves uncertainty, and the searcher must be prepared to take
some risks and to explore promising leads without complete certainty as to where they will lead. One of the best ways to avoid the
anxiety associated with this search is to explore systematically, and documenting in a legible way the various alternative paths you
have explored. With several alternatives evident, class discussions about your design will focus on the relative merits of your
alternatives. A review will seem more an evaluation of your work, rather than of you personally. Using this approach you will learn to
critically evaluate your own work and to be your best/worst critic. The true artist will smash the pot that does not meet his or her high
standards.
University ADA Statement
It is the policy of Florida A&M University to assure that each member of the University community be permitted to work or attend
classes in an environment free from any form of discrimination including race, creed, color, age, disability, sex, martial status, national
origin, veteran status and sexual harassment as prohibited by State and Federal statues. This shall include applicants for admission to
the University and employment.
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Questions concerning this policy and procedures for filing complaints under the policy should be directed to: University EOP Officer,
Equal Opportunity Programs, 401 Lee Hall, Tallahassee, FL 32307, (850) 599-3076
Course Evaluation
Assignments will be given letter grades, augmented by plus and minus as appropriate, based on the following criteria:
A: Project requirements complete, exceptional quality in terms of graphic presentation, participation, effort expended, design process,
and design resolution.
B: Project requirements complete, most graded aspects of project (participation, effort, process, presentation, design) are of high
quality with no aspects of less than average quality.
C: Project requirements complete (or nearly so with no major omissions); most aspects of project of average quality; some aspects
below average.
D: Project incomplete with major weakness in any of the graded aspects of the project.
F: Project incomplete in major ways or most graded aspects of the project exhibit major weakness, or the project/assignment is not
turned in on time.
Your grade for the course will be based not only on the in-class exercise grades, and the project grades, but also on your attitude,
participation in group activities, use of class time, and response to instructor review and commentary. The rough schedule of projects
and estimated weights of the semester is shown below:
Project one: 15% 2 weeks
Project two: 30% 5 weeks
Project three: 40% 7 week
Participation 15% (over entire 14 weeks)
Total 100%
As an integral part of project three, we will be taking a field trip. We intend to travel by bus to Atlanta, Chattanooga, Cincinnati and
Columbus leaving on Thursday, October 18th and returning on Sunday, October 21st. Students will be responsible for hotel room
charges and the admission fees for the museums we will be visiting. Information regarding the cost will be available as soon as it is
known. This is a required field trip and will be a part of your grade for the third project, and thus the course.
The participation grade includes in-class exercises, class participation, attendance, effort and improvement. We expect you to be on
time for all classes and to be productively engaged during the entire class period. University regulations allow five unexcused
absences for this class. You may be administratively dropped from the class with a failing grade if you exceed this number. Excused
absences must be documented. If you fail to show up within the first half-hour of the class without a valid excuse, you will be
considered absent for the day. Experience shows that lack of engagement (absences and failure to keep up with assignments) is the
most common reason for poor class performance.
From time to time course updates and progress grades will be posted on your FAMU web site. It is your responsibility to check the site
prior to each class.
Course Contacts
Contact information for the course instructors is as follows:
Beth Lewis
Enn Ots
Gretchen Miller
B – 310 Architecture Building, 599-3163 Office hours: MWF: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, others by appt.
elizabeth.lewis@famu.edu or Elizabeth.lewis1@yahoo.com
B - 318 Architecture Building, 599-3845 Office hours MWF: 10:00 – 11:00 AM, others by appt.
enn.ots@famu.edu or ennu@aol.com
B – 222 Architecture Building, 599-3979 Office hours: MWF: By appointment.
grem311@hotmail.com
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