DSGN 251 Syllabus

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Spring 2016 / MWF 8:00 – 9:50 am / DM 141
Instructor: Brandon Young / brandon.young@acu.edu / DM 326

ACU and Department of Art & Design Mission Statements

Course Audience

This course targets students interested in pursuing a career in architecture, design and/or construction, and those interested in developing a fundamental understanding of building construction methods, materials and structures.

Course Description

Introduction to building construction materials, methods and structures, as well as building envelope performance and sustainability considerations.

Textbooks

Required:

  • Allen, Edward and Joseph Iano. Fundamentals of Building Construction, 6th ed. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2013. Print. (or eBook)
  • Allen, Edward and Joseph Iano. Exercises in Building Construction, 6th ed. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2013. Print.

Recommended/Supplemental:

  • Ching, Francis. Building Construction Illustrated, 5th ed. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. Print.
  • Frampton, Kenneth. Studies in Tectonic Culture: The Poetics of Construction in Nineteenth & Twentieth Century Architecture. The MIT Press, 2001. Print.
  • Ramsey/Sleeper. Architectural Graphic Standards: Student Edition, 11th ed. John Wiley & Sons, 2008. Print.

Course Outline & Topics

“Gaining a useful knowledge of the materials and methods of construction is crucial and a necessity for the student of architecture, engineering, or construction, but it can be a daunting task. The field is huge, diverse, and complex, and it changes at such a rate that it seems impossible to ever master.” – Edward Allen and Joseph Iano.

This course is structured to aid students as they navigate the complex field of building materials and construction. Beginning with an introduction to the process of making buildings, which involves understanding the roles and relationships of design and construction professionals, students will maneuver their way through the construction process from the literal bottom, foundations, up through a variety of building materials and the systems they form. Building techniques are presented as whole working systems with sufficient detail to enable further investigation. In an effort to provide an operational working knowledge, the fundamentals of building construction are presented – the course material is selective rather than comprehensive.

Topics covered in this class include:

  • Choosing building systems
  • Construction standards and processes
  • Foundations
  • Wood (heavy timber, light frame, exterior and interior finishes)
  • Masonry (brick, stone and concrete)
  • Steel (structural and light guage)
  • Concrete (sitecast and precast)
  • Alternative Materials (earth and straw)
  • Building enclosure/envelope (roofing, exterior wall systems, glass and glazing, windows and doors)
  • Interior walls and partitions
  • Interior finishes (floors, walls and ceilings)

Class Format

The class consists of three lectures/class discussions per week and site visits distributed throughout the semester. IMPORTANT NOTE: Class begins at 8:00 a.m. – this is especially important on Field Trip days. Students must come to every class prepared for the day’s activity, which requires completion of any assigned readings and/or exercises, appropriate clothing (esp. for site visits) and necessary materials to complete the work.

  1. Lectures and Discussions: Information on building materials and construction methods that supports and supplements the course text. Building materials will be presented in five distinct parts:
    1. History – origins and use of materials through time
    2. Properties – potential and limitation of materials
    3. Sustainability – considerations for sustainable use and reuse
    4. System – type of systems the materials form and methods of construction
    5. Applications – contemporary examples of buildings utilizing the materials
  2. Field Trips: Several site visits are scheduled during the semester to manufacturing plants to observe the fabrication of building materials and components, and construction sites to observe building materials utilized in the construction process. 2.5 hours are scheduled for each site visit, including travel time. Transportation is provided. Site visits are mandatory and part of the course grade. IMPORTANT NOTE: Appropriate clothing for safety requirements must be worn on all field trips. Jeans, or equivalent heavyweight cotton pants, and closed-toe shoes are required. Hard hats, safety glasses and ear protection will be provided as needed. Students will not be allowed to attend the field trip if appropriate clothing is not worn.

Christian Perspective in Course

We are created in the image of God, and as such we are all co-creators with God. One of our most fundamental needs is that of shelter, and the act of building is primal. Adam and Eve took shelter in the garden, and mankind has long since used natural features as shelter (cave and forest). Much of human activity requires some type of shelter from the sun, wind, rain and/or snow. Since we must build, by necessity or desire, it is important to consider the way in which we build and how we use the materials available to us.

I believe Wendell Berry, farmer, writer, scholar and theologian, sums it up best:

“If we understand that no artist – no maker – can work except by reworking the works of Creation, then we see that by our work we reveal what we think of the works of God. How we take our lives from this world, how we work, what work we do, how well we use the materials we use, and what we do with them after we have used them – all of these are questions of the highest and gravest religious significance. In answering them, we practice, or do not practice, our religion.” – Wendell Berry

Course Goals

The primary goal of the course is to develop an early awareness of building materials, structure and assembly methods, and the ways in which they inform, and are informed by, design. By the end of the course, students should: be conversant in basic design and construction terminology; possess fundamental knowledge of the history, properties and systems of different building materials; understand the relationship between building materials and structures.

Competencies and Measurement

Follow this link for course competencies and measurement.

Assignments

Students will be given a recorded grade for each assignment/exam. All assignments/exams must be completed to pass the course. Students are encouraged to discuss earned grades with the professor for futher feedback.

Assignment Grade Weights:

  • 15% – Exam 1
  • 15% – Exam 2
  • 15% – Exam 3
  • 20% – Exercises
  • 15% – Field Journal
  • 15% – Case Study (Group Project)
  •   5% – Attendance Grade*

Grading Scale, Descriptions and Deadline Information

Follow this link for grading information.

Policies and Miscellaneous

Supplies and Materials

  • 8.5″x11″ sketchbook (for site visit journal)
  • Notebook (for note-taking in class, this can be done on a laptop or iPad as well)
  • Various writing/drawing utensils (pencils, pens, technical pens, SignPen, etc.)
  • 25’ tape measure
  • Architect’s scale
  • Camera (good quality, can be on a phone)

PLEASE NOTE: While every effort is made to ensure the information and schedule above is accurate and complete, from time to time there are errors and/or adjustments are needed as the semester progresses. Information in this course syllabus is subject to change at any time during the semester. All changes will be announced in class.