A527 COURSE OVERVIEW

A527 Integrated Systems has been designed to provide the background understanding and methodology for a more comprehensive and sophisticated approach towards architectural design. The goals of the course faculty are to enable you to bridge the gap between conceptual design thinking and the construction of buildings. This compartmentalization of thinking, Concept v Practicality, is an unfortunate, unnecessary and dysfunctional dichotomy. Conceptual Design and Design for Construction are two sides of the same coin. The mature and skillful designer keeps that coin constantly flipping. There are no Heads, no Tails. Just Design.

A527 is designed to present the integration of building systems (eg. structural, environmental, circulation, water systems, facade systems) into a holistic process of design thinking. In support of your design work in Systems Studios, we will develop a means to consider broad array of design variables including material assemblies, building structures, passive and active site and building environmental strategies, the role of labor and construction practices as constituent components of a mature approach to architectural design.

You will also develop an understanding of the role of various regulatory systems such as Building Codes, Energy Codes and Performance Criterion designated in Construction Specifications. The goal is that you will come away with a greater understanding of how to examine and develop the comprehensive specifics of your studio design work.

Through the content provided in course lessons and exercise, the course also will strongly support students in their development of an ethical framework for an informed and critical selection of sustainable materials and construction practices that foreground and actively promote the valuation, workplace environment, safety and social equity of all workers throughout the design and, in particular, the material sourcing and construction processes.

The adaptation of A527 to an all-online format allows for many opportunities within the course. Through a flexible modular format that includes self-paced lessons via video and texts, integrated exercises, group discussions, and expansive reference and resource materials, the course will enable you to build confidence and experience as you intensify the design description of your studio housing projects.

The goal of the self-paced, asynchronous format is to allow students to better schedule their engagement with course materials within their complex semester demands yet still provide a rich, dense, challenging, informative and useful learning experience.

(Follow the user guide below for an overview of course navigation.)

Learning materials will model the difference between speculative explanation and specific description that is at the heart of the types of design thinking, material knowledge, and building systems knowledge necessary for your transition into architectural practice.

COURSE USER GUIDE

This guide is prepared to help with course navigation.

Click into the Miro board below and follow the arrows for an overview of the class and module set-up.

For further class information, follow this link to the syllabus.