Materials & Assembly

This course introduces and examines the fundamentals between design intent and construction materials, and the science of materials (performance), their assemblies, and the regulatory contexts of building code, zoning and accessibility.

Learning how materials and techniques inform spatial and form-making decisions is a central theme for the semester. Lectures and discussions focus on the meaning, aesthetics and techniques related to the use of materials and the process of construction. A basic understanding of essential, well-known systems of building construction is our baseline. Discussions and case studies of contemporary systems extend, experiment with and question these known systems, introducing  students to the great depth to which this basic knowledge can lead them. Joint assignments with the design studio provide the opportunity for in-depth exploration of these fundamentals of construction through a direct application and synthesis of this new knowledge in students’ studio projects.

Prerequisites: A working understanding of freehand drawing, AutoCAD, Rhino, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, and the successful completion of 48-105 – Architecture Design Studio: Poiesis Studio II.