The grad students need fun, too – but I do not know how to add it.
Architecture 269X
Introduction to Construction/Graduate level
Tues/Thurs. 12:30-2:00, Room 170
Outside field trips will be coordinated with studios 200A/201.
Fall 2005, this class is being co-taught by Mary Comerio and Dana Buntrock
This course addresses the methods and materials of construction, and is jointly taught by two members of the permanent faculty. While you will not be an expert at the end of the semester, the course should give you the confidence to feel comfortable on a construction site or when designing a small building for studio.
The course will focus on 4 major territories:
• the performance and use of the most common structural materials, with some discussion of alternative approaches to these materials;
• the materials that make up the skin, or envelope, of the building (interior and exterior finishes in the walls and roof, internal materials that enhance building performance, windows and doors);
• professional context for practice: e.g., codes, accessibility concerns, and legal norms.
• the relationships between architects and other members of the construction community, and factors hat influence these relationships, such as budgets.
In the first half of the semester, these topics will be designed to look at the norms of construction in single-family detached housing (heavy timber, wood studs and light gauge steel framing, simple concrete construction for foundations, and the use of steel beams or columns in conjunction with a wood frame). The second half of the term will be directed at the use of materials common in small commercial and institutional structures, steel frame and concrete systems, and will look at more advanced building skins and roofing systems.
During the course of the semester, it will become clear that there are differences between the way construction is portrayed in a text and the decisions that get made on any site. Sometimes the differences between the two are due to regional influences (available skills in the community, the presence of ice and snow, seismic activity, etc.) and sometimes they emerge from the way individuals make choices when a conflict between two goals exists.
Teaching in the course
The readings and other material
We have one textbook, and may also use some handouts on material not addressed well in the text:
Allen, Edward. Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods (New York: Wiley, 2004) Please note that Wiley has come out with a 4th edition, which we will be using. We have asked the library to put two copies on 2-hour and overnight reserve, and a third copy is available in the references section of the library.
It is very easy to fall behind in readings, because you all have a heavy schedule and also because we have set a demanding pace in this course. Specific readings are noted on the schedule at the end of the syllabus. It is very unlikely that you can do well on the final by trying to read the readings in the final week.
Lectures/discussions.
The course will have two ninety-minute lectures, demonstrations or discussions each week (on Tuesday and Thursday). In some cases, we may break the class up into two sections, allowing us to work in smaller groups, and we may arrange to go a construction site (or several) at alternative times outside of the lecture period. These sessions will be coordinated with 200A and other relevant studios.
The lectures and weekly discussions serve as a summary highlighting key points, and the readings assure a deeper understanding of the topics. The lectures will go over some of the major points you'll have questions about, review areas that might be confusing, and try to offer suggestions on larger conceptual strategies you can use to understand the information. We will go over some of the detail and specific points in the readings, but it is hard to remember this kind of material simply by hearing it, and we will rely on the readings to reinforce the detail and major points related to each topic. To the maximum extent possible, we recommend that you do the assigned reading before the class, and come prepared to discuss these in depth.
You might think that, since the readings have greater depth than the lectures, class participation is optional, but this is not the case. You are required to be in classes; more than three unexcused absences will be cause for removal from the course. Should you be ill or have another good reason for excusing your absence, please be prepared to discuss it with the faculty.
Evaluations
You have several different kinds of responsibilities in this class, and the grading will reflect this.
Quizzes and the final.
There will be three take-home quizzes in the course, and these are indicated on the schedule. If needed, we may also hand out other, unannounced quizzes. In addition, there will be a final examination. The exam will have some simple true-false or multiple choice questions and a series of short essay questions and sketches. Because we know students sometimes need to try out test material, there is a midterm that you can choose to count towards your grade.
Weekly responses to readings, preliminary and final hand-in of construction site report
Each of you will be expected to identify a construction site early in the semester, and this site will become the basis for a set of short, weekly observations on the assigned readings, and a longer, final report. The report will require students to produce original photographs and sketches related to observations on site, and written prose which links work observed on site to technical readings and other materials. In order to allow students to produce this document with confidence, we have scheduled a preliminary hand-in for a mock-up of the report at an early stage in the term. The grade for this report can be counted towards your final grade for the semester instead of the midterm grade, as you choose.
As you can see in the chart below, ten percent of your final grade is for an appendix of other materials (which can be bound together with the report or handed in as a separate document) you will compile related to your observations, such as weekly sketches on site, proprietary material or construction drawings you collect for study and comparison, documents related to other buildings or regions, etc. that do not make it into the final report. This allows those materials and the work involved ot be acknowledged.
Final grade.
Architecture 269/ Introduction to Construction, graduate/ Fall, 2005Dana Buntrock
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Weekly involvement
5, as noted on calendar/25% of grade
5 pts ea.
25% of grade
Construction report materials
Draft report, due Sept. _ OR
Final report/20% of grade
Appendix/10%
30-45% of grade
Quizzes and tests
Midterm exam, EITHER @ 15% of grade
3 Quizzes @ 5% = 15% of grade
Final exam/15% of grade
30-45% of grade
Architecture 269/ Introduction to Construction, graduate/ Fall, 2005Dana Buntrock
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You’ll notice that a significant chunk of your grade is determined by a project that you work on for a prolonged period – this means that by keeping up a steady pace, you can do well in the class. The early draft and midterm exam, being due around midsemester, will allow you to feel fairly secure about the direction your grade is going for the semester, and make adjustments. Quizzes should serve as checks to keep you aware of your progress during the semester. However, it will be very hard for you to make significant changes to your grade by doing particularly well on one assignment, even the report.
Web-based support
We will be using Courseinfo, a web-based template by Blackboard. The web site has been activated, but not loaded – this will be discussed in about a week, after we have all had time to address more significant issues. For the moment, the most important thing is to make sure you have the following URL on hand, which will permit access: <
A final and important reminder
Please keep in mind the integrity of your work. We know most of you are extraordinarily honest, and do not need these warnings except as a way to ensure a level playing field for all. But in case some people find it a temptation to cut corners, we want to remind you that plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses. Plagiarism is the presentation of another person's (whether members of the team or other authors) work as your own. Please make certain that any drawings or photographs which you did not create are properly credited, in the same way you credit a quote, and that work based on projects by others demonstrate and cite its links.
Additionally, extensions will be allowed only for reasons which are clearly outside your control, things like serious illness, overseas travel caused by a death in the family, etc. Studio work, failure to have done adequate preparation, recalcitrant classmates, and other similar causes for late work will not be sufficient cause to discuss an extension. When in doubt, assume we will NOT give you an extension. Late work will be penalized by a 10% grade reduction for each day it is late. Any work between 5 and 7 days late can receive no higher grade than an “F” – but this is still higher than a zero, and should probably be considered. Work over 7 days late will simply not be accepted.
Schedule, Arch 269X Fall, 2005
Tuesday / ThursdayAugust 30 (Mary + Dana)
Course intro / September 1 (Dana)
Overview of the housing industry, the construction community and designers
Read Chapt. 1, p. 4-12. Assign 1 + site report given.
September 6 (Mary)
Overview, context for professional practice
Read Chapt. 1, p. 12-15, review p. 16 + 17. / September 8 (Dana)
Introduction to materials choices, esp. use of wood.
Chapt. 3, read p. 74-110, review p. 111+112.
September 13 (Dana)Framing materials, wood studs.
Read Chapt. 5, 144-177. Assign. 1 due
/ September 15 (Mary)Building codes in construction
Read Chapt. 5, 190-196 and code excerpts.
September 20 (Mary)
Reuse, remodel, retrofit.
(no reading)
Assign. 2 due / September 22 (Dana)
Framing materials, wood studs, engineered lumber and other repetitive systems making up walls and floors.
Read Chapt. 12, p. 444-457, review p. 461.
September 27 (Dana)
Framing materials for point load: steel and heavy timber
Read Chapt. 4, p. 118-140, review 141.
Quiz 1, thru 9/22.
/ September 29 (Dana)Openings and the frame
Review closely Chapt. 5, p. 169, 196+7, + p. 448-450.
October 4 (Dana)
Doors and windows
Read Chapt. 6, p. 206-208 + Chapt. 18 p. 680-711.
Draft report due. (See us if you have religious concerns.) / October 6 (Mary)
Detailing for performance and aesthetics
Read p. 349-352, 356-363, 870, and case studies at 113-115, 462-465, 674-677, + 758-761.
October 11 (Dana)
The building envelope (walls), exterior finishes
Read Chapt. 6, p. 209-223, review 224-225.
Assign. 3 due. / October 13 (Dana)Roof framing with rafters and trusses
Review Chapt. 5, p. 106-109, 132-138, + 178-188.
October 18 (Mary + Dana)
Midterm exam in class / October 20 (Dana)
The building envelope, performance and interior finishes
Read Chapt. 7, p. 228-245, 249-253 + 260-265.
October 25 (Mary + Dana)Midterm review, in class. / October 27 (Dana)
The roof, finishes
Read handout, + Chapt. 6, p. 200-205 + Chapt. 16,
p. 625-640.
November 1 (Dana)
Steel, material/ structural frames.
Read Chapt. 11, p. 368-435, review p. 439-441.
Assign. 4 due. / November 3 (Mary)
Fire and building design.
Read Chapt. 22, p. 792- 801 + Chapt. 23, 804, 824.
Review p. 5-10, 122-131, + 190-191.
November 8 (Mary)
Concrete, the material/ concrete structures.
Read Chapt. 13, p. 468-499 + 504-539, review 500-501 +556-557 Quiz 2, thru 11/3. / November 10 (Mary)
Excavation, site preparation, foundation.
Read Chapt. 2, p. 20-69, review p. 70-71.
November 15 (Mary)
Seismic
(Handout for reading) Assign. 5 due. / November 17 (Mary)
Seismic Performance + Design
(Handout for reading)
November 22 (Dana)
Flat roof systems and drainage.
Read Chapt. 16, p. 598-625. Quiz 3, thru 11/17. / November 24
Thanksgiving – no class.
November 29 (Dana)
Building cladding/glazing systems.
Read Chapt. 17, p. 644-672, + Chapt. 714-730; review p. 673, 730-731. / December 1 (Mary)
Construction – architect’s view of construction management.
Review Chapt. 1, 4-17.
December 6 (Mary + Dana)
Final review & Class wrap-up / December 8 (Dana + Mary)
Final exam in class.
Final site report and appendix due Wednesday, December 14, noon, in 232 Wurster, or to web site drop box/by e-mail (of PDF files ONLY) to both professors.
Architecture 269/ Introduction to Construction, graduate/ Fall, 2005Dana Buntrock
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