11207 Architectural Design and Construction
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): 11206 Introduction to Construction and Structural Synthesis
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Recommended studies:
11206 Introduction to Construction and Structural Synthesis
Description
This subject introduces students to principles and techniques of architectural design and construction. Students learn about the fundamental relationship between design in detail and its significance for human experience, comfort and safety in architecture, through the careful selection and application of materials and construction processes within the context of a simple building. Students are introduced to various fundamental construction techniques, basic industry terminology, and a range of common building materials, as well as their relationship to Australian Standards, regulatory frameworks and typical building systems, with an emphasis on issues of design quality and sustainability.
Students also learn how to represent these accurately through industry standard orthographic and sketch drawings as well as physical models. Students develop an understanding of architectural detailing as an essential part of the design process and develop an appreciation of the significance of architectural detailing to the formal aesthetics, and sustainable performance of architecture.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
| 1. | Understand the visual and contextual qualities of the structural system, construction elements, materials and building components. |
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| 2. | Demonstrate an ability to investigate and evaluate construction elements, material and building components based on an understanding of their physical properties, technical performance and the requirements of building standards. |
| 3. | Analyse the relationship between structure, construction and design intention and the significance of architectural detailing to the formal aesthetics of architecture. |
| 4. | Articulate the purpose, role and characteristics of technical documentation and specifications. |
| 5. | Produce relatively accurate and technically proficient details of assembly. |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Work cooperatively and professionally as part of a team (C.1)
- Communicate ideas professionally and effectively through a variety of mediums: oral, written, visual, physical and digital (C.2)
- Produce inspirational responses that demonstrate the successful integration of sub-disciplinary areas of knowledge: history, theory, tectonics and/or practice (I.1)
- Creatively use architectural media, technologies and materials (I.2)
- Integrate an understanding of a relationship between form, materiality, structure and construction within design thinking (P.5)
- Position work within an extended and critically reasoned context through the identification, evaluation and application of relevant academic references and architectural case studies (R.1)
- Define, develop and apply an appropriate design method in the execution of an architectural project (R.2)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate attribute categories where:
C = communication and groupwork
A = attitudes and values
P = practical and professional
R = research and critique
I = innovation and creativity.
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories using codes (e.g. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).
Teaching and learning strategies
Weekly 1.5-2 hour lectures and guest presentations, followed by 3-hour tutorial sessions which will operate in workshop/active mode.
The Lecture sequence will introduce students to a variety of positions on and approaches to the issue of design and construction in architetcure through the lens of the architectural detail. The subject lectures will focus on construction systems, issues of materiality and their connection to design intention in architecture and will include design theory, guests presentations from industry and technical information necessary for the understanding and practice of architecture.
Tutorial sessions will be run as active workshop sessions with a clear agenda and set of workshop tasks each week. During tutorials, you will complete a range of exercises that will develop your expertise in this area, building knowledge and proficiency of design and representaiton in this subject area. Sessions will incorporate a range of teaching and learning strategies including case studies, theoretical content, project-based exercises, short student presentations, site visits, quizes, simulations of professional practice, and a mix of individual and collaborative work. The tutorials are more technical and very hands on in nature, and will reflect on the issues presented in the lectures, while developing skills and knowledge in drawing, technical understanding and material/detail considerations for design. The tutorial sessions will always be working sessions, and will require students to demonstrate their completion of the set readings for the week and completion of any independent set tasks. There will also be time to discuss the assessment tasks and approaches, and present/reflect on the work of others in the tutorial.
The class will primarily use scaled hand drawing and sketch techniques for tutorial sessions, with digital drafting required in the assessment tasks. There will be some site and field trip sessions in the tutorials, where students will be required to sketch onsite details from buildings and contexts in and around campus/sydney.
You are expected to attend all tutorial and lecture sessions. You are expected to come well prepared to every tutorial. Bring your sketch book with drawing equipment, including a scale rule, pencils, pens, and any additional drawing/tracing papers, model building materials, etc. as noted in the weekly schedule. All required readings should be completed prior to class.
The combination of tutorials and lectures will frame a practice-based approach to detailing, and to researching construction systems for each design scenario. The curriculum and process will prepare you for the processes used in professional practice, in particular, drawing on precedent and standard systems of construction, and extrapolating and transforming them for each of your unique design scenarios. This curriculum relates directly to specific Performance Criteria (PC) in the National Competency Standards in Architecture (NCSA). See http://www.aaca.org.au/publications/ These criteria's relate to accreditation and your future ability to register as an architect with the Architects' Registration Board (ARB).
ONLINE
All materials required for this subject will be hosted at the CANVAS page.
ASSESSMENTS
Assessment tasks will draw on the work in class and lecture content. See assessment task below.
FEEDBACK
The subject provides a range of formative feedback strategies.
1. Weekly tutorials form the bulk of your formative feedback. Feedback will be provided in the form of verbal discussion with your tutor and with your peers. You should ensure you engage in the discussions in tutorials to maximise your commitment to this mode of feedback. It is your responsibility to record any feedback given during meetings. This will assist with iterative development.
2. The subject is designed around the design and development of a small project addition, represented firstly through drawn and secondly modelled preseartion. In this sense, every weekly studio session helps you progressively develop your design response, construction knowledge and drawing skills. It is therefore vital you complete the work outlined in the Subject Outline, and weekly handouts to receive useful formative feedback.
3. Assessments 1 and 3 will be managed through and graded in Canvas. Assessment 2 is a primarily physical submisison, requiring photos of your completed model uploaded to and graded in Canvas.
Please refer to the DAB Generic Subject Outline document for attendance requirements.
Content (topics)
Content areas will include:
- Understanding the capabilities of different materials and their environmental performance and impact
- Introduction to architectural detailing techniques such as the articulation of primary/secondary structure, layering, junctions, connections between materials etc
- Introduction to architectural detailing principles in terms of touching the ground, turning the corner, thin edges and fine lines, reuse and recycling
- Understanding the building envelope in terms of water, heat and energy
- Understanding of technical documentation and specification conventions and practices
- Understanding construction detailing and documentation as an extension of the architectural design process
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Design and development of a Technical Working Drawing set / Sketches
| Intent: | Assessment Task 1 - 60% Design and Drawing package for a one room addition to a small house. (Individual submission) Week 7, 3rd April in class. Working individually, you are required to design the small addition to an existing tiny house design, and submit a CC quality (construction certificate) set of drawings as per the drawing schedule in the assessment task and brief documents on canvas. Your CC drawing’s will show how you have detailed the construction of the tiny house as a whole as well as your designed addiiton. You will be marked on your drawings (quality, accuracy, completeness), your design approach and its sympathy with the existing tiny house and application of sustainable principals, and the integration of your drawings across the drawing set. You can use any drawing software or technique you like. CAD, hand-drawn/drafted, etc. but the drawings need to be accurate, integrated and complete as a set. Briefing information, drawing register and more detail is available in canvas Assessment. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 3, 4 and 5 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): C.2, I.1, P.5, R.1 and R.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type: | Design/drawing/plan/sketch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 60% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Model
| Intent: | Assessment task 2 - 30% Group Create a sectional construction model of your small house and addition (group submission) Week 11, 8th May In class. With the other person in your tutorial group who has also been working on your precedent, and along with your tutor, you are to pick one of the two schemes and together construct a 1:20 sectional model of your tiny house and addition out of a single material (bass wood, white card, balsa wood or similar in consultation with your tutor). The model should be cut along one of your section lines through the entire house, and show all the components of your design and construction, including framing, linings, built in furniture and so on. The quality and accuracy of the model are critical. All models will be displayed for exhibition. You will be assessed on the following;
See assessments in canvas for more information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1 and 5 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): C.1, I.2 and P.5 | ||||||||||||||||
| Type: | Project | ||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Group, group assessed | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 30% | ||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 3: Quizes
| Intent: | Assessment task 3 Individual - Pass Fail - 10% In tutorial class Week 3 – 06.03.24 Week 6 – 27.03.24 Week 9 - 24.04.24 Week 12 – 15.05.24 During the semester there will be 4 in tutorial quizzes open for you to take based on the materials covered in the lecture in the preceding weeks. Each quiz will be between 4 and 8 questions and generally short answer, or multiple choice questions. This is an open book quiz and may be discussed as a tutorial group, group or as an individual and students are encouraged to discuss the answers with their peers during the quiz period in tutorial. Students are however required to complete the quiz on their own. Quizzes will be timed to a max 15 minutes in class time. Students only need to complete all the quizzes, and have an overall pass mark from the combined quizzes to receive full marks (10%) for this task. Students who do not gain a total pass mark over the 4 quizzes or miss a quiz will be marked zero for this assignment. | ||||||||
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| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 2 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): P.5 | ||||||||
| Type: | Quiz/test | ||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||
| Weight: | 10% | ||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
The Faculty of DAB expects students to attend at least 80% of the scheduled contact hours for each enrolled subject. Achievement of subject aims is difficult if classes are not attended. Where assessment tasks are to be presented personally in class, attendance is mandatory.The DAB attendance policy requires students to attend no less than 80% of formal teaching sessions (lectures and tutorials) for each class they are enrolled in to remain eligible for assessment.
Pursuant to “UTS Rule 3.8.2”, students who do not satisfy attendance requirements, may be refused permission by the Responsible Academic Officer to be considered for assessment for this subject.
Please be aware, that any subject specific attendance requirements are located in the “Minimum Requirement” field of the subject outlines.
Required texts
Refer to the assessment handouts for an annotated bibliography of texts.
These will be made available through the UTS library. Key reference books will be placed in the library open reserve or made available through electronic reserve from the library website to ensure that all students undertaking this subject have access to them. Students are encouraged to use UTS library and other public libraries in Sydney.
Recommended texts
See references in separate document on CANVAS