NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE COURSE ACTION FORM NOTE: Click once on shaded fields to type data. To check boxes, right click at box, click Properties, and click Checked under Default Values. DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM Architecture COURSE PREFI/NUMBER ARC 531 PREVIOUS PREFI/NUMBER DATE OF LAST ACTION COURSE TITLE ABBREVIATED TITLE Tectonics and Craft Tectonics & Craft SCHEDULING Fall Spring Summer Every Year Alt. Year Odd Alt. Year Even Other COURSE OFFERED BY DISTANCE EDUCATION ONLY ON CAMPUS ONLY BOTH ON CAMPUS AND BY DISTANCE EDUCATION CREDIT HOURS 3 CONTACT HOURS Lecture/Recitation 1.5 Seminar 1.5 Laboratory Problem Studio Independent Study/Research Internship/Practicum/Field Work GRADING ABCDF S/U TYPE OF PROPOSAL New Course Drop Course Course Revision Dual-Level Course REVISION Content Prefix/Number Title Abbreviated Title Credit Hours Contact Hours Grading Method Pre-Corequisites Restrictive Statement Description Scheduling INSTRUCTOR (NAME/RANK) Frank Harmon, Associate Professor Graduate Faculty Status Associate Full ANTICIPATED ENROLLMENT Per semester 12 Max.Section 16 Multiple sections Yes No PREREQUISITE(S) ARC 432 COREQUISITE(S) PRE/COREQUISITE FOR RESTRICTIVE STATEMENT CURRICULA/MINORS Required Qualified Elective M. Arch, B. Arch PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE 1/06 APPROVED EFFECTIVE DATE CATALOG DESCRIPTION (limit to 80 words): Studies of construction and material form in architecture. Case studies of select examples of contemporary architecture that exemplify the technique and craft of modern construction. Analysis of functional, tectonic, and experiential aspects of building methods within the context of economics and culture. Examination of assembly as a determinant of building form. DOCUMENTATION AS REQUIRED Please number all document pages RECOMMENDED BY: Course Justification Proposed Revision(s) with Justification Student Learning Objectives Enrollment for Last 5 Years New Resources Statement Consultation with other Departments Syllabus (Old and New) Explanation of differences in requirements of dual-level courses Department Head/Director of Graduate Programs ENDORSED BY: Chair, College Graduate Studies Committee _ College Dean(s) APPROVED: Dean of the Graduate School
A. COURSE JUSTIFICATION Students in architectural programs typically study materials and methods of construction as well as structural design from primarily a technical point of view. Beams are designed for maximum resistance to bending, shear and deflection, for example, in wood, concrete, or steel. Masonry walls are studied for their load bearing capacities and resistance to damp. Yet building materials and structural systems have other characteristics that are important in addition to their engineered qualities. Structural systems, for example, may not only keep a building standing, but may also provide rhythm, continuity and articulation of architectural form in a cathedral or a house. Building materials like brick and stone may impact qualities of density, texture, warmth and color thus adding to our sensory experience of architecture, in addition to keeping the rain out. Significant buildings in the history of architecture as well as the contemporary movement are notable for their integration of structure and materials in the building form. Our experience of Frank Lloyd Wright s Fallingwater is shaped by the architect s use of stone and reinforced concrete; the spatial arrangement and relationship to the site of Mies van der Rohe s Farnsworth House is determined by the architect s masterly use of steel and glass. Architects today are presented with an immense array of new materials and methods. Their means of assembly and detail, their revelation or concealment, their tactile and visual qualities give character to architecture and must be properly employed by the architect if he or she is to achieve a desired architectural goal. The goal of this course is to enable architecture students to gain an understanding and perhaps a degree of mastery in the use of materials, structure, and the process of assembly to create architecture that not only provides shelter but also touches our spirit. This course aims to complement our existing courses in structure, environmental control systems, and construction methods. It offers the opportunity to learn by doing, and encourages students to experiment with making as a way of thinking. By using hands-on studies as a primary learning experience, it combines the students need to know about construction with their natural and instinctive interest in constructing. B. STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES After successfully completing this course, students will be able to: 1. Analyze the functional, tectonic, and experiential aspects of selected examples of architecture from a predominantly structural and construction perspective. 2. Evaluate the work of selected contemporary architects exemplifying principle of tectonic structure. 3. Outline the variety of architectural and material culture manifested in buildings. 4. Identify the main concepts related to building construction. C. ENROLLMENT This course has been taught four times as a Special Topics ARC 590. The enrollment was as follows: Fall 2000 Fall 2001 Fall 2002 Fall 2003 17 students 13 students 17 students 12 students D. NEW RESOURCES No new resources will be required. This course will replace the ARC 590 offering and any equipment used is in place. E. SYLLABUS Professor: Frank Harmon Office: Room 301A, Brooks Hall Telephone number: 515.8359 Email: frank@frankharmon.com Regular meeting times: Tuesdays, 4.10 7.00 PM Office hours: Mondays 11.00 AM 12 noon and by appointment Textbook: There is no required text for this course, but three books form the foundation of the discussion that takes place in the class and the investigation by the student of the contemporary architecture example they will analyze. These three books will be on the reserve shelf in the College of Design Library, but the student may elect to purchase one or all of them. Further reading will be required of the student that relates directly to the building they analyze. 1. Studies in Tectonic Culture: The Poetics of Construction in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Architecture, Kenneth Frampton. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2001. Paper - $38.00 2. The Details of Modern Architecture: Volume 1, Edward R. Ford. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2003. Paper-$39.95 3. The Details of Modern Architecture; Volume 2, 1928 1968, Edward R. Ford. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2003.Paper-$39.95
Class participation: 15% Project 1 10% Project 2 25% Project 3 25% Project 4 25% New Course Organization: Course structure: This course explores the relationship between architecture and the sticks and stones of which it is made and the logic of construction in the creation of architectural form. Exercises explore the design and fabrication of architectural elements, connections, and entire structures. The course is a combination of lectures by the instructor and visiting lecturers for specialized topics, field trips, and presentations and discussions of selected examples of contemporary architecture that will be investigated by students in groups. Typically the three-hour period is divided into two parts with a lecture prior to break and a research investigation after the break. Field trips will include visits to architectural sites in the Research Triangle area that exemplify the courses subject area. The College s workshop will be utilized to build models that may include full size mock-ups of building sections. Project review format will be used where activities warrant. Discussion: Construction materials, structural elements and systems, and the processes of building support the creation of every work of architecture. The impact of these physical realities on the expressive character of buildings has been understood and appreciated since the first stone was laid upon another to create a humble shelter. In the past, the choices of materials and methods were relatively few and well known to architects and builders. Traditional construction practices, employed for most buildings, provided a coherent and consistent pattern of form and expression that persisted for centuries. In contrast, today s architect is presented with a virtually limitless, and often bewildering, set of choices as to materials, structural options, and fabrication and erection methods. Their means of assembly and detail, their revelation or concealment, their tactile and visual qualities give character to architecture and must be properly employed by the architect if he or she is to achieve a desired architectural goal. Without this mastery of method and material, architecture becomes an expedient and careless enterprise. Thus it is important for architecture students to gain an understanding, and perhaps a degree of mastery, of these factors before facing the cauldron of actual practice. The use of "hands-on" explorations, which this course employs, is viewed as a highly effective way of learning how to make physical resources into works of architecture that speak to our hearts and minds. To begin, the class will explore the technique of architectural craft by analyzing projects that embody tectonic form: a traditional Japanese house, Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, a gothic cathedral, and Pierre Chareau's Maison de Verre among others. Next the predominant modern materials of steel, concrete and wood and their expressive possibilities will be examined. Lastly what has been learned will be applied by designing and building a full-sized structure or structural component. Student Learning Objectives: After successfully completing this course, students will be able to: 1. Analyze the functional, tectonic, and experiential aspects of selected examples of architecture from a predominantly structural and construction perspective. 2. Evaluate the work of selected contemporary architects exemplifying principle of tectonic structure. 3. Outline the variety of architectural and material culture manifested in buildings. 4. Identify the main concepts related to building construction. Policy: Incomplete Grades and Late Assignments: A grade of incomplete will only be given in the event of an unavoidable and serious illness, injury, or family emergency that is documented. Terms of completion of the work will be discussed between the student and instructor as needed. Generally it is expected that all work will be finished as scheduled however, projects or parts of projects will be accepted late with penalties commensurate with tardiness. Attendance: Attendance and on time arrival is critical and required. Attendance will be noted at the beginning of class. More than rare and occasional tardiness will lower the grade from an A to an A-, for instance, and more than one unexcused absence will lower the grade one letter grade. Absences will be accepted as excused for documented medical and personal reasons. Academic Integrity: Class and class requirements will be governed by the University policy on academic integrity found in the Code of Student Conduct, the Honor Pledge, and the expectation that honesty will control the completion of tests and assignments. Students with Disabilities: Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take advantage of available accommodations students must register wuth Disability Services for Students at 1900 Student Health Center, Campus Box 7509, 515.7653. www.ncsu.edu/provost/offices/affirm.action/dss Grading: There will be four projects assigned during the semester. The last three will be accomplished by a group of two or three students and will be an examination of an example of contemporary architecture that exemplifies the courses subject matter. The example will be chosen from a list created by the instructor.
Project 1: Project 2: Project 3 Project 4 Build a wood joint on three axes, approximately twelve inches long on each axis. Think about the strength of the joint, the method used to construct it, and the tectonic expression or pleasure of making a connection. The joint will be a typical wall and eave detail. Scale: One-quarter full size. Using a project from the attached list, or a project added to the list, prepare a case study analyzing both the historical background and the architectural significance of the building and landscape. Focus on the specific tectonic means of structure and construction to describe and analyze the project. Work in groups of two or three people to present the work of one architect. Use printed materials in the library-- books and periodicals. See the Frampton and Ford books on the reserve shelf in the library Do not rely primarily on the Internet. Presentation will include A 2-page written analysis of the historical or theoretical context of the project (typed). Plans and sections, ink on Mylar or equal: 1/8" = 1'-0" or 1/4" = 1'-0". Massing model: scale as above Structural model: 1/8" = 1'0" or 1/4" = 1'-0" Structural plan: scale as above Full-size structural detail. A structural connection, a joining of two or more materials, or a window and wall connection are examples of such a detail. List of architects for Projects 2, 3, and 4: Alvar Aalto Tadao Ando Saynatsalo Town Hall Villa Mairea Horiuchi House, Japan Eames, Charles and Ray Eames House Frank Gehry Herzog and de Meuron Steven Holl Frank Israel Rick Joy Louis Kahn Le Corbusier Morphosis Glen Murcutt Jean Nouvel Renzo Piano Rem Koolhaus Rudolf Schindler Scoggin, Elam + Bray Mies van der Rohe Bernard Tschumi Guggenheim Museum at Bilbao (for the advanced student only) Tate Modern or building of choice by permission of instructor St. Ignatius Chapel, Seattle, Washington Art Space, NYC Drager House, Berkeley, California House of choice by permission of instructor Salk Institute Library at Phillips Exeter Academy Centre Le Corbusier - Maison Jeaneret Maisons Jaoul Maison aux Mathes Rotundi House Magney House or house of choice by permission of instructor Cartier Foundation, Paris De Menil Museum, Houston, Texas Studio and Office, Genoa, Italy Cy Twombley Gallery, Houston, Texas Seattle Public Library Schindler House, Los Angeles Pueblo Ribera, La Jolla Lovell Beach House Buckhead Library Lange House, Berlin Farnsworth House Parc de La Villette
Frank Lloyd Wright Peter Zumthor Pope Leighy House Storer House Jacobs House II St. Benedicts Chapel, Switzerland Schedule: Week One Introduction. Discuss Project 1 Week Two Week Three Week Four Week Five Week Six Lecture: Structure, Construction and Form Project 1 Due and review (Student presentations) Declare Project 2 Identify teams Field trip Site number one Frank Lloyd Wright Project 2 Due and review (Student presentations) Field trip- Site number two Lecture: Louis Kahn, Clark and Menefee Field Trip Site number three Week Seven Consultations: Projects 3 Week Eight Week Nine Week Ten Week Eleven Week Twelve Review: Project 3 (Student presentations) Review: Project 3 (Student presentations) Field Trip Site number four Discuss Project 4 Field Trip Site number five Week Thirteen Consultations: Project 4 Lecture: Frank Gehry, Norman Foster, Herzog and de Meuron: Week Fourteen Week Fifteen Lecture: Glenn Murcutt, Mies van der Rohe Thanksgiving (typical) Review Project 4 (Student presentations)