Undergraduate Course: Technology & Environment 3 (ARDE10002)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Technology and Environment 3 expands students' structural comprehension whose principles have been introduced in the previous technology courses. The course will examine the interaction of form and force interaction in a variety of advanced structural systems. This empowers students to embed structural shape and material exploration in the early stages of architectural design to moderate the ecological impact of decisions regarding the structure.
The course presents contemporary advanced structural systems and introduces easy-to-compare structural principles for analysis of different structural systems, with complex geometries made of different kinds of materials. It also provides a project-based platform for stating and solving integrated structural-architectural design problems. |
| Course description |
This course introduces graphical and numerical approaches to investigate the structural performance of a building, without the need for complex mathematics, including:
- graphic statics,
- discrete element analysis,
- finding flow of force,
- and Strut-and-Tie modelling.
Using these methods, the course covers a variety of advanced structural systems such as the following:
- shell and membrane structures,
- truss structures,
- complex frame structures like pre-and post-tensioning and prefabricated systems,
- eco-friendly materials like structural glasses, masonries,
- and digital fabrication and manufacturing of advanced structures.
Through weeks 1-10 lectures (2hrs) will cover mentioned analytical methods and structural systems. Besides lectures, some seminars are arranged in weeks 2, 3, 7 and 9. These seminars are interactive. Therefore, a one-hour seminar is allocated to a maximum of 20 students in the class. If the number of students is more than 20, the seminar hours increase accordingly. The seminars introduce useful references and digital tools for structural-architectural design and structural analysis. The seminars are run as interactive workshops.
A series of tutorials will support the review and development of the course assignments, including a group-based project and two essays. Adopting the 'Learning by Doing' pedagogic method, the main assignment of the course is a group-based project (3-4 students) to build a structural installation that will be reviewed through several tutorial sessions.
Tutorials for the group projects are scheduled over six weeks as outlined in the Feedback section. There are five tutorials (1 hour each) allocated for each group and there is one general tutorial where all students are encouraged to participate. During this session, 30 minutes are allocated to each group to present their work and receive feedback. All students can actively participate in providing peer feedback to others. The general tutorial session, spanning three hours, allows students the option to attend either partially or for the entire duration.
Two individual tutorial meetings (30 mins each) related to Essays 1 and 2 are scheduled for each student.
Additionally, three drop-in clinic workshops (3 hours), allow each student the opportunity to address any issues that may arise during the workshop or while setting up and using digital tools. Each student can utilize these optional workshops which will be spread throughout the semester.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Pre-requisite requirements: Honours entry to MA (Hons) Architecture or BEng/MEng Structural Engineering with Architecture, or by agreement of the Head of subject area as part of the BA Humanities and Social Science curriculum |
| Additional Costs | Processes and materials involved in the presentation of work: printing and reprographic charges, photographic costs, digital storage etc. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 30 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 12,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 3,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 1,
Summative Assessment Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
156 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
This course has 3 assessment components:
¿ Essay 1 (1000-1200 words) 25%, due in week 6
¿ Essay 2 (1000-1200 words) 25%, due in week 10
¿ Group-based project (portfolio: 10-15 pages and a 1/2 scale model of a structural installation) 50%, due In Dec exam diet
Essay 1 (individual)
A critical review of an advanced structural system, using the existing literature. This component is assessed against LO2 only.
Essay 2 (individual)
A discussion on the structural characteristic of a case study and the interaction of form and force in the structure. This component is assessed against LO1 only.
Both essays should be completed individually and submitted digitally.
Group-based project (3-4 students)
A prototype of a structural installation.
A portfolio is submitted digitally, and a structural maquette is submitted physically. This component is assessed against LO1 and LO3.
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| Feedback |
Formative feedback
Group-based project: Formative feedback will be given verbally by course tutors during weekly tutorials. The feedback helps the student to solve a structural-architectural design problem.
Tutorials of the group-based project are arranged in weeks 5, 6, 9-
12. Each group receives formative feedback verbally at every in-person meeting by the course organiser and the tutors.
A general tutorial is arranged for week 9. All groups present their work to the whole class. Each group is provided with feedback from the course organiser, tutors, and other groups (peer groups).
Essay 1: Formative feedback will be given verbally during weekly tutorials, during the teaching semester. The feedback helps students to deeply explore the interaction of form and force in a case study.
Tutorials on Essay 1 are scheduled for week 4. Each student receives formative feedback verbally at one in-person meeting.
Essay 2: Formative feedback will be given verbally during weekly tutorials, during the teaching semester. The feedback helps the student to solve a simple analytical problem (using graphical and/or numerical methods) to explain the structural performance of a case study.
Tutorials on Essay 2 are scheduled for week 8. Each student receives formative feedback verbally at one in-person meeting.
Summative feedback
Group-based project, Essay 1, and Essay 2: Written summative feedback will be provided by course tutors via LEARN as per University regulations. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Apply their understanding of the interaction of form and force to a variety of advanced structural systems.
- Critically evaluate, through numerical and graphic analysis, different kinds of structural systems.
- Communicate ideas on how structural forms can safely and effectively carry forces.
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Reading List
Adriaenssens, Sigrid, Philippe, Block, Diederik, Veenendaal & Chris, Williams (Eds.). (2014). Shell structures for architecture: form finding and optimization. Routledge.
Allen, Edward & Wac¿aw, Zalewski (2009). Form and forces: designing efficient, expressive structures. John Wiley & Sons.
Allen, Edward & Wac¿aw Zalewski (1998). Shaping Structures: Statics (Simplified Design Guides). John Wiley & Sons.
Möller, Eberhard (2022) Manual of Structural Design: Structural principles - suitable spans - inspiring works. DETAIL Construction Manuals
Panda, Biranchi, Pshtiwan N. Shakor & Vittoria Laghi (2023) Additive Manufacturing for Construction. Emerald Publishing Limited |
Additional Information
| Course URL |
https://services.learn.ed.ac.uk/myed/index.cfm?courseID=ARDE100022012-3SS1SEM1 |
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Personal Development: Professional qualities needed to carry out interdisciplinary structural-architectural design individually or in teamwork.
Personal Effectiveness: Understand the necessity of sustainable structural design and strategies for effective use of structural materials
Communication: Implement a range of graphical and numerical methods and digital tools to communicate the results of structural-architectural design and analyses. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Elham Mousavian
Tel:
Email: elham.mousavian@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Louisa King
Tel: (01316) 502306
Email: Louisa.King@ed.ac.uk |
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