Syllabus – Digital Tools For Architects II (Archi 136)

ARCHI 136: Digital Tools for Architects II – Syllabus

Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill campus • 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

Associate Professor:

Summary

Required Text

Recommended Text

There are a number of helpful guides to the software we will be covering in class that are available in local bookstores, but no specific book is recommended. I will point out additional resources as we go along and post them to the resources page of the class website. Searching Google for help is also highly recommended.

Class Schedule

A schedule of course assignments & exercises will be posted on the course website as they are assigned. Please visit www.digitaltoolsforarchitects.com for more details. You can also subscribe to a feed of the calendar. Please visit the tutorials section of the website for help setting this up.

Course Description and Objectives

This is an introductory course that focuses on using computers and software (Rhinoceros & V-Ray) to create three dimensional representations, graphic presentations and layouts. The emphasis is on establishing basic and intermediate level skills for architectural designers to utilize computer software to produce architectural designs and presentations. Students will also work to build physical models from their three dimensional computer models using the laser cutter.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students completing the course will be able to communicate architectural concepts using graphic conventions and three dimensional representational methods.

Software covered in this class will include:

Exercises

The class will have both lab exercises and assignments. The lab exercises will be worth 25% of each student’s overall grade. The exercises are designed to be completed in the lab portion of the class and focus on building fundamental skills.

Assignments

The assignments are larger projects that will often require work outside of our designated lab time. These assignments will collectively be worth 35% of your overall grade for the course. The assignments will combine multiple skills and investigate methods of 3D representation, presentations, layouts, and modeling.

Course Participation

After each exercise and assignment, you will be required to give constructive feedback to three of your classmates using the course website comments. This is required to help each student grow and mature in their design process and abilities. This will be part of your participation grade for the course, worth 7.5% of your final grade.

Hour by Arrangement

This course includes 2 hours by arrangement each week. These hours by arrangement will be offered from 1:00-1:50pm on Monday and Wednesday. You will be required to attend both of these sessions each week. The topics for hours by arrangement vary each week and include special instruction in 3D modeling and laser cutting. For a current list of topics discussed each week, consult the course calendar available on the course website. At the end of each session, students will be required to turn in written/drawn work or post an HBA exercise to the course website. All of the hour by arrangement sessions will meet in ET124 at the scheduled time. The hours by arrangement will count for 7.5% of your overall grade.

Grading, Midterm & Final

There is no midterm or final test in this class, however you will have a final project designed to showcase the skills learned in the course. This project will be worth 25% of your overall grade.

Materials

You will be required to use a usb flash drive to store your work for this class. The drive MUST be a 2GB (gigabyte) or larger drive. Please be careful to safeguard your drive as losing your drive (and consequently your assignments) is not acceptable. You will also need physical modeling supplies (and tools). Requirements will be given out with each assignment/exercise.

Participation & Professionalism

Since many of the problems are worked on in class/lab, in participatory lectures, and drafting studios, it is important that you attend every class. Participation is important because software will be demonstrated in class and computer processes will be explained in each lecture that will apply to each exercise and assignment. Attendance at each lecture is necessary so that you will have the appropriate skills to complete each project you are assigned. Class will start promptly at 10:05, students who are not in class with their computer on (booted up) and ready to work will be marked late.
Professionalism means that you are expected to present yourself, your ideas and projects in a manner that reflects positively on your ideas towards the academic environment and the future expectations of the architectural working world. This includes respecting basic working world values such as punctuality, organization and commitment to work, but also the opinions of others, respect for other students and faculty in the class, and respect for tools and facilities. These expectations also include understanding and following values related to the production of high quality work, upholding standards of craftsmanship and presentation, and respecting standards of academic honesty and integrity.

Guidelines for Class

All students who miss two weeks of class or more will be withdrawn from the class at the discretion of the instructor. If you will be absent from class, you must inform the instructor prior to the start of class by emailing: gadams@dvc.edu or calling/texting (925) 456-4355.
If more than three assignments are not completed within the whole semester you may be dropped from the class.
Assignment due dates will be announced in class. Assignments will be due at the start of the lecture on the day they are due. Work not posted on the website or handed in by the start of lecture will be marked late.
Late assignments are graded down by 10% (one full letter grade) per class. Assignments turned in after 4 class days late will receive a maximum of 50% of the value of the assignment. Assignments not handed in will receive a 0.
While I will be available for 1 on 1 or small group help during lab time or during office hours, please consult with written tutorials, other classmates or friends first if you have difficulty on exercises or assignments.

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Course Calendar