Degree in Architecture Studies

In La Salle you will be trained to become a responsable architect. Likewise, you will acquire the capacity to respond to the needs of society using the most advanced knowledge and technologies

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2. Graphic Expression: Design 2

Description
The subject, as a continuation of the Design Studio I, is an immersion of the students to the design process, and they must complete it with the knowledge of what a design process is and dominate the basic tools to develop it. In the course, the student is accompanied in the process of analyzing, discovering the starting questions, considering the objectives to be pursued and taking the steps to develop a transformation proposal based on what has been analyzed. Through the continuous references’ review and study, the student is introduced to the knowledge of the general theories of form, composition and architectural types that will help him to propose the design exercises of the higher courses.
Type Subject
Primer - Obligatoria
Semester
Second
Course
1
Credits
5.00

Titular Professors

Previous Knowledge

It is required that the student has drawing skills to express his/her ideas and to explain them graphically.

Objectives

Learning Outcomes of this subject are:
Generals
RA.05 Ability to understand the relationships between people and buildings and between buildings and their surroundings, as well as the need to relate buildings and spaces located between them according to human needs and scale.
RA.09 Adequate knowledge of physical problems and different technologies, as well as the function of buildings, to provide internal conditions of comfort and protection of climatic factors.

Specifics
RA1 Analyze the architectural design project in relation to its geographical, historical, social context, recognizing the value of the qualities of the place
RA2 Develop the architectural design at a technical, constructive, structural, climatic level...
RA3 Represent the architectural design project following the established graphic criteria and publicly present the synthesis of the design.

Contents

It is a practical subject based on the student's work, which is developed in a Design Studio-workshop environment, through analysis and proposal exercises. In their development, students begin to understand that the design project is a transformation of an existing situation, in which the conditions are both a starting point to respect and to promote; and therefore topography, climate, environmental issues of the site will influence the final shape of the intervention, to accommodate the needs of the project and the given conditions.
The statements are concrete, bounded and successively emphasizing a specific aspect of architecture such as:
_the base/ground, with topography transformation exercises
_the structure/support, with exercises that expose the student to its role and functioning, the material to use and its expressive capacity
_protection/roof, with exercises on given guidelines in which to undertake an enclosure.

By focusing on one of these topics, the student concentrates on the problem to state and solve, while other aspects arise that delve into the complexity of the project. Small programs are progressively introduced, to finally face a complete project in which relevant issues arise and enrich the debate.
Public revisions of the work, as well as explanations, lectures and visits allow the student to find references to deep on any design project solution.

Methodology

The subject is a design studio in which students work and revise their proposals in the classroom: it is mainly practical.
It has a learning by doing methodology, applied in the analysis as well as in the design exercises. Therefore, Personal implication is the main key to learn.
Students gather in groups of a maximum of twenty people, each of them conducted by a teacher. Given an exercise, a debate is conducted about similar situations and questions arise about that help to identify the purpose to achieve and guide the work. Once the student has started to work, the teacher debates the proposal, recommends, and backs the student in his/her development of the project.
The exercises are concrete and very limited, emphasizing a specific architectural item: such as the base/land, the structure/support, and the protection/ cover. By the end of the course, the students will have faced a great variety of aspects that the project addresses.
On the days indicated as submission, the exercise must be uploaded to the eStudy before deadline and in PDF format.
Attendance to classes is mandatory, missing more than the 20% of them, even if justified, leads to a not presented grade.

Dedication
Subject dedication 5 ECTS * 25 hours/credit = 125 hours
Semestral dedication 14 weeks (12 classes + 2 evaluation)
Weekly dedication 9 hours/week

Total dedication:
-Lectures 2 hours
-Workshop 48 hours
-Homework 70,5 hours
-Juries 4,5 hours

Evaluation

For the evaluation of the student work, the teachers will take into account the ability or the student to respond to the given problem to solve it, the reflection on the data, the ability to conduct the work and the ability to develop it. Personal implication and design presentation are also relevant.
The student skills and knowledge are evaluated through the following work and submissions:

-Highly significant evaluation activities:
*Projects
*Presentations
*Jury

-Moderately significant evaluation activities:
*Home and school work as well as individual and team work
*Continuous assessment
*Corrections

The teachers will take into account the ability or the student to respond to the given problem to solve it, the reflection on the data, the ability to organize, conduct, develop the work and represent it. Assistance to classes is fundamental to follow the course.

Evaluation Criteria

Criteria for the evaluation of the exercises:

ANALYSIS AND APPROACH (20%): environment, objectives, and approach
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT (40%): concept evolution, program adaptation, materialization/structure/construction
PRESENTATION (30%): graphic presentation, models5IMPLICATION (10%): explanation, participation, attendance

Basic Bibliography

Blake, P. `Maestros de la Arquitectura Moderna´
Gídeon, S. `Space, Time and Architecture´
Gombrich, E. `History of Art´
Zevi,B. `Saber ver la arquitectura´
Siza, A. `Conversaciones con Valdemar´
Summerson,J. `The Classical Language of Achitecture´
Koolhaas,R. `Elements of Architecture´
Alexander,C. ` Pattern Language´

Additional Material