14.9.14 - ACSA Fall Conference - presentation...2014/11/14 · • project is the redesign of...

CONSTRUCTINGE X P E R I E N C E

Most designers - such as glass artists or furniture

designers, not to mention architects - rarely make the

objects they design themselves. Consequently, they need

to understand the possibilities and limits of the materials

and crafts, and communicate their ideas and intentions

to the specialist craftsman, whose hands become the

designer’s surrogate hands in the execution of the work.

- Juhani Pallasmaa

Exploring Design|Build Strategies within a Technology Course

C h a d S c h w a r t z , A I A

A s s i s t a n t P r o f e s s o r

Southern Ill inois University

c h a d . s c h w a r t z @ s i u . e d u

2014 Fall ACSA Conference

WORKING OUT

I N T E N T

I N T E N TGoals for this Study

• reflective analysis of the past three years of teaching

Building Construction I in the School of Architecture at

Southern Illinois University

• not a critique of the practice of design|build in general or of

the overall learning experience of this course

• primary examination of the relationship between course

learning objectives and project experience and outcomes

• other points of analysis include student performance data,

student survey data, amongst others

I N T E N TRevised Course Philosophies

drawing: Mark Ryan Studio

photo: Bill Timmermann

I N T E N TRevised Course Philosophies

C O U R S E

C O U R S EBuilding Technology I: Wood

• core course in architecture and interior design programs

• second semester (spring) of second year in the program

• (2) one-hour lectures and (2) two-hour labs each week

(both faculty taught with graduate assistant support)

• (3) projects undertaken in the lab

C O U R S EEnrollment

Spring 2014Spring 2013Spring 2012

456167

C O U R S EFocus


456167

Focus of this study is on the iterations taught in 2012 and 2014 as they utilized the same project set.

PROJECTS

PROJECTSProject 1: Intersection

constructions: E. Hamilton, A. Michael,

J. Mckinney, M. Ollmann

photos: by author

PROJECTSProject 2: Cairo Residence

drawing: M. Ollmann

PROJECTSProject 3: Design|Build

photos: R. Swenson and S. Jariwala

COURTYARD

COURTYARDProject Outline

• design|build undertaken in the courtyard of the School of

Architecture building

• project is a 4’-0” wide single story residential wall section

• students working in groups of 6 or 7

• project in both 2012 and 2013 with slight variations

• emphasis on translation through a series of tasks

COURTYARD1: Wall Section

COURTYARD2: Design Completion

COURTYARD3: Materials List and Cost Analysis

database: Group 5 - 2012

COURTYARD4: Storyboard

drawings: Group 4 - 2012

COURTYARD5: Build Day

COURTYARD5: Build Day

photo: R. Swenson

COURTYARDAdditional Notes

• one project built in the School of Architecture’s gallery for

longer display, including accreditation visit

• the courtyard constructions were disassembled one week

after construction in a single day - as much material as

possible was salvaged and brought to the woodshop

• each group submitted a photo narrative at the conclusion of

the project

H I L L S I D E

H I L L S I D EProject Outline

• design|build undertaken at SIU’s 3100 acre Touch of Nature

preserve in 2014

• funded by a grant from SIU

• project is the redesign of TON’s Camp I I hi l lside

amphitheater - space is used for camps, retreats, weddings,

and other events throughout the year; not a campus building

• students working in lab sections on components of overall

project and within multiple smaller groups for tasks

• goal was to translate the working process of the courtyard

build into a community-based construct

H I L L S I D E1: Site Analysis

photos: students in Lab 002 - 2014

H I L L S I D E2: Conceptual Design

drawings: R. Bdair and C. Cornell


drawings: L. Ovca and A. Nash


drawings: J. Mckinney and C. Lloyd


drawings: W. McGuire and S. Jariwala

H I L L S I D E3: Group Development Taskwork - Materials and Cost Analysis

drawings: Lab 001 Group 1

H I L L S I D E3: Group Development Taskwork - Storyboard


H I L L S I D E3: Group Development Taskwork - Construction Documentation


H I L L S I D E3: Group Development Taskwork - Mockups and Models


H I L L S I D E4: Build Days

H I L L S I D EAdditional Notes

• students were required to attend three full-day build days

and were rewarded with extra credit for coming to more

• in all we were on site for about 20 days

• each lab was required to submit a summary document of

the project at the end of the semester

OBJECTIVES

OBJECTIVESFour Types

Primary Lectures

Lab Tutorials

Quizzes and Tests

Project 1: Detail Construction

Project 2: Design|Build

Project 3: House CDs

Outer - 2012 | Inner - 2014 Meets Objective Partially Meets Objective Does Not Meet Objective

Primary Course Objectives CIDA Professional StandardsNAAB Student Performance Criteria

CoreObjectives

1: U

nder

stan

d W

ood

as a

Mat

eria

l

2: U

nd

ers

tan

d H

ow

to

Bu

ild

wit

h W

oo

d

3: U

nder

stan

d C

onst

ruct

ion

Doc

umen

ts

4: U

nd

ers

tan

d A

rch

ite

ctu

re a

s an

d A

sse

mb

ly

5: U

nder

stan

d R

egul

atio

n of

Bui

ldin

g

6: D

eve

lop

Cri

tica

l Th

ink

ing

NA

AB

A4

: Te

chn

ical

Do

cum

en

tati

on

NA

AB

B9

: Str

uct

ura

l Sys

tem

s

NA

AB

B1

0: B

uil

din

g E

nve

lop

e S

yste

ms

NA

AB

B12

: Bu

ild

ing

Mat

eri

als

and

Ass

em

bli

es

CID

A 5

c: C

oll

abo

rati

on

an

d T

eam

wo

rk

CID

A 6

e: P

rodu

ctio

n of

Con

trac

t Doc

umen

ts

CID

A 1

1a:

Aw

aren

ess

of M

ater

ials

CID

A 1

1c:

Pro

pe

r S

ele

ctio

n o

f M

ate

rial

s

CID

A 1

2e:

Und

erst

and

Ther

mal

Dyn

amic

s

CID

A 1

3a:

Str

uct

ura

l Sys

tem

s

CID

A 1

3b:

Non

-Str

uctu

ral S

yste

ms

CID

A 1

3f:

Vert

ical

Circ

ulat

ion

Sys

tem

s

CID

A 1

3g

: Re

adin

g C

on

stru

ctio

n D

ocu

me

nts

CID

A 1

4a:

Sus

tain

abili

ty

CID

A 1

4d:

Und

erst

andi

ng o

f Bui

ldin

g R

egul

atio

n

CID

A 1

4g:

App

licat

ion

of B

uild

ing

Reg

ulat

ion

1: D

eve

lop

Ab

ilit

y t

o T

ran

slat

e R

ep

rese

nta

tio

n

2: D

eve

lop

Ab

ilit

y t

o R

ela

te S

cale

s

Primary Course Objective

2: Understand How to Build with Wood Light FrameStudents should understand the pr incip les, mater ia ls, means and methods, and sustainable design issues for wood light frame construction. Students should learn the basic tenants of the construction of a wood light frame building and learn the steps necessary to design and assemble it.

OBJECTIVESSpring 2012 | Courtyard Build Spring 2014 | Hillside Build

students directly engage materials, means, and methods of construction with wood light frame construction

all students have relatively equal opportunity to meet objective

students directly engage materials, means, and methods of construction with manufactured wood

many students to not directly engage with any traditional wood light frame construction (amphitheater vs. stage vs. threshold)

Meets Objective Partially Meets Objective


4: Understand Architecture as an Assembly of PartsStudents should understand the reali t ies of architecture being an assembly of par ts t ha t a r e jo ined toge the r. Students should understand the fundamentals of tectonic assembly, joining, and making.


students directly engage in the assembly of full-scale work (both virtually and in reality)

students directly engage in the assembly of full-scale work (both virtually and in reality)

Meets Objective Meets Objective


6: Develop Critical Thinking SkillsStudents should develop an ability to think critically about how and why we construct architecture in the ways we do.


students directly engage in a complex problem that must be thought through carefully

students must seek out information in addition to what is provided to them in lecture/lab sessions


students directly engage in a complex problem that must be thought through carefully

students must seek out information in addition to what is provided to them in lecture/lab sessions

approached the borderline of being too complex for many students to think through in the timeframe given

NAAB Student Performance Criteria

A4: Technical Documentation[Students need the] abili ty to make technica l ly clear d r a w i n g s , w r i t e o u t l i n e specifications, and prepare m o d e l s i l l u s t r a t i n g a n d iden t i f y ing t he assembly of mater ials, systems, and components appropriate for a building design.


students create detailed storyboard drawings that outline the construction of the build

students are required to interpret a given construction document

students do no create construction documents of their own


Partially Meets Objective Partially Meets Objective

25% of the students create construct ion documents for the built project

25% of the students create detailed storyboard drawings that outline the construction of the build

50% of the students to not engage with technical documentation of any type

drawings were not fully reviewed


B9: Structural Systems[S t uden t s mus t ga in an] understanding of the basic principles of structural behavior in withstanding gravity and lateral forces and the evolution, r a n g e , a n d a p p r o p r i a t e application of contemporary structural systems.


students learned about the construction and application of light wood frame structural systems through the project’s process

the constructions themselves, as sectional works, were not of themselves structurally sound without additional support

the support systems were incomplete at the foundations as the built work was temporary


as a permanent structure, structural design was included in the process including looking at gravity loads and the lateral loading of vertical cantilevers

about 10% of the students were highly involved in the structural analysis done on the project

most students actively participated in the build and assembly of structural components of the project


B10: Building Envelope Systems[Students must develop an] understanding of the basic pr incip les involved in the appropr ia te appl icat ion of building envelope systems and associated assemblies relative to fundamental performance, aesthetics, moisture, transfer, durabil i t y, and energy and material resources.


students learned about the exterior wall system and roof system of a wood light frame building and engaged in its construction as the primary focus of this problem

Meets Objective Does Not Meet Objective

as an outdoor structure, there was no enclosure system included in the project that satisfies this objective


B12: Building Materials and AssembliesParallels objective 2 from the primary course objectives.





many students to not directly engage with any traditional wood light frame construction (amphitheater vs. stage vs. threshold)


CIDA Professional Standards

5c: Collaboration and TeamworkThe interior design program [m u s t i n c l u d e] l e a r n i n g ex pe r i ences t ha t engage s tudents in col laborat ion, consensus building, leadership, and teamwork.


students work in a team environment (group of 6-7 students) to develop and build a complex project

s t uden t s wor k i n a mu l t i - t i e r ed t eam environment of small and larger groups to develop and build a complex project



11c: Proper Selection of MaterialsParallels objective B12 from the NAAB Student Per formance Criteria, but with an emphasis on interior design materials



the s tudy of t rad i t iona l in ter ior design components is limited


the s tudy of t rad i t iona l in ter ior design components is limited



13a: Structural SystemsParallels objective B9 from the NAAB Student Per formance Criteria.


students learned about the construction and application of light wood frame structural systems through the project’s process

the constructions themselves, as sectional works, were not of themselves structurally sound without additional support

the support systems were incomplete at the foundations as the built work was temporary


as a permanent structure, structural design was included in the process including looking at gravity loads and the lateral loading of vertical cantilevers

about 10% of the students were highly involved in the structural analysis done on the project

most students actively participated in the build and assembly of structural components of the project


13g: Reading Construction DocumentsStudents [should be] able to read and interpret construction drawings and documents.


students are required to interpret a construction document as the fundamental starting point of the assignment; the translation begins with this reading


students were asked to create construction documents that were used on the jobsite to build the project

the construction documents were, for the most part, incomplete and hard to interpret on the site (a good learning experience in its own right though)

Core Objectives | Pedagogy

1: Develop the Ability to Translate Representation to RealityEach student needs to realize that the lines they generate have meaning, inform their “su r r oga t e ha nds ,” a nd , therefore, must be carefully considered.


the s tuden ts take a g iven drawing and translate it through a series of tasks into a built construction of the original drawing

Meets Objective Does Not Meet Objective

students develop virtual products in groups that are translated into a built product

very few students were able to make the connections from one step to the next due to the necessity for a division of labor

Core Objectives | Pedagogy

2: Develop the Ability to Relate Between ScalesThe other core pedagogical issue was that of scale. The course was designed to explore wood light frame construction at a variety of scales.


good relationship between the scale of the section in this project and the scale of the building in the shotgun house cd set

poor relationship to the scale of the detail in the 2x4 joint problem

Partially Meets Objective Meets Objective

only a partial relationship to the larger scale building of the shotgun house cd set

good relationship to the scale of the detail in the 2x4 joint problem

excellent comparison of scale within the design/build problem itself

Summary of Findings


8 Meets Objective

5 Partially Meets Objective

0 Does Not Meet Objective

4 Meets Objective

7 Partially Meets Objective

2 Does Not Meet Objective

• not a fair comparison

• the courtyard build was designed to fulfill the objectives

• the hillside build was an experiment to understand how

community based design build would work in this course

• I think this is a regular scenario for courses venturing into

community based design/build

• how are the results evaluated?

• does the project modify, or do the objectives modify?

Summary of Findings

OBJECTIVES

G R A D E S

G R A D E SPerformance on Construction Document Set

The Construction Document set for the small residential house is an individual project that is worked on concurrently with the group-based design/build project.


+1%+2.1%+4.1%

Percentage Improvement from DD to CD Submittal




+1%

42%

+2.1%

26%

+4.1%

15%

Percentage Improvement from DD to CD Submittal

Percentage of Students Performing Worse on the CD Submittal



Despite the fact that the CD set has decreased from 4 sheets in 2012 to only 2 sheets in 2014


80.2%81.4%

-5.2%

85.4%

Average Overall Score on the Final CD Submittal

G R A D E SPerformance in the Course

The average loss on the CD set was almost 4 times greater than the loss in the class over the same period.

The ave r age loss on t he Midterm and Final exams was only -0.4%


82.7%83.8%

-1.4%

84.1%

Average Overall Score in the Course

G R A D E SPerformance in the Course

Based on student participation in necessary extra credit build days to finish the project.

Spring 2014

82.7% --> 85.4%

+2.3%

Average Grade After Accounting for Extra Credit

I S S U E S

I S S U E S

• What is the best strategy for keeping 45-65 students busy?

• How can this be done within the available timeframe of the

course? How many days can be spent building?

• How does the site allow for one faculty to monitor and

control 45-65 students?

• How does each student receive a well-rounded experience?

• Where are the funds coming from?

• How does the project activate the school and surrounding

community?

Other Key Considerations for This Course

P R O D U C T

P R O D U C TProduct: Courtyard Build

P R O D U C TProduct: Hillside Build

CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION

[Kubler] is startlingly alone among art historians in his

claim that the significant meanings of this monument

are to be sought in reconstructing the particular building

activity - and not in a formal analysis of the architecture.

I believe there are ‘forms’ to be found within the activity

of making as much as within the end products. These

are forms of behavior, aimed at testing the limits and

possibilities involved in that particular interaction between

one’s actions and the materials of the environment.

- Robert Morris

Product vs. Process

C h a d S c h w a r t z , A I A

A s s i s t a n t P r o f e s s o r

Southern Ill inois University

c h a d . s c h w a r t z @ s i u . e d u

14.9.14 - ACSA Fall Conference - presentation...2014/11/14 · • project is the redesign of...

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