ARCH 101A: Architectural Foundations I (3 credits)
Fall 2008

Lecture: TTh 12:35- 1:30 pm
Studio: TTh 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Coordinators
Michelle Rinehart
email: rinehart@cua.edu

Michael Abrams
email: abramsm@cua.edu

SLIDES

The TAs will notify students of their sections of the location of their studio and the hours they are available for consultation. Students must meet their TAs only during those schedules hours. Other appointments can be made via email.

Description and Goals
This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of architecture. Issued to covered in the lectures and studios include a brief survey of the history and practice of architecture, basic notions of structural systems and building materials, design fundamentals, and architectural communication, including graphite drawing, model building and sketching. Students will gain a familiarity with historical and contemporary precedents and how to employ these precedents in future design problems. They will also be asked to develop a working knowledge of architectural drawing conventions as they are needed both in the process of design and in the service of clear graphic communication. This course, in tandem with ARCH102A, Architectural Foundations II, will provide the foundation for future architecture studies at CUA.

Educational Objectives
At the end of the course students will have a comprehensive overview of architecture as a discipline. The rudimentary knowledge gained in this course will be explored in greater depth and specificity as students advance in the program.

Instructional Methods
Class meetings will alternate between classroom lectures and studios. Tuesday lectures will focus on history, structures and materials. Thursday lectures will focus on design fundamentals and graphic skills.

Professional Standards
All accredited architecture programs must ensure that each graduate possesses a specific set of knowledge and skills that have been determined to meet the demands of an internship leading to registration for practice. At the completion of this course, it is expected that students will have gained knowledge and skills in the following areas:

• 3.13.1. Speaking and Writing Skills
  Ability to read, write, listen, and speak effectively.
• 3.13.2. Critical Thinking Skills
  Ability to raise clear and precise questions, use abstract ideas to interpret information, consider diverse points of view, reach well-reasoned conclusions, and test them against relevant criteria and standards.
• 3.13.3. Graphics Skills
  Ability to use appropriate representational media, including freehand drawing and computer technology, to convey essential formal elements at each stage of the programming and design process.
• 3.13.5. Formal Ordering Systems
  Understanding of the fundamentals of visual perception and the principles and systems of order that inform two- and three-dimensional design, architectural composition, and urban design.
• 3.13.6. Fundamental Design Skills
  Ability to use basic architectural principles in the design of buildings, interior spaces, and sites.
• 3.13.8. Western Traditions
  Understanding of the Western architectural canons and traditions in architecture, landscape and urban design, as well as the climatic, technological, socioeconomic, and other cultural factors that have shaped and sustained them.
• 3.13.9. Non-Western Traditions
  Understanding of parallel and divergent canons and traditions of architecture and urban design in the non-Western world.
• 3.13.10. National and Regional Traditions
  Understanding of national traditions and the local regional heritage in architecture, landscape design and urban design, including the vernacular tradition.
• 3.13.11. Use of Precedents
  Ability to incorporate relevant precedents into architecture and urban design projects.

Issues to be Covered

• Understanding the role of precedent in architecture
• Training the mind and eye to be able to see and envision two- and three-dimensional form and space
• Developing eye/hand coordination
• Drawing conventions and types: Line weights and tones
• Introduction to the strengths and weaknesses of different types of two- and three-dimensional representations
• Drawing composition
• Laying out guidelines for sketching
• Figure/Ground, Black and white (positive/negative), poché

Modes of Learning
Research and Analysis:

• Introduction to architectural history, structures and materials, visual thinking
• Introduction to research: observation and documentation
• Study of exemplary drawings and models

Reading/Exposure to Buildings & Places:

• Readings on architectural history, structures and materials, and graphic and model-making conventions and methods
• Fieldtrips for sketching or as part of documentation/analysis projects

Synthesis:

• Analytical case studies in service to the development of skills
• Exposure to the design process: purposeful exploration and discovery

Skills and Communication:

• Drawing methods - drafting, rendering & freehand drawing
• Drawing principles - line weights, the principle of the cut & poché
• Drawing types - orthographic projections, paraline drawings, perspectives
• Visual presentation - formatting & arrangement of drawings
• Verbal communication - architectural vocabulary and public speaking

Acculturation:

• Enthusiasm for lectures, discussions, criticism, exhibitions, current events and looking at and experiencing buildings and places

Grading Policy
The coordinators and critics will assign grades to all students in the course through a "blind grading" process. Grading will focus on whether the drawings possess the necessary skill and technique to communicate information to the viewer. Where appropriate, input will be sought from section leaders regarding progress, process and interaction.

Assignments:

• Project Runway Challenge - 5%
• Case Study #1 (Museum) - 5%
• Case Study #2 (Crough) - 5%
• Case Study #3 (Crough Diagrams) - 5%
• Case Study #4 - eliminated
• Mid-term Exam - 10%
• Analytical Study #1 - 15%
• Analytical Study #2 - 15%
• Combined Sketchbook - 20%
• Final Exam - 20%

To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, students must receive a grade of C- or higher in all courses in the major. Please keep in mind that students who receive less than a C- in the course are NOT able to enroll in ARCH102A in the spring. Also, students on academic probation are NOT able to enroll in ARCH102A in the spring. Take all of your courses seriously!

We will follow the University's grading scale ("A": Excellent, "B": Very Good, "C": Satisfactory, "D": Low Pass, "F": Fail) when addressing the following issues:

Skill:

• Craft
• Proficiency in drawing conventions (understanding, application & exceeding)
• Completeness and punctuality
• Clarity and accuracy

Progress:

• Degree of improvement and development

Process/Interaction:

• Quality of investigation (includes method, vigor, number and type)
• Reaction to criticism
• Attendance/Tardiness

Academic Honesty
Academic honesty is expected of all CUA students. Faculty are required to initiate the imposition of sanctions when they find violations of academic honesty, such as plagiarism, improper use of a student's own work, cheating, and fabrication. This includes, but is not limited to, copying any other student's work or obtaining discarded work from another student and incorporating it into your own project. We recognize the collaborative nature of studio and that you will learn from one another. This does not, however, free you from maintaining academic honesty.

The following sanctions are presented in the University procedures related to Student Academic Dishonesty (from http://policies.cua.edu/academicundergrad/integrityprocedures.cfm): "The presumed sanction for undergraduate students for academic dishonesty will be failure for the course. There may be circumstances, however, where, perhaps because of an undergraduate student's past record, a more serious sanction, such as suspension or expulsion, would be appropriate."

Please review the complete texts of the University policy and procedures regarding Student Academic Dishonesty, including requirements for appeals, at http://policies.cua.edu/academicundergrad/integrity.cfm.

Class Policies

• Attendance is required
• Class starts promptly at ten after the hour. Do NOT arrive late, as you will be asked to leave.
• Participation is required in your discussion section. A portion of your final grade will factor in your participation or lack thereof.
• During lectures and studio time, cell phones, IM, email and other electronic forms of communication are NOT permitted. If your phone rings in class, you will be asked (which will, in turn, be considered an absence).
• Assignments must be turned in no later than the time specified on the assignment sheet. Late assignments will be marked down a full letter grade.
• Assignments must be submitted directly to your TA. Assignments placed in the professor's mailbox will NOT be accepted.
• Exams begin promptly at the time announced in class.

Absences
Lectures and studio are not only about assignments but also about participation and interaction with your critic and colleagues - attendance is mandatory for learning. Roll may be taken at each class period. Class meets 12:10 until 1:00 and again from 2:00 until 4:00. It is your responsibility to be on time. If you are consistently late for class, your grade will be affected by a drop in a letter grade. If a student misses more than two (2) days of class, he or she will automatically fail the course. Absences are only excused in the following cases: 1) death in the family, 2) student illness and 3) collegiate athletic responsibilities. Appropriate documentation must be provided for an absence to be excused. CUA athletes must provide a full schedule to their critic and communicate IN ADVANCE with their critic in order to be excused for athletic events.

Required Textbooks
All readings are to be completed prior to the classtime for which they are assigned.

Francis D.K. Ching, Architecture: Form Space and Order, 3rd Edition (Wiley, 2007).
Francis D.K. Ching, Design Drawing (Wiley, 1997).
Roger H. Clark & Michael Pause, Precedents in Architecture: Analytic Diagrams, Formative Ideas, and Partis, 3rd Edition (Wiley, 2004).
Matthew Frederick, 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School (MIT Press, 2007).
Leland M. Roth, Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning, 2nd Edition (Westview Press, 2007)
Mario Salvadori, Why Buildings Stand Up: The Strength of Architecture (W.W. Norton & Company, 1980).

Required Sketchbook
The sketchbook is a fundamental and necessary tool for all architects throughout their careers, as such you are all expected to keep and maintain a series of sketchbooks throughout your CUA education. Students are required to maintain a sketchbook for ARCH 101A. You are expected to work in your sketchbook daily (even on days when ARCH 101A does not meet). Your sketchbook should contain your weekly schedule, notes from the lectures and studio, sketchbook assignments, lecture documentation, and your architectural thoughts and design work.

Since your sketchbook will be handed in and graded throughout the semester, you should not take notes for any other class in your ARCH101A sketchbook. You should also label all of your sketchbook entries by date. For assignments, you should label them by the date they were assigned and by title or number, where applicable.

Your sketchbook should be with you at ALL times when the class is in session. If you fail to bring your sketchbook to class, you will be considered absent and graded accordingly.

Note-Taking
One objective in this course is to develop the graphic note-taking skills that you will carry forward with you in architecture school. While the bulk of your notes will rely on the written word, you must begin to develop the ability to take graphic notes that employ quick sketches of buildings from the many slides you will be shown. To assist you in this process, notes for this course MUST be taken in a sketchbook with blank pages. Also, notes are to be written by hand (i.e., NO computer note-taking).

Required Town Hall Attendance
As a new architecture student, your acculturation into the program is incredibly important. You are required to attend all CUArch Town Hall meetings, scheduled for Wednesdays at 2:10 pm. The scheduled dates are listed on the calendar, but you are responsible to attend any additional meetings announced during the semester. If you have a course conflict, please discuss it with your critic IN ADVANCE of the first meeting.

Required Lecture Series Attendance
Students are required to attend the Fall Semester Lecture Series and document the lectures in their sketch books. All lectures take place in Koubek Auditorium on Mondays at 5:30 pm. Roll will be taken on the following dates:

October 6
Javier Artadi
Artadi Arquitectos, Lima, Perú

October 27
Jean Pierre Crousse
Barclay & Crousse Architecture, Paris, France/Lima, Perú

November 3
Frederick Cooper Llosa
Architect, Lima, Perú

November 10
Ruth Alvarado Pflücker
Architect, Lima, Perú

Course Website
The school's website will be updated periodically with slide images from the course. You can find the course website at http://architecture.cua.edu/courses/Arch101A/index.cfm. While the images are available for you to download, please be mindful of the environment when you are printing copies for yourself - printing double-sided or printing thumbnails (or both) will help to cut down on the amount of paper waste. You can also choose to only print the images that are not in your textbooks. If you would like to print the files, right-click on the document name to save onto your computer rather than printing straight from your browser as that tends to waste paper.

To double-side from one of the printers in the computer lab, select HP5550A or HP5550B. Under Printer Set-up, go to Properties and under Finishing select Print Both Sides.

To print multiple images on one page (i.e., thumbnails), go to Print and select Print Multiple Pages per Sheet. I recommend printing 4 sheets per page. You can then cut them up and turn them into flashcards to help you study.

All staff in the Computer Lab has been directed to CANCEL any print of ARCH 101A slides that does not print double-sided or as thumbnails.

Documentation of Student Work
At the end of the semester, you will be required to submit TWO CDs with your work from the semester in digital format. They should contain both the final product and your design process for your work. As such, you should make every effort to document your projects as you go. This should include photographs of your models, scans of your final drawings, as well as scans of your sketchbook and trace paper. If the CDs are not submitted by the due date, you will receive a failing grade for the course.

The school retains the right to keep your original drawings and model for exhibition or accreditation purposes. You should always have digital copies of your own work in this event. You will also need these digital copies to create your portfolio, the most important document as you apply to graduate school or attempt to join the workforce.

Email
Throughout the semester, the instructors and TAs will need to contact students via email. It is your responsibility to maintain your CUA email account, ensure that your inbox is not full and check your email regularly.

Campus Resources for Student Support
Architecture as a major, and more specifically the studio courses, can be incredibly stressful for students. The workload, combined with a more subjective learning experience, can be difficult to adjust to. The Counseling Center on campus is a vital resource for many architecture students. It is located in 127 O'Boyle Hall. To schedule an appointment, call 202-319-5765, or go to the Center between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 9:00am-5:00pm on Friday. They provide a range of services to all full-time students. You can get more information at the Center's website at: http://counseling.cua.edu.

ATLAS, the Academic Tutoring and Learning Assistance Service, provides study skills counseling and a variety of other workshops designed to maximize your academic potential.
The Center also provides individual and group counseling services that can assist with the adjustment and personal growth necessary to cope effectively and to maximize both your success and satisfaction at CUA. Seeking an objective and professional perspective is a mature answer to how to manage when you begin to feel overwhelmed. The Counseling Center provides counseling and therapy for a wide range of personal problems confronting students. Ranging in intensity from mild or situational distress to severe and chronic problems, some examples of common concerns related ARCH104 include:

• Procrastination, Work Blocks, and Loss of Motivation
• Public Speaking Anxiety
• Stress and Time Management
• Academics and/or Social Pressures
• Problems with Food and Nutrition
• Problematic Feelings, such as Anxiety, Depression, Loneliness, Shyness, Fear, and Anger
• Memory, Concentration, and Learning Problems
• Balancing Work/Family/Relationships/School

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss specific needs. Please contact Disability Support Services (at 202-319-5211, room 207 Pryzbyla Center) to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. To read about the services and policies, please visit the website: http://disabilitysupport.cua.edu.

Studio Culture
CUArch's Policy on Studio Culture will be a guiding document for you as you begin studio coursework. Please be sure to read it thoroughly, as expectations for students and faculty are clearly laid out. Beginning with this course, the primary method of architectural education takes place in the design studio. The CUA studio is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (with the exception of Thanksgiving Recess, when the building is closed to all students). While being able to work all day and all night in studio may be an exciting prospect, it is far more advisable to map out your schedule in advance and plan your studio time accordingly. As adults away from home, it is easy for all of you to get wrapped up in living and breathing studio. But as adults, it is also your responsibility to maintain your physical and emotional health. That means sleeping, eating right, decreasing stress, etc.

You will be given a weekly calendar that you should use to schedule your activities for the week. It should include the times that you are in class, as well as designated study periods for each class. It should also include mealtimes, exercise, social periods, etc. Having free or personal time built into your schedule is incredibly important for you to maintain a healthy and stress-free existence. The key is scheduling it, so that you never lose track of what you have to get done. Place a copy of this schedule in your sketchbook.

People in your age range need 8-10 hours of sleep a night in order to function properly. Pulling an all-nighter may be tempting (especially if you are prone to procrastination), but entirely unproductive. The less you sleep, the more likely you are to screw up, ruin your drawing or slice your hand open. The workload in this class is manageable, provided that you plan ahead and think of your architecture education as a 9 to 5 job rather than a series of individual classes with social time in between and studying late at night.

You should be very conscious of your dietary habits. Eat a balanced diet and consume caffeine and junk food in moderation. If you do not eat properly, you run the risk of getting sick. Since this usually happens two days before your project is due, this is generally unadvisable. To help you keep track of your dietary and sleeping habits, you should keep an HONEST daily log in your sketchbook.

Studio Decorum
The studio portion of the class will meet on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 2:00-4:00 pm. A few things must be remembered regarding studio. Studio is a place of learning at all times - not only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Although it doesn't look like a classroom, it is one. Besides civilized and mature behavior there are four (4) simple, fundamental rules in studio. Any disregard of these rules will result in 1) loss of studio privileges and 2) university-level judicial action.

1. NO SMOKING.
If caught smoking in studio, students will lose studio privileges and face expulsion from the University.

2. NO ELECTRONICALLY PRODUCED SOUNDS WITHOUT THE USE OF HEADPHONES.
Silence is the standard. We can turn down volume, but we cannot turn up the silence. Many prefer to work in studio in silence and it is the right of everyone to work in studio. Violation of others' rights is wrong. This rule goes at ALL TIMES and all circumstances - even if all of you agree to listen to the same music. Violating this rule will also result in the loss of studio privileges. Even if "someone else" was playing music or "they're playing music in the 4th year studio" - YOU (that's the singular and plural) are not to produce sounds without the use of headphones.

3. RESPECT FOR THE BUILDING AND OTHERS.
Please care for the studio. Students enrolled in the course will be assessed a fine and/or be required to clean and repair any damage to the ARCH101A studio space above normal wear and tear. Once again, the studio is a place of learning - not a dorm room or lounge. Additionally, there shall be NO propping open of doors - doing so is an invitation for theft and potential bodily harm.

4. PROPER USE OF YOUR EQUIPMENT.
You have paid good money for all of your supplies and equipment (or, in most cases, your parents did). You should have a respect for the money that was spent. All supplies should be treated with care. Most especially, all supplies should be used only for their intended purpose. For example, X-ACTO blades are made to cut paper, chipboard, wood and other model making materials. They should NEVER be made into any other device. That means no Ninja stars or other weapons. If any student make one of these items (or throws an X-ACTO blade) they will be automatically expelled from the University.

Safety
The Crough Center is a highly visible location on campus. Given its many points of access, volume of expensive personal items and its location near the edge of campus, the building becomes an ideal target for crime. You should all be aware of the people who sit around you and be able to recognize people who do not belong in the building. You should always lock up your personal items if you plan to be away from your desk; this includes computers, MP3 players, flash drives, etc. There should be NO exterior doors propped open. This puts you, your classmates and your property at risk.

You should avoid being the last person in studio late in the evening. You should also avoid walking to your dorm alone late at night. Make plans to walk back with a classmate or call public safety for an escort (319-5111). In case of an emergency, do NOT call 911. You should call Public Safety and they will contact MPD or EMS if necessary.