DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION - LABORATORY II (LAB B)
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2020/2021
- Teacher
- MICHELA TONI
- Credits
- 11
- Didactic period
- Secondo Semestre
Training objectives
- The Laboratory (LCA2) is the fourth technological course of the architectural degree.
LCA2 studies the building-design process analysing in detail the “technical design” stage including all the architectural, structural, MEP-HVAC, and economic information. The environmental-sustainability design is the complementary topic of the laboratory.
The main goal of the Laboratory is to propose, to the students, a methodological approach of the building design. During the laboratory the students face the main tasks of the design-construction process (Concept design; Developed design; Technical design) presenting the important role of the technical design in order to propose the feasibility of the architectural project.
The main topics developed during the course regards:
the building quality assessment;
the methods, tools and techniques of the building technical design;
the design procedure,
that allow the transformation of the professional project design in a constructed building.
Background knowledge:
The main acquisitions will cover:
- design and management process at every stage, from the concept design to the use and/or maintenance phases of buildings and the implementation phases;
- concept of environmental, social and economic sustainability according to an interdisciplinary approach;
- users needs and procedures to define the relationships between the operators;
- graphical representation of technical drawings of an executive project;
- technical content of construction detail represented in scale 1:5;
- prefab steel building system considering the joint form different elements and the interface with other construction technologies, rules and regulations;
- experimental applications of design technologies;
- - methods of drawing up a building practice by analyzing and defining the procedure for obtaining permits from Public Administration;
- procedures for drawing up technical specifications as an integrated part of the work contract.
Ability / Skill:
The main skills will be:
- to develop project objectives and outcomes in relation to the users needs, functional design of the building at different scales, management of the building envelope problems;
- development of executive-constructive detail in scale 1: 5;
- consistency between aesthetic-morphological choices, constructive technologies, plant engineering requirements and structural aspects;
- preliminary, definitive and executive design of a building (technical content and meanings of drawings);
- principles relating to sustainable architecture and improvement of energy efficiency throughout the building process;
- ability to control choices of materials, products and components in relation to the context and costs of design choices;
- control of the aspects related to use and maintenance of the building in the life cycle and roles of operators involved;
- management of construction systems with high prefabrication components, modular coordination and coordination with other specialist sectors;
- ability to define the best ways to implement works in order to achieve the expected requirements. Prerequisites
- Only the students that have completed the Laboratory of building architecture I or other basic technological courses can follow LCA2.
Furthermore, is necessary to comprehend the background knowledge introduced in the following courses:
Materials and design of construction elements
Technical Physics
Environmental design
Structural design
In particular:
Knowledge of materials, components and systems available on the building market;
Basic knowledge of the principles of the Technical Physics and installations;
Basic knowledge of the structural aspects of a building;
Ability to assemble products and systems according to the required performance by the Building System with particular attention to environmental aspects. Course programme
- The Laboratory is an interdisciplinary course that provides 132 hours of education (lessons and class exercises), about Executive Technical Design (84 hours), Structural Design (24 hours) and Administrative law (24 hours). These three types of trainings jointly contribute to the Laboratory teaching program.
The feature of the Laboratory is the belief that the architect's role is the coordinator of skills and disciplines characterizing the building process: from preliminary concepts till the realization of the work. The Laboratory organizes visits aimed to the direct knowledge of particularly interesting works of architecture.
The contents of Executive Technical Design will be:
theoretical principles and methodologies to learn, understand and control the manufacturing, construction, refurbishment, maintenance and management of building systems;
user needs analysis;
concepts of environmental and economic sustainability;
to improve the managements quality of the construction components and systems;
manufacturing processes and related technologies for the design of building structures;
norms, regulations and standards of the building construction design.
The "Structural Design" and "Administrative law" modules highlight some of the many roles and expertise of the architectural profession. In particularly presents to the students an idea of the construction process complexity.
The “structural design” module proposes a preliminary calculation of the structural elements in relation to the architectural quality: formal, functional, energy efficiency, etc.
The Administrative Law module aims to make students aware of the procedures that make a building work feasible from the administrative point of view (permits) as well as the relationship between the main actors involved in the building process.
The laboratory proposes a design exercise that will cover the main stages of the process design. The professors will propose a specific project theme selected in cooperation with a public administration. The complementary topics of the exercise are: norms analysis, project budget definition and economic impact, structural design decision, detail design including technical installations.
The exercise will be organized in two main phases:
“Preliminary” and “Final design” elaboration;
“Detailed design” including the report describing the architectural design, the construction details of the most significant nodes (scale 1:5), the structural scheme of the project with its elements and nodes and tender specifications. Didactic methods
- The Laboratory consists of 132 hours:
84 hours Detailed design (7 credits)
24 hours Structures Design (2 credits)
24 hours of Administrative Law (2 credits)
About 32 hours will be devoted to lectures on the topics of the three modules and the remaining 89 hours to laboratory activities, aimed to developing classroom exercise under the supervision of teachers.
For each student is provided a "sheet of exercises" in which will be noted the progress of individual projects.
The Laboratory takes place in the second half of the year with two weekly meetings:
Tuesday (14:00 to 18:00) communications, lectures and meetings with building companies;
Wednesday (from 09:00 to 17:00) classroom exercise with the teachers. Learning assessment procedures
- The achievement of the educational goals will be verified, on examination, through the analysis and discussion of the project developed by the student. The exam will be written and oral. The written part is related to the building design with the contents listed below, to demonstrate the student's ability to represent their project in its technical contents.
Table 1: Rendering and technical report of the project;
Table 2: Plan of project and functional diagrams, scale 1:1000 - scale 1:200 - free scale;
Tables 3, 4 and 5 Plans of habitable floors with: furnishings internal dimensions, external dimensions and altimetry, natural lighting study and orientation, materials indications, scale 1:50;
Table 6: Architectural perspectives (shadows, context) and materials description, scale 1:100;
Tables 7 and 8: Transverse and longitudinal sections, scale 1:50;
Tables 9 and 10: Foundations plant with coordination axes. Structural patterns, scale 1:50 - free scale;
Tables. 11,12,13,14: Construction details, of which at least one of: couple to the ground connection between façade and intermediate floor, connection between façade and roof, connection between internal partition and floor, connection between façade and windows, Other specific details and connection (Listed with functions, materials and brand), scale 1:5;
Table 15: Tender specifications.
The project, the exam and the exercise board will be analyzed together in order to have a general idea of the student’s skills and the learning outcomes achieved.
The oral part will deal with the discussion of the project and knowledge of the contents.
The final assessment will evaluate:
Graphic quality of design solutions
Conformity of the project to the end user needs
Correctness and consistency of design solutions
Knowledge of all the technical elements
Adequacy of structural solutions
Costs evaluation and economic analysis
Ability to present the project in a logical manner as the result of consequential choices. Reference texts
- Fondazione Promozione Acciaio (2014), Guida all'architettura multipiano in acciaio – Manuale tecnico-pratico (Multi-Storey Steel Buildings - Part 1: Architect's Guide), Flaccovio, Palermo.
Migliacci A., (2006) L'architettura dell'equilibrio e della deformazione (The balance and architecture of the deformation), CEA, Rozzano (MI).
G. Zannoni, (2018) Sistemi a secco con lastre di gesso rivestito, manuale di progettazione e posa (Plasterboards, design and installation manual), Franco Angeli, Milano.
