Architecture 310/410 & Interior Design 352/452/454
Vertical Architecture and Interior Design Studio

Louisiana Tech University...................................................................................Summer 2004
School of Architecture

Assistant Professors Vibhavari Jani & William T Willoughby ..................................................................section 030

Charles Sheeler, Bucks County Barn; 1923 (tempera and crayon on paper)

Course Description

Catalog Description: Architecture 310: Architectural Design I, Prerequisite Architecture 230. The examination of theoretical issues and historical precedents through diagrammatic studies and analysis of organizational strategies with emphasis on masonry construction and supporting technologies.

Catalog Description: Interior Design 352: Interior Design I. Studio problems in space planning and design of interior environments with emphasis on design methodology, materials, furnishing systems, and presentation.

Catalog Description: Architecture 410: Architectural Design III, Prerequisite Architecture 320. Examination of site selection and program definition within varying contexts through schematic design studies emphasizing steel or concrete structural systems, building envelope systems, composite assemblies, and active mechanical electrical systems.

Catalog Description: Interior Design 452: Interior Design III, Prerequisite Interior Design 354. Examination of large scale commercial and/or residential interior projects with emphasis on the integration of interior environments and architectural envelopes through detail design and development.

Catalog Description: Interior Design 454: Interior Design VI, Prerequisite Interior Design 453. Continued examination of large scale commercial and/or residential interior projects with emphasis on the integration of interior environments with materials and systems.

Studio Introduction
Welcome to a very special course: this summer's Vertical Architecture and Interior Design Studio! Though not truly a "vertical" studio, where students from ascending years of design education work "for" each other in a collaborative, hierarchical studio environment - this particular studio is modeled more like a "one room schoolhouse." Although working in the came basic context (Arcadia, LA), you will have a variety of sites, programs, and tasks to complete to satisfy the requirements of each of your respective courses.

This course is equal to the amount of work you typically encounter in a regular twelve-week quarter - the only difference is, that you have six weeks with which to complete the work assigned in this course. You will have to double the time you spend per week in a studio course in a regular 12-week quarter. Remember, this is a 3-credit hour course, not a 2-credit hour course like your typical Second-year studio. YOU MUST USE YOUR TIME EFFECTIVELY! MAKE YOUR SUCCESS IN THIS COURSE YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR THE NEXT SIX WEEKS!

Each of you will complete design work with respect to your chosen disciplines. But, depending on your advancement in your respective Professional Concentration studios, you will follow different parameters, requirements, and methods. Overall, no matter your level of advancement, this course will challenge you to exercise skills developed in your previous classes and experiences, while incorporating new skills and topics covered this quarter. For each of you, this course presents architecture and interior design as practical disciplines - where making and design form the basis for active learning in this course.

Tasks you will be asked to perform range from creating simple diagrams to designing complex details. This course also presents architecture and interior design as scholastic inquiries - this means that your instructors will expose you to theoretical notions applied in the thoughts and discourses of your respective and combined disciplines. The proposition that architecture and interior design are both discourses and practices suggests you engage in a method of design that combines skills of thinking and making in the synthetic design of the built environment.

For this class you will be required to design with intelligence, intensity, perseverance, and consistency. To this end, you will have to think actively - and act thoughtfully. Together, we can make this studio an exciting and fertile environment for developing your understanding of architecture and interior design as a practical and profound endeavor.

Course Objectives for Architecture 310
(see: www.naab.org/usr_doc/Guide_to_SPC_with_addendum.pdf):

  1. To introduce the student of architecture to selected research and analysis techniques that uncovers the analytic, diagrammatic, organizational and representational strategies inherent in buildings, historical precedents, and designed objects. (see NAAB Performance Criteria # 3, 9 & 16)
  2. To introduce architecture students to the historical context of building precedents, cultural and regional concerns, and the application of relevant theoretical issues in the design process. (see NAAB Performance Criteria # 8, 9, 10 & 12)
  3. To explore architectural design though an iterative method, requiring multiple studies, and informal and formal critical review. (see NAAB Performance Criteria # 2, 4, 5 & 16)
  4. To familiarize the architecture students with the complex formal relationships between particular drawn and built representations of architecture. (see NAAB Performance Criteria # 2 &5)
  5. To develop a facility with the complex formal relationships inherent to the techniques of orthographic representation (plan, section and elevation) and three-dimensional visualization (axonometic, computer visualization, and physical modeling). (see NAAB Performance Criteria # 2 & 5)
  6. To introduce the student of architecture to the considerate design of a building from a specific program of occasions, accessibility, and the understanding of specific site and landscape conditions. (see NAAB Performance Criteria # 8, 14, 15 & 30)
  7. Study of various techniques associated with site analysis, and the investigation of selected building site relationships. (see NAAB Performance Criteria # 15 & 36)
  8. To introduce concern for the regional characteristics of place-making and the subsequent understanding of the history, heritage and cultural expression of a region. (see NAAB Performance Criteria # 3, 10 & 12)
  9. To familiarize the architecture student with various techniques of masonry construction, timber framing, relevant glazing and cladding systems, and supporting technologies as applied to the design process. (see NAAB Performance Criteria # 5, 20 &25)

Course Objectives for Architecture 410:
(see: www.naab.org/usr_doc/Guide_to_SPC_with_addendum.pdf):

  1. To introduce the serious student of architecture to techniques of site selection, site analysis, and master planning within a varying context. (see NAAB Performance Criteria # 4, 7, 8, 15 & 36)
  2. To address advanced representational skills that require computer applications, advanced technology, and/or advanced presentation skills. (see NAAB Performance Criterion # 2)
  3. To familiarize the serious student of architecture with the architect's responsibility in building program definition with regard to complex social patterns, unique site conditions, human aspirations, and diverse cultural issues. (see NAAB Performance Criteria # 7, 8 & 30)
  4. To develop an awareness of the extended physical environment, both artificial and natural, with regard to civic design and the context that exists between buildings; to transform closed notions of buildings as autonomous exercises and expose the interrelationships of the built and natural environment that comprises human settlement. (see NAAB Performance Criteria # 13 & 15)
  5. To introduce concern for the regional characteristics of place-making and the subsequent understanding of the history and heritage of a region. (see NAAB Performance Criteria # 3 & 12)
  6. To work together in a collaborative team setting where individual skill and talent can be cooperatively applied to create a greater whole; to interact through a public team presentation to a client. (see NAAB Performance Criteria # 1, 6 & 36)
  7. To develop an advanced concern for both site and building accessibility for individuals with varying physical abilities. (see NAAB Performance Criterion # 14)
  8. To explore the physical and structural characteristics of steel and concrete building construction, the material and environmental considerations of the building envelope, and to initiate exploration into active building mechanical/electrical systems (climate control); and to develop concern for additional environmental conditions - lighting, acoustics, and energy use. (see NAAB Performance Criteria # 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24 & 25)

Course Objectives for Interior Design 352, 452, and 454:
(see: www.fider.org/standards.pdf)

  1. To explore design methodology and the application of design principle and the fundamentals of design (space, form, scale, proportion, harmony, balance, the elements of color, and sustainability); to develop an appreciation for the range of design possibilities inherent in components of built interiors. (see FIDER Professional Standards 2.g, 3.a, 3.b, 3.c, 3.d & 6.n)
  2. To explore and incorporate an understanding of local, contemporary, and historical examples of interior design precedents to design solutions. (see FIDER Professional Standards 3.i & 3.j)
  3. To understand programming, space planning, concept development, schematic design, and design development techniques. To develop the vocabulary and skills necessary formulating and communicating preliminary design concepts that are aesthetic, appropriate, functional, and in accordance with codes and standards. (see FIDER Professional Standards 2.f, 2.j, 4.p & 5.e)
  4. To evaluate and utilize in design work various materials, finishes, furniture, fixtures, signage, lighting, and equipment for appropriate application and specification. Also, to demonstrate an ability to compile a budget for a project. (see FIDER Professional Standards 2.f, 3.d, 4.o, 4.v, 6.l, 8.a & 8.b)
  5. To develop advanced presentation methods and techniques to communicate design concept, schematic design solutions, and detail development of interior components by way of two-dimensional and three-dimensional techniques (freehand sketching; compiling of appropriate schedules [spreadsheet applications]; orthographic, axonometric, and perspective projections; material selection boards; computer and physical modeling techniques). To develop a fluency with various drawings necessary to the discipline, such as: schematic design drawings, reflected ceiling plans, lighting, interior detailing, materials, finishes, space planning, furnishings, fixtures, and equipment in compliance with universal accessibility guidelines and all applicable codes. (see FIDER Professional Standards 2.h, 4.a, 4.b, 4.i, 4.k, 4.l, 4.m. 4.n, 4.r, 5.a, 5.b, 5.c, 5.e, 5.f, 5.g, 5.h & 8.i )
  6. To demonstrate research skills necessary in reaching appropriate design solutions, materials and products; and to develop the skills required for analyzing client's needs, goals, and life safety requirements. (see FIDER Professional Standards 2.c, 2.d, 2.f, 6.m & 7.e)
  7. To work together in a collaborative team setting with consultants and collaborators where individual skill and talent can be cooperatively applied to create a greater whole; to interact through a public team presentation to a client. (see FIDER Professional Standards 1.e, 1.f, 1.g, 1.h, 2.j, 5.d, 5.e & 6.a)
  8. To apply codes and standards to design solutions for various building use groups. To develop an advanced concern for both site and building accessibility for individuals with varying physical abilities. (see FIDER Professional Standards 7.a-d, 7.e, 7.f, 7.g & 7.k)
  9. To familiarize students with the interior designer's responsibility in building program definition and the planning of interiors with regard to complex social patterns, the overall context of building, human aspirations, and diverse cultural issues. (see FIDER Professional Standards 3.e & 3.f)

Course Instruction Methods
A combination of team-teaching, lecture presentations, group discussions, hands-on studio exercises including group and individual work, development of consultancy relationships between students of varying disciplines, site visits, public presentations and reviews, reading assignments, research including library resources and the World Wide Web, and a final exhibition of work.

General Reference Books for this Course

Course Policies
1. Course Attendance
You are expected to addend regularly, punctually, and for the entire duration of every class period of this course (as stipulated in the Louisiana Tech University Bulleting or unless approved otherwise by the Director of the School of Architecture). You are expected to attend any course-related events planned for your benefit that extend outside of class time (juries, community meetings, exhibitions, site visits, etc.).

A sign-in sheet will be distributed daily and may be circulated at any time during the scheduled course meeting time. Be sure to sign this sheet every day you are in attendance!

In the event you miss two classes or more without a written medical excuse or corroborated emergency, arrive late and leave early two times or more, your final grade will be reduced by 10 percentage points (one full letter grade). Unless warranted by medical necessity or serious tragedy, there shall be no incomplete grades issued at the completion of the quarter.

Every day in this course is essential to your success. In this studio you should endeavor to never miss a day or an event planned for this course. Perfect attendance will result in special consideration at the time of issuing final grades.

2. Late and Non-conforming Work
All design projects, unless otherwise specified, shall be completed for submission and/or presentation at designated times. Assignments submitted after the due-date will not be accepted. Late or blatantly incomplete work will receive a failing grade of "F". Endeavor to work with diligence; challenge yourself to successfully meet all deadlines. Due dates will be held firm, especially since we have clients to please!

All studio work, either as research, process, or product, should conform to a format specified and/or approved by the instructor. All research, process, or products should be appropriate to the stated goals or instructions intended by the assignment. At the discretion of the instructor, any work (preliminary or final) seen as inconsistent with stated requirements, or as sloppy and unprofessional, will not be accepted and result in the lowering of the student's grade, at the discretion of the professors, on that particular assignment. The student will have the option to rectify any inconsistencies and resubmit his/her work by the subsequent class period for re-evaluation, at the discretion of the professors.

3. Course Materials and Preparation
Bring all drawing and design materials needed to class, including a computer with necessary software for design and visualization (access to a desktop printer is recommended). Each student is expected to have, at all times, all the necessary equipment essential to the successful implementation of his/her work. Studio time should not be interrupted by departures for gathering supplies. Always have white tracing paper, scales (engineer's and architect's), drafting equipment (including a drafting board and parallel bar), and model making material available at all class sessions.

For the duration of this course, you will be asked to maintain a 50% balance between hand-craft on a drafting board (sketching, hard-line drafting, hand-rendering, and physical modeling) and 50% computer application use and computer visualization (spreadsheet, digital photography and manipulation, 2-D computer drafting, virtual modeling, computer model rendering and visualization, computer animation, and computer generated presentation boards). With regard to desk critiques, all work intended to be completed at a particular scale, or meant for review as actual physical output is best viewed tangibly, in its entirety and on paper, and not in part on a computer screen. If using a computer, print out your work prior to class for the most effective desk critique.

4. Research and University Resources
You can expect to employ research skills in this course. Various topics will be researched, sources references, and information gathered as part of your daily assignments. You will be responsible to gather, analyze, synthesize, format, present, and communicate your research findings periodically during this course. You will be asked to utilize the resources in Prescott Memorial Library and on the World Wide Web.

Assigned readings may formally accompany each exercise, or the instructor may informally refer you to a particular building precedent or reading (you should research these informal references on your own). For the most part, readings are for class discussion and your own personal growth.

Students should take advantage of all relevant School and University resources and plan their work with normal staffing and availability of these resources (Library, Bookstore, School Plotters, CNC Routers, Z-Corp Printers etc.).

5. Major Course Milestones
Please take note of these dates when major work is due for review. There will be a Mid-course review planned for June 21 and June 22, 2004. All final studio work must be completed no later than Tuesday, July 6, 2004 @ 4:30 pm. Final exhibition, review, and public presentation will be scheduled during July 8-9 in Arcadia, Louisiana (expect to hang your work Thursday, July 8, 2004 - there to be an exhibition opening that evening where your attendance is required; you will be asked to take down your work the following day, July 9, 2004).

Any modifications to these milestone dates and times for the completion of work will be determined prior to the June 25, 2004 last-day-to-drop with a "W" deadline.

6. Course Handouts
Normally, assignments will be issues via the World Wide Web at this address. Please be sure to check the Announcements Page on a routine basis. On occasion, assignments can and will be issued or amended verbally. Your professors expect you to record this information, requirements and due dates, for your use and response. For the most part, web-handouts will be issued for each assignment and as each studio exercise progresses. Keep a printout record of the assignment for yourself and your project notebook.

7. Studio Work Requirements
Permanently and prominently affix your name and course number (ARCH 310, ARCH 410, IDES 352, IDES 452, IDES 454) to your work area.

In general, keep your studio area presentable; you should strive to suggest a tidy, organized, and professional appearance to your work at all times. When you produce work, you should display it with care. This means that during a review, you should exercise quality and control in what you display, and eliminate things superfluous to what you intend to present. Final submissions should discretely include your Name, Course, Professor, and Date. Save everything! Your overall efforts in studio will be evaluated by your studio instructor and select faculty at the end of the quarter. Find a consistent method of keeping your work in chronological order and intact.

All submitted work that is used in calculating your final grade may be retained by the instructor for 30 days into the next quarter (Fall 2004). In some cases, student work may be retained for the purposes of providing evidence of satisfying accreditation performance criteria or standards. For whatever reason, if graded material is returned to the student, and in the event of a question regarding a final grade occurs, it will be the responsibility of the student to retain and present graded materials which have been returned for student possession during the quarter.

8. Studio Culture and Work Load
Each student, unless otherwise notified or excused, must be at his/her desk during the required studio hours. You should demonstrate strong commitment, effort, and professionalism in the design studios at all times. You are encouraged to work in the studio after hours and not at home. Studio is a communal and collaborative setting that must be nurtured. Your peers are by far your best immediate critics; consider their generosity and attention as part of your educational experience.

It is highly recommended that each student make every effort to work in the studio at all times, even outside the scheduled studio hours. Your work in this studio is ongoing; each study should build on the next, which requires daily attention and effort. You are being schooled in a contiguous method of design! For every hour you spend in studio, you should anticipate devoting a minimum of two to three hours outside of the scheduled studio time on your assignments (a minimum of 36 additional hours per week!). When you are not in studio take special precautions to protect your work and tools from potential theft or damage.

The studio is a place for thinking, discussing, designing and working. It is a place where you will begin to understand various design practices and engage in their discourse. All students have an equal right and therefore an equal responsibility to maintain the proper atmosphere in studio for work, study, and mental concentration. It is important to be comfortable in studio and certain latitudes may be granted to this end. Respect your peers and their belongings. Radios, digital music, computer games, and/or televisions should be turned off during class times unless permitted by the instructor or headphones are being used. Studio should be a positive and collaborative environment, work to make and keep it such.

Studio courses are legitimately flexible and lenient in format. Nonetheless, students must maintain appropriate decorum and respect for others and their belongings. Cell phone use in any form will not be allowed in this course. If you have a cellular phone, text message device, or pager - please make sure that you turn it off in class. No calls should be placed or received from cell phones during class time (whether in the studio space or not).

Other interruptions during class, including distractions (gestures and loud noises), loud talking between students, socializing completely unrelated to coursework, general belligerence toward others, actions or attitudes that display disrespect for your professors or fellow students, harassment of any kind, sleeping during class, and general inattentiveness during lecture/presentations/reviews/in-studio discussions will not be tolerated. Failure to adhere to these conditions listed above will result in temporary or permanent dismissal, at your professors' discretion and in accordance with University policies and procedures.

9. Studio Hygiene
It will be the responsibility of each student to maintain a safe workspace within which we can all learn through our work:

Our studio space must be cleaned by Friday July 9, 2004. Each student is responsible for his/her individual space, while all students are collectively responsible for the overall studio -- the studio should be in the same condition it was at the beginning of the course. Whether or not you are continuing on to the next sequential studio course, each of you are responsible for making sure that the studio space in thoroughly cleaned.

10. Honor Code and Special Accommodations
This course is conducted with the expectation that all students uphold The Honor Code at Louisiana Tech University. The Honor Code encompasses basic principles of academic integrity: honesty, fairness, respect, responsibility, and excellence. See the online Student Handbook and open the portable document format file entitled Honor Code: http://www.latech.edu/tech/students/judicialhome.htm.

Any student with a documented disability condition (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) and registered with the Office of Disability Services (ODS) can request special accommodations. Any students with a documented disability condition should contact the professors and the ODS at the beginning of this course and request the ODS consult with professors as to a list of specific accommodations.

11. Note about these Policies
All students enrolled in Vertical Architecture and Interior Design Studio are accountable to all policies and requirements described in this Course Description and all subsequent course documents available on this course site. The policies and requirements are extensive and specific; it is therefore not the policy of the instructor to remind students of every policy or requirement. Nonetheless, accountability to these policies extends to all students whether or not these policies and requirements are mentioned during this course - this is the purpose of their being documented in writing.

The professors of this course reserve the right to modify or change any aspect of this course including evaluation criteria, deadlines, and course schedule at any time and for any reason. You will be adequately informed any modifications or changes to this course prior to those modification or changes taking effect. Notices of changes to this course will be announced in class and displayed on this course's Announcements Page.

Evaluation
Evaluation will include these criteria in some form or another, though not limited to this list:

Concept: (20%)
Creative Aptitude; Intellectual Comprehension; Technical Comprehension; Resourcefulness and Research; Integration of Meaning into Design; Translation of Ideas to Form/Space

Design: (30%)
Technical Comprehension (climate and site constraints, accessibility, life-safety); General Purposefulness and Functional Clarity of Building; Level of Development of Architecture and Interior Design (interior/exterior spaces); Aesthetics (with regard to proportion, scale, and beauty); Formal Organization; System Integration (structural, environmental/HVAC, and electrical/lighting); Composition Skills (overall building aesthetics [whole to part]); Consideration of Cultural Significance

Craft: (20%)
Communication Skills (graphic, verbal, and interpersonal presentation skills); Representation Skill (graphic ability: manual and digital); Model Making Skills; Rendering Abilities; Technical Craft/Appropriate Skill

Method: (20%)
Completeness; Demonstration of Research Skills; Effectiveness while Working; Implementation of Time Management Skills; Clarity and Directness of Design Process; Demonstration of Professional Attitude; Persistence and Tenacity towards Work; Collaborative Team Skills; General Participation; Adeptness; Leadership; Personal Initiative and Demonstrated Improvement of Design Skills throughout Course

Attendance: (10%)
(See the course attendance policy)

All grades will be issued to students in person; either in private conference or in sealed envelopes. The following criteria are used in assigning grades to all projects in the Vertical Architecture and Interior Design Studio:

"A" -- EXCELLENT; comprehensive knowledge and understanding. Precise and flawless craft; completed to the highest standards of the discipline; remarkable perception and originality. Complete work that exceeds expectations on all criteria.

"B" -- GOOD; broad knowledge and understanding. Maintains a high quality of craft; completed with generally high standards of the discipline; noticeable perception and originality. Complete work that exceeds expectations on some criteria.

"C" -- SATISFACTORY; reasonable knowledge and understanding. Maintains good craft with minor flaws; completed with basic standards of the discipline; some perception and originality. Complete work that matches expectations on all criteria.

"D"-- MARGINAL; minimum knowledge and understanding. Adequate craft with some flaws; completed below the standards of the discipline; limited perception and originality. Complete work that falls below expectations on some criteria.

"F"-- FAILING; unacceptable low level of knowledge and understanding. Poor craft with major flaws; completed well below the standards of the discipline; severely limited perception and originality. Incomplete or non-existent work that falls below expectations on all criteria.

If your work or performance falls consistently below average (and before the "last-day-to-drop"), one of your professors will seek you out for a conference to discuss your performance. Gross negligence of this course, no effort, and incomplete assignments will result in failure, a grade of "F". Your performance and work in this course is meant to be open to criticism and evaluation; you can expect to be adequately informed of your ongoing evaluation throughout the duration of this course. If you have concerns as to either the quality of your or your performance, see one of your professors. If you want to know how you are doing in this studio, be straightforward and ask - you can expect the answer to be candid and direct.

Charles Sheeler, Barn Abstraction; 1917 (conte crayon on paper)

Words for a Successful Course Outcome
All of us in this course are both teacher and student! We are better off when we are able to teach ourselves what we need to learn . . . and we all succeed when we learn more than we teach!

For students . . .

  1. You should strive to treat your professors and fellow classmates with respect and care as individuals. Your professors want you to achieve your best work; act with an air of dedication to your class and your project! As a class, cooperate with each other and offer everyone the respect they deserve. Compete only against yourself.
  2. Success is the result of the maximum utilization of your given abilities. If you apply yourself to everything you do in this class, then there should be no question of your success! Every time you act you validate who you are. You only risk the chance to succeed when you take the initiative and do something!
  3. Keep in mind, we are all here to succeed: you, your classmates, and your professors. Do all you can to be positive, respectful to others, helpful when there is difficulty, diligent in your work, and supportive of others in their efforts! We all want success out of this course; work to make success a real possibility! If you apply yourself everyday, you will succeed! You will benefit from this course if you learn and apply two lessons: First, be results driven. Second, always work effectively: work with a heart full of care, an eye towards quality, and mind and hands operating with decisive speed and efficiency.
  4. Completing your work and doing a good job in the eyes of yourself, your peers, and your professors is the surest path to accomplishment.
  5. You are in this class to prove you can achieve and meet the high standards required of a professional. Your professors are here to help you and others become professionals . . . use your professors' time and your time effectively.

    Be in class on time and working whenever class starts and continue to work throughout class time. When class begins, you should be working and not waiting for your professors' input! During class, you should endeavor to better your design skills and technical knowledge as it pertains to your project! Just about any and all conversation should be directed to serious discussion architecture and interior design! During course hours, stay focused and you'll be amazed how much work you can do! Every so often, take a break; it'll help to re-focus you to your work.

    There is no need to be up all night working. Choosing to manage your time effectively and efficiently; by remaining focused on your goal, you can achieve more than you might imagine (and in less time)!
  6. Advice from the successful: You should leave class everyday with high expectations for what you want (or need) to complete for our next class meeting. Keep a "TO-DO" list and stick to it!
  7. Ask effective and relevant questions so that you can proceed with your work! Sometimes you will need to begin working even if you don't have a clear idea of the outcome. Remember, sometimes your questions get answered by just being willful enough to get started on the task to which you have been assigned.
  8. Can't never could do. So never say "can't" - Always think "do!" Never be intimidated by a task - see every task as a challenge you must overcome: always envision a positive outcome to your work. If you can imagine the end result of your work, you can make it happen just by working it through!

    Develop an instinct for what will be most successful and follow that instinct! Normally, the best path to take for achieving success is not the easiest one. Don't be afraid to try something new. Keep yourself open-minded about your own skills. If you're asked to do something you've never done before . . . then go ahead and do it! Doing something you've never done before is the best and most effective way to gain a new experience and develop an insight into your own talent, preferred techniques, or skills.
  9. Make a fresh appearance in the classroom by making something new for each and every class period . . . old work loses its luster in time (especial in the eyes of your professors). You can always make something better and more complete than you did the day before; design is a continual act of personal improvement.

    You must present/produce something new to show every class . . . either a revision of something old or a push forward onto something new and unexplored by you before. A sure way to succeed is to strive to complete more than what is asked of you for the work you've been assigned. We professors expect you to make clear and effective progress in class (and outside of class) everyday!
  10. Very simply, seek results and keep up with that for which you are responsible - don't give excuses. Excuses, and the anxiety associated with providing excuses, wastes your time and your professors' time. Keep in mind, there is no excuse necessary for high achievement!
  11. Remember, in this course, you are offering to your professors both a product and a service; your actions in this course express the quality and character of service you offer. Your professors evaluate you not just on what you get done (product), but the effectiveness and attitude with which you did it (service)!

For Professors . . .

  1. Your professors will strive to treat you with respect and care as an individual.
  2. Your professors, as teachers, want all their students to succeed. Let's all help to make this course a success!
  3. Your professors will manage this course with efficiency and guide it toward a positive outcome to the best of their abilities . . . but as always, with your help too!
  4. This vertical studio course is among the largest studio courses taught in the School of Architecture. With this in mind, your professors will try to be fair and equitable in the management of their time during studio hours.

    Your professors want to make themselves available to you as much as possible. Make a note of office hours and contact information, indicated above. If you want an additional critique, do not hesitate to ask. You can schedule additional time to meet your professor after class hours or during their office hours. If you should wish to schedule a longer time for a critique of your project, gain some pointers on developing a new skill, troubleshoot computer issues, or time to discuss you performance in studio - just ask!
  5. Your professors strive to make our studio environment work-oriented, but with a character that is relaxed, comfortable, and pleasant.
  6. Your professors will strive to make all aspects of this course predicable to you. All assignments will be written with clear goals in mind that build toward the final presentation of your work in this course.
  7. We professors will strive to motivate you to be effective at your work.
  8. Your professors will strive to create a course environment in which you can exercise skills you already possess and learn new skills you haven't mastered yet. All work your professors assign to you builds upon the preceding assignment by teaching a method of design that is both traditional to each respective profession, develops skills proven effective by practitioners, and strives to inspire your personal creativity.
  9. Your professors will evaluate you by what you do and how well you do it.
  10. Your professors will make you aware of your performance in this course. If you're unsure of how well you are doing - ask! Your respective professor will inform you of your current assessment standing.

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