Examine the critical role of materials and methods for the design and construction of buildings. The primary focus is on materials and systems, their properties and connections, and their intrinsic relationship to structural systems and environmental performance.

Students will develop a fundamental understanding of: the relationship of materiality to construction systems and techniques, how building materials are manufactured, and how a material’s modular form, dimensions and intrinsic qualities influence the design process. Students will learn about various building systems, and how these systems assist in the expression of a design concept, through an examination of precedent projects whose design concepts were generated by material logics and systems. Students will work hands-on with building materials (concrete, wood, metal, etc.) to get an understanding of each material’s properties.

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This course is an introduction to the practice of visual representation and conceptual communication in the field of spatial design and architecture. Drawing has long been the notation system for re- presenting 3D ideas projected onto a 2D surface and will be explored and interrogated through a series of in-class exercises, field-trips, lectures and film screenings. Los Angeles will play the role of the subject matter, examined through various scales of representation, providing relevant material for analysis. Representational techniques, systems and types will be introduced in four parts throughout the semester: 1. Line, Shape, Composition, 2. Orthographic Projection, 3. Paraline / Oblique Projection, and 4. Experiential. Each quadrant will be capped with a cumulative assignment and a final project at the end of the semester will require the students to demonstrate a comprehensive graphic analysis and refined drawing output.