Sustainable Design Syllabus
Spring 2007
This class will serve as an introduction to concepts of sustainable architecture and
design. This class will not demand much outside work from you, but it will demand
creative and focused thinking. I have outlined an incredibly ambitious schedule, and the
success or failure of this project is largely in your hands. The first quarter will be more
lecture-based, introducing you to various sustainable design technologies that you can
then decide to use in your own design. During the second quarter, I will give you more
time in class to work on the deliverables of your major project.
Into to class (week 1)
- my background
- engineering vs. architecture – math vs. art – problem solving
- project-based class – what does that mean?
- schedule (Tuesday/Wednesday – project days, Monday/Thursday – lecture days,
Friday – lecture/quiz day. More project days will be added 2nd quarter)
- fill out group-determining surveys, talk about issues related to group-based
projects
- overview of deliverables
o site plan
o floor plan
o engineering cartoons
o perspective drawing
o cost comparison
o scale model (physical and/or digital – Google Sketchup)
o written proposal
o presentation
- huge potential for recognition/implementation of ideas
- project is what you make of it – minimal work leads to minimal learning
Major-project overview (week 1)
- site characteristics/requirements
- scope of the project
- things to think about early-on
- introduction to materials/tools of the trade
Philosophy of sustainable design / Intro to architecture (week 1-2)
- importance of function
o who is your client? what do they need? how do you solve their
problems?
- creative license of architect (thinking outside of the realm of possibility—now)
- guest speaker – Dan Havel
- what is/isn’t sustainable design?
-
why is sustainable design important?
LEED certifications
brief history as related to sustainable design – the impact of cheap energy
Minor-project 1 (week 2)
- introduction to Google Sketchup
- choose a campus building to replicate in Sketchup
- place finished model into Google Earth
- look at original blueprints of buildings to learn how to read/create floor plans
and side views.
Minor-project 2 – spatial study (week 2)
- build a 5 inch x 5 inch x 5 inch cube using cardboard
- build another cube of the same dimensions using balsa wood
- pay attention to the thickness of the walls and how you construct it
Low-tech design solutions (week 2-4)
- natural ventilation
o basic thermodynamics – stack effect/cross ventilation
o pressure differentials
o energy efficient tightness vs. indoor air quality
- passive solar heating
- thermal mass
o straw bale
o concrete
- double-skinned façade
- introduction to cartoon-style engineering illustrations
- case studies
Field-trip to Blackwater Land Institute – straw bale house
Minor-project 3 (week 4)
- draw the floor plan of your home
- make a perspective drawing
- analyze the design in terms of sustainable design
o through changing only the house orientation and window placement,
how could you alter your house to be more energy efficient?
- present floor-plan/drawing/proposal for changes to class
Field-trip to The University of Texas Health Science Center School of Nursing and
Student Community Center
High-tech design solutions (shoot to end this section the 1st week of 4th quarter)
- water conservation/treatment
-
-
o grey-water/black-water systems
o rain collection
o composting toilets/waterless toilets
green roofs, living roofs
underfloor air and displacement ventilation (alternative mechanical ventilation
systems)
radiant heating/cooling systems
alternative energy generation
o photovoltaic cells
o wind turbines
case studies
Begin focused work on major project
Field-trip to architecture firm?
Field-trip to Headquarters of the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems
(Austin)?
Economics
- how do we estimate the economic impact of our proposals?
- study our existing conventional faculty duplexes and estimate cost savings over
those designs
Presentation of final project to school directors, board members, architects (final
exam)
Grade breakdown
- Group evaluation: 10%
- Minor projects: 20%
- Major project (group grade): 55%
- Quizzes: 15%
While your quizzes are only worth 15% of your final grade, they will effectively be worth
much more throughout the semester as the other parts of your grade will not be
included until late in the semester. Thus, those of you on athletics teams should be sure
to not blow off the weekly quizzes.