Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: In the first year of study for both Architecture Design and Architectural Engineering majors at Oklahoma State University, students share coursework centered on design fundamentals.The Fall semester includes an 'Introduction to Architecture' course, where basic design principles, drawing conventions, and practical information about the profession of architecture and engineering are introduced.In the Spring semester, students enroll in a six credit hour design studio which meets MWF 1:30-5:20 pm, and is primarily taught by architecture faculty.One three-week project of the semester, however, is focused upon the exploration of architectural structural systems and design, and involves licensed architectural engineers in the presentation of relevant structural concepts and information, and in the critique of student work during the design process.An important aspect of the structures based project is the inclusion and introduction of the architectural engineering faculty to the beginning students in the programs.The five year curriculums for both the architecture and architectural engineering majors are arranged such that students do not enroll in structural engineering courses and thus do not have direct interaction with the AE faculty until their third year in the program.The only exception is one required engineering science course, Statics, taught by an AE faculty member during the second year of the curriculum.This lack of interaction leaves some students unsure of what it is they have come to this program to accomplish, which can lead to students deciding to switch majors to one in which they better understand the process.To make sure this is not the case in our program, and to expose students to the concepts of structural integration early in their education, the three AE faculty members agreed to be involved with this Studio I design project, and have been for many years.The interaction with AE faculty in the first year of the curriculum allows students to be introduced to structural concepts that can subsequently be incorporated in studio projects to further build believability into their early design efforts.Since 2001, we have experimented with two methods of introducing structural design to freshmen students, with both methods allowing the students to explore the use of structures as the dominant design feature.For many years the assignment to design an observation tower was the featured Architectural Engineering focused project, but for the past three years a pedestrian bridge project has served this purpose in the studio curriculum.The projectstower and bridge -share some similar qualities, but after reviewing student work the past three years, some interesting differences have been revealed.
Source: ASEE Midwest Section Conference
Authors: Suzanne Bilbeisi, John Phillips
Institution: Oklahoma State University
Language: English
Subfield: Architecture
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4407700184