20.306 Integrated Building Design

The course is intended to give students enrolled a working understanding of integrated building design, in principle and practice. To enable students to coordinate a design proposal, integrating the different engineering systems. Moreover to have the skills to lead this process, and manage consultants, by identifying clear but inclusive design goals.

Through a series of lectures that focus on different aspects such as structure, services, envelope and transportation, appreciation of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ integration will be developed, using predominantly case-studies and examples to provide students with design-strategies and approximation approaches to undertake their own integration activities themselves, supported analytically by an introduction to the relevant first-principal and codified assessment methods.

Where possible the course will be supplemented by guest presentations from engineering professionals
in associated fields to give their multiple viewpoints on these issues.

No of Credits: 9

Pre-requisites: 20.201 Architecture Science & Technology and 20.202 Architectural Structure & Enclosure Design

Workload: 4-0-5

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain the fundamental design drivers for the key building sub-systems
• Identify a range of examples and case studies of good and bad integration, and explain why the systems were conceived this way and what are the implications
• Understand and know when to apply analysis tools including current codified building assessment methods such as LEED, BREEAM and Passive house
• Analyse and compare different designs both quantitatively and qualitatively
• Identify the aims of engineers and consultants of different disciplines in building design and formulate approaches to collaborate with them
• Develop critical thinking skills with respect to integrated design issues

Measurable Outcomes

• Apply and synthesize knowledge and understanding of the course material to a design problem
• Develop and deliver a presentation to explain and defend their integrated design proposals
• Critically analyse existing buildings with respect to integration using both first principles and codified methods
• Critically appraise existing designs and approaches including comparing and contrasting pros-and-cons of counterexamples