Designing the American City: Civic Aspirations and Urban Form

The course is an interpretative look at the characteristic patterns of settlement and attitudes towards cities and urban life that are identified with American urbanization. It introduces the American city as a culturally meaningful form and presents a body of historical and social material relevant to its study. The course seeks to foster an understanding of the cultural processes, policies, planning and design actions, which have influenced American urbanization.

The course chronicles the “love-hate” attitude that Americans have shown toward their cities across history, evident in both utopian and pragmatic efforts to reconceive how and in what shape cities and urban regions should grow. While not abandoning long-standing precedents of urban organization, Americans have consistently sought alternative ways to form communities. This search for alternatives generally proceeded in concert with a body of ideals that became fundamental to the European Enlightenment, and soon after to the explosion of urban growth brought about by the Industrial Revolution.  Just being conceived, rather than as European cities needing to adapt (with considerable difficulty) to the cultural, political and technological transformations of the 17th through the 20th centuries, American cities heralded the arrival of the modern world. This is key to their appreciation.

The course also seeks comparisons and contrasts between periods of rapid American urbanization, and the even more rapid urban growth currently taking place in regions around the world.  As American cities grew in emulation off and in contrast to older European counterparts, so today many cities, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions, seek inspiration from and attempt to improve upon the American urban experience.

This course is a lecture in the College’s Program in General Education, with a weekly graduate section for GSD. Enrollment is limited to 20 GSD students.

Offered as United States in the World 29 in FAS. Jointly Offered Course: FAS US-WORLD 29

Jointly Offered Course: FAS US-WORLD 29

Ecologies, Techniques, Technologies IV

The fourth and final course in the Ecologies, Techniques and Technologies core sequence, GSD 6242 continues to develop an understanding of, and promote skill in, the discipline and practice of landscape architecture. Through the topic of soft engineering as it relates to landscape design, site construction and technological imagination class members will be required to learn both traditional core techniques and the creative and skillful reordering of these techniques.  Soft Engineering is broadly defined here as the application of landscape construction and management techniques as the actions of both design and implementation. It should be noted that the term soft engineering is unique to the medium of landscape, a medium that is constantly weathering and morphologically changing yet still needs to be shaped by a practical and rigorous logic. In this, landscape technology differs from architectural technology and other design arts at the GSD as it deals with the indeterminacy of the landscape medium relative to a particular context and site yet within desired performative and aesthetic configurations.

The ambition of the course is to advance in each class member an understanding of soft engineering through both core and emerging current practices of detail design and implementation in landscape architecture, address the interdependence between site, design, ecology, craft, imagination and innovation in the making of landscape architecture and how this can inform function, form and design expression and identity in landscape architecture at a range of scales from that of the region to the individual detail. Classroom presentations and in-class workshop and research demonstrations will be augmented in the second half of the semester by guest lectures by landscape researchers in technology and field visits in the South Boston area.

Class members will carry out a series of technology assignments throughout the semester related to the concurrent STU 1212 Landscape Core Studio IV.

 

 

Cases in Contemporary Construction

As the final component in the required sequence of technology courses, this professionally-oriented course develops an integral understanding of the design and construction of buildings and their related technologies: structural, constructional, and environmental. Building on fundamentals covered in GSD 6123: Construction Systems, the course looks in detail at examples of innovative construction techniques in wood, steel, and concrete structures. Building design and construction will be evaluated within the context in which technological innovation takes place by exploring the relationship of the principal project participants, such as designers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and the owner(s). On this, the course will introduce the fundamentals of managing design and construction projects as well as the principal project delivery methods and scheduling techniques. Aspects such as risk management and environmental and social impacts on projects will be introduced, as well as topics related to facilitating innovation and developing talent.

Class meetings concentrate on case studies of recent buildings, which students are expected to study prior to class meetings. Each main course theme will be introduced by a lecture, and certain cases may have participants from the project team as guest speakers. Detail drawings as well as issues of project and construction management are introduced for discussion. Computer applications on structures, construction, environmental control systems, and techniques and decision-making frameworks on managing projects and teams are an integral part of the course.

Prerequisites: GSD 6123, 6125, and 6229, or equivalent.

Structural Design 1

This course introduces students to the analysis and design of structural systems. The fundamental principles of statics, structural loads, and rigid body equilibrium are considered first. The course continues with the analysis and design of cables, columns, beams, and trusses. The structural design of steel follows, culminating in the consideration of building systems design. The quantitative understanding of interior forces, bending moments, stresses, and deformations are an integral part of the learning process throughout the course. Students are expected to have completed all prerequisites in mathematics and physics.

Course Objectives:

Topics:

Course Requirements:
Reserved text: Schodek, D., Bechthold, M. Structures (Prentice Hall, Latest Edition)
Scientific calculator capable of calculating exponents, trigonometric functions, etc.
Note: The use of smartphones and/or computers will not be allowed during class or examinations

Design Teams:
Students will assemble themselves into teams of 3 persons each. Weekly homework assignments are to be completed by those teams; single submissions of each assignment will be accepted per team. These teams will remain intact for the duration of the semester. Weekly quizzes, a Mid-Term Examination, and a Final Examination will be taken individually (i.e. not in teams).

In addition to the regular Tues/Thurs afternoon schedule, this course will meet in room 109 from 9:30-11 on the following Fridays: 2/8, 2/15, 3/1.    

Ecologies, Techniques, Technologies II

Module 1
Topography—the land—is a basic medium and tool of landscape architecture. Grading is both precise and conceptual; the core mission of this module is for students to understand the technical underpinnings for grading and the influence that shaping the land has on human experience. The precision of grading will be learned through the concepts of land surveying, characteristics of contours, formation of spot elevations, universal grading terminology and formulas, calculating cut and fill, drainage patterns, and accessibility. Experiential qualities such enclosure, framing, prospect, concealment, scale, reinforcement, and comfort will be explored. Problem-solving in grading will be combined with discussions about the physical experiences of topography and every exercise will provide opportunities to use technical mastery to achieve design goals. Using this approach, students will strengthen their technical facility with grading while expanding their visual resources for expressing their design thinking about the landscape.

Module 2
Stormwater management, the focus of this class module, is one of the most pressing development issues of our times because it is tied to every aspect of world-wide health, safety, and welfare. As city, suburb, and town have developed, the need to address water quantity and quality has intensified and contemporary landscape architecture is uniquely positioned to find the intersections between management, performance, and experience. This course will examine the technical foundations of closed stormwater systems (structures and pipes), developed in the 19th Century, and the best practices of contemporary stormwater management systems that use over land conveyance, infiltration, retention, and natural systems as the basis for intelligent environmental site development. For closed drainage stormwater systems, lectures will cover calculations for watershed volumes, effects of ground surface on water flow, and sizing and layout of piping, swales, and ponds. This information will support the study of the latest methods and approaches for designing and calculating open and engineered natural drainage systems such as wetlands, bioswales, forebays, seeps, cisterns, rain gardens, permeable pavement, and underdrainage.

In both modules subjects will taught by lectures, case studies, and assignments, all supported by desk critiques of exercises. The final grade for the combined modules will be determined by six to eight assignments (65%), one final project due during the final exam week (25%), as well as class participation and attendance (10%).

The first meeting of this course on Wednesdassy, January 30th, will take place  in Gund Hall 111 from 8:30-10 AM. The course will move to three different locations from 10-11:30: Gund 121, 122, and 110.

Materials

This course explores the science of stuff. How do we classify stuff? How do we build with stuff? What are the energy, health, and societal implications of stuff? And what does the future of stuff look like? The goal of this course is to enable students to understand the near- and long-term implications of architectural materials and how to leverage this knowledge in environmental building design. The course is lecture- and discussion-based with a series of hands-on exercises and design workshops.

This course is the fourth of four modules (6121, 6122, 6125, & 6126) and constitutes part of the core curriculum in architecture and the Master of Design in Energy and Environments.

Building Simulation

This course is the third of four modules (6121, 6122, 6125, & 6125) and constitutes part of the core curriculum in architecture and the Master of Design in Energy and Environments. 

Objective: The best intent does not always lead to the best performing design, as intuition and rules of thumb often fail to adequately inform decision making. Therefore, high-performance architecture increasingly utilizes simulation tools to eliminate some of the guesswork. Simulation is the process of making a simplified model of some complex system and using it to predict the behavior of the system.In this course, state-of-the-art computer simulation methods for ventilation (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and thermal/energy analysis will be introduced. 

Innovative techniques for using these models in the architectural design process will be explored.

The course will provide students with:
1. An understanding of building simulation methods and their underlying principles
2. Hands-on experience in using computer simulation models to support the design process
3. An increased understanding of high-performance environmental design strategies in architecture

Content: In this course, students will acquire skills in computerized building performance simulation for architecture while simultaneously using these skills to explore fundamental design issues such as building massing and envelope design. The course includes discussion of the benefits as well as the limitations of these methods. Topics include fundamentals such as modeling strategies, underlying physical principles, understanding simulation assumptions, and interpreting results with an emphasis on developing the ability to translate the analysis into design decisions. Through practice with the software tools, students develop a better understanding of physics in architecture and hone their own design intuition.

Integrative Frameworks for Technology, Environment, and Society II

Developing and implementing good solutions to real problems facing human society requires a broad understanding of the relationships between technology innovation, science, manufacturing, design thinking, environment, sustainability, culture, aesthetics, business, public policy, and government. Various frameworks for understanding these complex relationships within the context of real-world problems will be explored and discussed.  Coursework will be based on assigned readings, case studies, research assignments, exercises, and class discussions.

GSD PRO 7231 and 7232 and ES 236a and ES 236b are equivalent courses. They are part of a two-course sequence. This course is for students enrolled in the Master in Design Engineering (MDE) graduate program. A small number of other students may be allowed to enroll by permission of instructor.

This course is held at SEAS. This course meetings 4pm-6pm Tuesdays in Pierce Hall 100F and 4pm-6pm Thursdays in MD 119.

Cities, Infrastructures, and Politics: From Renaissance to Smart Technologies

Infrastructures play a decisive role in urban development and in the life of cities. This course will envisage this role from a historical perspective. History proves especially useful when dealing with the political dimension of urban infrastructures. From fortifications to smart technologies, infrastructures are inseparable from political intentions and consequences. This political dimension will constitute one of the threads of this lecture course. Other themes dealt with in the course will include the relation between cities and their hinterland, the progressive dematerialization of infrastructures, from walls or bridges to the invisible electronic networks that organize contemporary urban life, the rise of environmental concerns and their impact on infrastructural thoughts and practices, the need to conceive differently infrastructures when dealing with informal settlements.

Topics will include:

Evaluation will take into account participation to the class discussions. Students will be asked to produce a final paper on a topic related to the course.

Modernization in the Visual United States Environment, 1890-2035

Modernization of the United States visual environment as directed by a nobility creating new images and perceptions of such themes as wilderness, flight, privacy, clothing, photography, feminism, status symbolism, and futurist manipulation as illustrated in print-media and other advertising enterprise.

Note: This course is offered jointly with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as VES 160.

Prerequisite: GSD 4105 or permission of the instructor.

Jointly Offered Course: FAS VES 160