ARCH 8833

This is the first in the series of three courses that focus on technical issues of building design and systems integration. The course is taught in two modules with the first focusing on the environmental impact of buildings and the design of building systems to respond to the climate in which they are placed. The second module focuses on the structural environment, with a focus on lateral forces and the building systems used to resist them. Both modules will use the Kendeda Building on the Georgia Tech campus as a testbed for discussion and analysis of building environmental and structural systems.

Module 1 focuses on lateral forces in buildings and on how life safety is ensured in building structural systems under extreme wind and seismic loading. The module builds awareness of the coordination required between architects and structural engineers in the analysis of buildings under extreme loading and the design and integration of lateral force resisting systems into buildings. Students will complete an assessment of the lateral force demand from code-specified wind and earthquake loading on buildings in multiple locations in the United States and select and proportion lateral force resisting systems (LFRS) for those loads. The class will involve an understanding of the code required forces, computation of lateral forces and an introduction to reading structural drawings. One project includes building idealized lateral systems and loading them to failure for reflection and comparison among project groups. Another project will include comprehending structural drawings of a building on campus; documenting the loads and their paths for gravity and lateral forces; and exploring an alternate lateral force resisting for the building. Projects will be done in groups. There will be weekly homework assignments completed individually.

Module 2 introduces the students to the basics of equilibrium as a guiding principle for designing building systems. The module explores thermal, and luminous environmental design in the context of architectural building systems. The course first focuses on the building envelope as a fundamental element in defining a building and then explores how it integrates with other systems in a unified ecosystem. Furthermore, integrated building systems are emphasized, including active mechanical systems, plumbing, electrical systems, and lighting. The module assignments are individual and connect performance analysis with design through Building Performance Simulation (BPS). This module focuses on the active systems in buildings and how they impact the design of the building and vice versa. The objective of this module is to equip you with an understanding of these systems sufficient for you to design a building in concert with its environmental systems.