Architecture

This course examines the evolution of Chinese ancient architecture, including the main characteristics of ancient architecture in different historical times. It focuses on the official style buildings in the Song and Yuan dynasties and the Ming and Qing dynasties. 

This course provides the theory and practice for students to understand ecodesign and sustainability and its affects on design practice. Students examine the design methods related to ecodesign and sustainable design and its applications. Project work is conducted to provide the bridge to integrate such theoretical knowledge into practice.

This course examines concepts and methods of Building Information Modelling (BIM), its standards, and its application in design analysis. It covers BIM-based analysis of low carbon building design to achieve optimal design solutions and BIM to evaluate building performance.

This course is a survey of the architectural output of the Islamic world from from Spain to Indonesia from the 7th century to the present. It presents major examples of religious and secular architecture, including mosques, madrasas, palaces, and caravanserais and offers an insight into different Islamic dynastic styles in their respective geographic territories beginning with the Umayyads in Syria and ending with the contemporary architecture. With the help of visual material and field trips, the course analyzes major monuments with the objective of arriving at an understanding of each dynasty’s contribution in the context of the continuous development that nurtured it. The course facilitates enjoyment of Islamic architecture, provides an understanding of how art historians think and argue with one another, and expands visual memory.

This is a special studies course involving an internship with a corporate, public, governmental, or private organization, arranged with the Study Center Director or Liaison Officer. Specific internships vary each term and are described on a special study project form for each student. A substantial paper or series of reports is required. Units vary depending on the contact hours and method of assessment. The internship may be taken during one or more terms but the units cannot exceed a total of 12.0 for the year.

This course provides students with fundamental knowledge of the German architectural tradition through a historical survey of key buildings and urban spaces. Political, cultural, historical and technological factors are closely studied as influences on the process of design and final built forms. Throughout the course, representative architectural examples in Berlin are also studied. Students explore how the city is a particularly rich site to observe how numerous competing political visions and social movements influenced German architecture and urban development.

This course seeks to immerse students in a professional work environment. Students have the opportunity to observe and interact with co-workers, and learn how to recognize and respond to cultural differences. Students compare concepts of teamwork and interpersonal interactions in different cultures as experienced on the job. Seminar work helps students apply academic knowledge in a business setting and identify opportunities to create value within the company. Students research a specific topic related to their work placement and present their findings in a final research report.

This service-learning course combines a structured curriculum and extensive partnership with a local community-based organization to offer tangible community service. Here, student community service includes direct
engagement as well as a research-based action plan addressing a specific challenge or goal identified by a community-based organization. Students begin by exploring key community-based organizations: examining their
mission, vision and goals, and the place of the organization in the local community. Each student then works with an assigned partner organization and invests at least 90 hours partnering with the organization, working with them
and investigating ways to solve a challenge or issue the organization has identified. Student service-learning includes exploring the proximate and ultimate drivers of the organization's chosen challenge, and the organization's
infrastructure, resources, limitations and possibilities for reducing barriers to achieving the organization's self-identified goals. In concert, coursework probes the role of community-based organizations in both local and global
contexts, common challenges of community-based organizations in defining and implementing their goals, the role of service-learning in addressing these issues, and effective ways for students to help them achieve their mission,
vision, and goals. Coursework also guides the student's service-learning experience by helping students develop sound international service ethics, provide tools to investigate solutions to common development issues, aid in
data analysis and presentation, and provide best practices to illustrate findings and deliver approved joint recommendations orally and in writing. Throughout, students use service-learning as a means to expand their global awareness and understanding, explore shared aspirations for social justice, and develop skills to work with others to effect positive change.

This course is an introduction to history and theory in architecture and landscape architecture. To understand the making of built places, from the scale of the house to that of the city, the course is built around three questions: what is the built environment and how is it formed and transformed; how do we analyze built places and how might we imagine and create better social and environmental outcomes in our built places through design. Using a contemporary city as its key case study, location for student fieldwork and the mapping of places, the course is organized into four parts, addressing in turn: infrastructures, housing, health, and knowledge institutions.

This course provides an in-depth exploration of building science topics related to sustainable buildings. Through a combination of lectures, workshops, and hands-on projects, students learn the fundamental scientific principles underlying these phenomena and gain practical experience with technologies and analytical techniques for designing comfortable and energy-efficient indoor environments. The course covers a broad range of topics, including climate analysis, solar energy, heat transfer, natural ventilation, HVAC systems, renewable energy, acoustics, biophilic design, landscape design, and water systems. Students apply these principles in real-world scenarios, learning to integrate energy, light, and sound considerations into architectural design to enhance building performance and occupant comfort. Topics include Introduction to Sustainable Buildings, Understanding Climate - Methods for Environmental Analysis, Understanding Comfort - Psychrometrics and Bioclimatic Chart, Solar Energy and Daylighting, Material and Building Heat Transfer, Wind and Natural Ventilation, Building Performance Simulation, HVAC and Renewable Energy, Indoor Environmental Quality, Acoustics and Biophilic Design, and Landscape Design and Water system.