i. institutional support and commitment to continuous improvement

School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Department of Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects
Master of Architecture
Master of Architecture with emphasis in Interior Architecture
Course Number & Title:
ARCH 5110 Architecture Studio 1: Sites (4.5)
Course Description:
This introductory studio addresses site as a generator
of architectural ideas and examines how architecture
constructs, and responds to, site conditions.
Architectural “transitions” including approach, entry,
occupation and egress are studied in order to posit
the building as a sustainable system and the thresh-
old between interior and exterior space.
Course Goals & Objectives:
1) Design culture: introduction to the role of
site and material context in contemporary
architectural design.
2) Design practice: introduction to basic
design methods, emphasizing conceptual
experimentation and rigor, material innovation,
and cultural invention through the conceptual
design of a small building with an extensive site
infrastructure.
3) Design techniques and skills: develop an
intermediate level of architectural representa-
tion, with an emphasis on visual explanation
and analysis, plans, sections and elevations, and
basic manual model construction.
Student Performance Criterion:
1) Best exemplifies the following criteria:
a) A.6. Fundamental design skills (ability)
b) B.4. Site Design (ability)
2) Additional criteria
a) A.2. Design thinking (ability)
b) A.5. Investigative Skills (ability)
c) A.8. Ordering Systems Skills (understanding)
d) A.10. Cultural Diversity (ability)
Topical Outline:
1) Design culture: students will investigate ap-
proaches to site as developed in contemporary
art and architecture, completing case studies
that relate the use of site in contemporary art
practice to contemporary architectural design;
15% of the course.
2) Design culture: through a series of readings
of contemporary theory related to site, students
will develop a written statement describing the
relationship of their project to contemporary
architectural design practice; 10% of the course.
3) Design practice: through a series of lectures
and demonstrations, students will be intro-
duced to site documentation and analysis
techniques; students will prepare a series of
Architecture Program Report | 164
diagrams and explanatory graphics describing
both the qualitative and quantitative charac-
teristics of the existing site and proposed site
design; 10% of the course.
4) Design practice: working from ideas gener-
ated through the case studies and site analysis,
students will develop a design for a building
and site that integrates site considerations with
architectural ideas; students will work through
an iterative process that integrates analog and
digital techniques, and will make formal presen-
tations at 50%, 75% and 100% completion, at
an introductory level of accomplishment; 25%
of the course.
5) Design techniques: students will document
their conceptual design through a complete
and coordinated set of site plans and sec-
tions, and building plans, sections, elevations,
showing context, scale figures and materials,
using CAD, and showing appropriate line types,
weights and notations at a professional level;
15% of the course.
6) Design techniques: students will document
their conceptual design through physical site
and building models emphasizing material ef-
fects and formal ideas, at a professional level;
15% of the course.
7) Design techniques: students will complete
approximately 10’x10’ total of presentation
boards, showing all plans, sections and eleva-
tion context, scale figures and materials, along
with supporting analysis and information, that
may include vignettes and models, at a profes-
sional level; 10% of the course.
Prerequisites:
5004, 5005, 5006
Textbooks/Learning Resources:
Various sources including:
• Taking Measures Across the American
Landscape by James Corner, Dennis Cosgrove
and Alex McClean
• How to Use Your Eyes by James Elkins
Offered (semester and year):
• Semester: FALL
• Year: ONE
Faculty assigned:
• 2009-2010 academic year:
Keane, Linda Lee (F/T), Grimes, Ellen
(F/T)
• 2010-2011 academic year:
Keane, Linda Lee (F/T), Vitale, Brian
(P/T)