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 5120 Architecture Studio 2: Skins (4.5)
Course Description:
This introductory design studio examines the role of the
building envelope in architectural design, focusing on its rela-
tion to program, site, form and materials.
Course Goals & Objectives:
1) Design culture: explore the role of building enve-
lopes in design, integrating ideas about envelopes
with scale, site, structure, program and form, experi-
menting with skin effects and affects as a generator of
a design, adapting an existing building, and address-
ing the existing building envelope.
2) Design practice : investigate the design of building
skins in the broadest sense, including design, techni-
cal, structural, environmental, and social performance
(ranging from cultural questions to accessibility)
through the conceptual design of a small public build-
ing of approximately 50,000 sq.ft.
3) Design skills: develop design and graphic skills by
completing the conceptual design of a small public
building with a complex program, producing architec-
tural drawings and models at an accomplished level,
demonstrating a command of drawing and model-
ing conventions and an ability to manipulate those
conventions to convey ideas relevant to a particular
design idea.
4) Technical knowledge: demonstrate awareness of
the role of accessibility and sustainability in the design
process.
Student Performance Criterion:
1) Best exemplifies the following criteria
a) B10. Building envelopes (understanding)
2) Additional criteria
a) A.6. Fundamental design skills (ability)
b) A.8. Ordering Systems (understanding)
c) B.2. Accessibility (ability)
d) B.9. Structural systems (understanding)
e) B.12. Building materials (understanding)
Topical Outline:
1) Design culture: after completing a series of read-
ings of contemporary theory related to building skins,
students will develop a written statement describ-
ing the relationship of their project to contemporary
architectural design practice; 5% of the course.
2) Design culture & practice: students demonstrate
their investigative skills by completing a research proj-
ect that includes comparisons of building envelope
Architecture Program Report | 168
performance for 4 contemporary buildings, includ-
ing formal, technical, structural, environmental, social
effects. The research will include primary, secondary
and tertiary sources. All of the work must meet a pro-
fessional level of accomplishment; 20% of the course.
3) Design skills: By the midterm, students will be
demonstrate their ability to create a strong concep-
tual framework for a design project by proposing
range of initial ideas in model, refining those ideas
through 2 concept models, developing an approach
to programming which complements those concepts,
completing a site analysis, developing a 1/4 work-
ing model as the primary exploration of design ideas,
extending those ideas in 1/8 building drawings. 25%
of the course.
4) Design skills: By the final, students will demon-
strate their ability to complete a complex conceptual
building design, addressing the building envelope as a
generative material idea, showing a carefully consid-
ered and documented design process, integrating
ideas and information from their research project, fully
documented in presentation quality drawings (includ-
ing site plans, building plans, elevations, sections and
wall sections), building model and site model and all
explanatory and conceptual diagrams and other infor-
mation and analysis
5) Technical knowledge: students will demonstrate
their understanding of accessibility by completing a
brief analysis of their final building plans; 5% of the
course.
6) Technical knowledge: students will demonstrate
their understanding of sustainability by addressing the
brief of the project, and completing a site analysis; 5%
of the course .
Prerequisites:
All required first semester coursework.
Textbooks/Learning Resources:
Various sources including:
• Moussavi & Kubo’s The Function of Ornament.
Offered (semester and year):
• Semester: SPRING
• Year: ONE
Faculty assigned:
• 2009-2010 academic year:
Grimes, Ellen (F/T)
• 2010-2011 academic year:
Exley, Peter (P/T), Nereim, Anders (F/T)