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 6210 Architecture Studio 5: Integrations (4.5)
Course Description:
This comprehensive design studio examines how
creative program analysis drives creative, complex
design solutions. This studio uses innovative program-
ming techniques to design large-scale buildings and
complexes. The final projects integrate design ideas
with structures and systems. The course uses a vari-
ety of discrete analytical, diagrammatic and visualiza-
tion exercises to register obscure existing conditions
and cultural changes into clear terms so the designer,
client and the public can understand them and the
new solutions that arise out of them.
Course Goals & Objectives:
1) Design culture: methods of integration and
information synthesis in contemporary architectural
design.
2) Design practice: advanced design methods, em-
phasizing feasibility, and comprehension through
the design of a large building with an extensive
systems integration challenge.
3) Design techniques and skills: develop an ad-
vanced level of architectural representation, with an
emphasis on analysis, plans, sections and eleva-
tions, and model construction.
Student Performance Criterion:
1) Best exemplifies the following criteria:
a) B.6. Comprehensive Design (ability)
b) B.7. Financial Considerations (understanding)
2) Additional criteria associated with SPC B.6
a) A.2. Design Thinking (ability)
b) A.4 Technical Documentation (ability)
c) A.5. Investigative Skills (ability)
d) A.8. Ordering Systems Skills (understanding)
e) A.9 Historical Traditions & Global Culture
(understanding)
f) B.2. Accessibility (ability)
g) B.3. Sustainability (ability)
h) B.4. Site Design (ability)
i) B.5. Life Safety (ability)
j) B.8. Environmental Systems (understanding)
k) B.9. Structural Systems (understanding)
l) B.11. Building Service Systems (understanding)
Topical Outline:
1) Design culture: ‘disciplinary literacy’— student
will examine and critique contemporary practice
Architecture Program Report | 178
relevant to studio topic; 10% of the course.
2) Design practice: through a series of lectures and
exercises, students will be introduced to informa-
tion collection and research methodologies; stu-
dents will prepare a series of explanatory graphics
describing proposed programmatic conditions in
existing behavioral contexts, system integrations
and comprehensive planning; 15% of the course.
3) Design practice: working from ideas generated
through the case studies, site analysis and systems
research, students will develop a design for a large
urban building that integrates site considerations
with architectural ideas; students will work through
an iterative process that integrates analog and
digital techniques, and will make formal presenta-
tions at 50%, 75% and 100% completion, 15% of the
course.
4) Design techniques: students will document their
design through a complete and coordinated set of
design research diagrams, tables and reports, site
plans and sections, building plans, sections, eleva-
tions, showing context, and materials, using CAD,
and showing appropriate symbology and notations
at a professional level; 25% of the course.
5) Design techniques: students will document
their conceptual design through physical site and
building models, emphasizing material effects and
formal ideas, at a professional level; 25% of the
course.
6) Design techniques: students will complete ap-
proximately 10’x10’ total of presentation boards,
showing all plans, sections and elevation context,
and materials, along with supporting analysis and
information, that may include vignettes and mod-
els, at a professional level; 25% of the course.
Prerequisites:
All required fourth semester coursework.
Textbooks/Learning Resources:
Various sources including: S,M,L,XL by Rem Kool-
haas and Bruce Mau
Offered (semester and year):
• Semester: FALL
• Year: THREE
Faculty assigned:
• 2009-2010 academic year:
Ahleman, Thomas (P/T), Tornheim, Dan (P/T)
• 2010-2011 academic year:
Ahleman, Thomas (P/T), Exley, Peter (P/T)