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 6221 & INARC 6212 Choreographed/
Ambient Systems (3)
Course Description:
The intention of this course is for students to develop
“comprehension of” and “ability in” the selection and
location of building systems and their integration into
design considerations.
Course Goals & Objectives:
1) Design practice: Course develops knowledge in
basic building mechanical systems. An understand-
ing of the role that the building systems play in
design decisions developed through an analysis of
historic and contemporary buildings.
2) Design practice: Building science skills: develop
the ability to communicate system performance
information and component specification in analyti-
cal drawings, diagrams and conventional plans and
sections.
3) Building science skills: Developing investigative
skills allowing students to effectively choose and
incorporate mechanical systems during pre-design.
Basic environmental systems concepts including com-
ponent specification and sizing
Student Performance Criterion:
1) Best exemplifies the following criteria:
a) A.4. Technical Documents (ability)
b) B.8. Environmental Systems (understanding)
c) B.11. Building Services (understanding)
2) Additional criteria
a) A.11. Applied Research (understanding)
b) B.3. Sustainable Design (ability)
c) B.5. Life Safety (ability)
d) C.2. Human Behavior (understanding)
e) C.4. Client Role (understanding)
Topical Outline:
1) Design practice: This class is a forum for discuss-
ing & emphasizing the relationship between concep-
tual ideas and tangible systems in order to develop
synthesized design methodologies. It challenges
students to not only create beautiful & intriguing
building forms, but also structures that answer to
the fundamental issues and opportunities of human
comfort, needs and behavior patterns. 20% of the
course.
2) Building science knowledge: The course will focus
on systemic aspects of buildings & environments,
Architecture Program Report | 180
such as heating & cooling, plumbing, electrical,
lighting, vertical transportation, fire protection, and
security and how those systems are coordinated
(and choreographed) with other design elements &
systems such as structure, materiality, sustainability,
and egress. 40% of the course.
3) Building science skills: Complimentary to the
goal of delivering these concepts, the course applies
focus on the distillation of complex information and
the graphic communication of that information to a
range of audiences across the design & construction
industries. Students are tasked with understanding
typical modes of representation of systems & techni-
cal information (drawings, specifications, models, dia-
grams, etc.) Provides insight into means & methods of
graphic communication via the creation of in-depth,
coordinated architectural & MEP construction docu-
ments. 40% of the course.
Prerequisites:
All required fourth semester courses.
Textbooks/Learning Resources:
Various sources including:
• Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for
Buildings, Stein, Reynolds, Grodzick, Kwok, Wiley
Publications
• The Architects Studio Companion, Latest Edi-
tion, Allan & Iano, Wiley Publications
• Materials, Structures, Standards, McMorrough
Rockport Publishers
• Fundamentals of Lighting, Winchip, Fairchild
Publications
• Building Construction Illustrated, Ching, Wiley
Publications
Offered (semester and year):
• Semester: Fall
• Year: THREE
Faculty assigned:
• 2009-2010 academic year:
Newman, Michael (P/T), Tebben, Paul (P/T),
Tannys Langdon (F/T)
• 2010-2011 academic year:
Newman, Michael (P/T), Tebben, Paul (P/T),
Dan Tornheim (F/T)