Structures I

An Introduction to the History, Theory and Design of Structural Systems

Course Objectives

to learn about structures and the physical principles which describe their attributes; to develop a basic understanding of the structural behavior of structural systems and of their components; to study the loads which act upon buidlings and resulting forces that act within structural elements; to become familiar with traditional and contemporary methods of analysis of these forces; to initiate the development of a vocabulary with which to understand the way in which load-bearing structure is used in architectural design; to build the foundation of a basic understanding to facilitate continued study of Architectonics. A lucid comprehension of structural principles will be expected by the end of the course.

Course Content

The course consists of lectures and smaller lab sessions. It is designed to develop the basic analytic tools that are needed to understand, and model, the forces acting upon and within simple structural elements. The behavior of these elements will be extended to gain an insight into the behavior of larger, more complex structural systems. The interaction between structure and space is emphasized throughout the course with visual images included as often as practicle. Daily homework, weekly quizzes, a final exam and building case studies are to be anticipated.