ARH 239 Materials & Methods

Material choices are design decisions. You’ll evaluate the unique properties and construction methods of materials, including the social constructs, environmental impacts, and design opportunities they provide.

Prerequisites: ARH 150 & LA 107 or LA 108

Featured Image: Francisco Gonzalez

Course Learning Outcomes

Select appropriate materials and create detailed assembly drawings for an architectural design proposal
Incorporate material properties as design criteria in the design of a chair
Research, analyze, and present new building materials and discuss their benefits
Identify building materials and construction sequences through direct observations
Identify building material performances in term aesthetics, durability, and energy use
Identify the environmental impact of a material’s use and its inherent properties including life cycle

NAAB Criteria

PC 3 Ecological Knowledge and Responsibility How the program instills in students a holistic understanding of the dynamic between built and natural environments, enabling future architects to mitigate climate change responsibly by leveraging ecological, advanced building performance, adaptation, and resilience principles in their work and advocacy activities.
PC 5 Research and Innovation How the program prepares students to engage and participate in architectural research to test and evaluate innovations in the field.
SC 1 Health, Safety, Welfare in the Built Environment (understanding) How the program ensures that students understand the impact of the built environment on human health, safety, and welfare at multiple scales, from buildings to cities
SC 4 Technical Knowledge (understanding) How the program ensures that students understand the established and emerging systems, technologies, and assemblies of building construction, and the methods and criteria architects use to assess those technologies against the design, economics, and performance objectives of projects.