Architecture and Planning Course

Lesson 1 • Core Concepts in Spatial Design

Introduces fundamental spatial principles including scale, proportion, and enclosure. These concepts underpin all subsequent design and planning analysis.

Lesson 2 • Reading and Interpreting Built Environments

Develops observational skills for analyzing existing buildings and urban spaces. Students apply a structured lens to real-world spatial conditions.

Lesson 3 • Disciplines Within the Built Environment

Maps the professional landscape across architecture, urban planning, landscape, and engineering. Clarifies disciplinary boundaries and collaborative roles.

Lesson 1 • 3D Modeling and Visualization Basics

Introduces three-dimensional digital modeling for spatial exploration and presentation. Students build simple massing models to test design ideas.

Lesson 2 • Architectural Symbols and Conventions

Teaches standardized graphic symbols used in construction documents. Consistent notation ensures drawings are legible to all project stakeholders.

Lesson 3 • Manual Drafting Fundamentals

Covers line weights, orthographic projection, and drafting conventions. Manual skills build precision habits that transfer directly to digital tools.

Lesson 4 • Introduction to CAD Software

Introduces computer-aided drafting for producing precise architectural drawings. Students replicate manual drawings digitally to reinforce spatial understanding.

Lesson 1 • Environmental Constraints and Opportunities

Identifies ecological sensitivities, flood risk, slope stability, and soil conditions. Constraint mapping transforms site limitations into design opportunities.

Lesson 2 • Synthesizing Site Analysis into Design

Integrates all site data into a coherent analysis document that drives design decisions. Students produce a site analysis report with actionable design implications.

Lesson 3 • Climate and Microclimate Analysis

Examines solar angles, wind patterns, precipitation, and thermal comfort at the site scale. Climate data directly shapes passive design strategies.

Lesson 4 • Contextual and Cultural Analysis

Analyzes neighborhood character, land use patterns, and cultural significance of a site. Contextual understanding ensures designs respond to their social environment.

Lesson 1 • Concept Development and Ideation

Explores methods for generating and testing design concepts through sketching and diagramming. Strong concepts provide coherent direction throughout the design process.

Lesson 2 • Schematic Design Development

Develops spatial layouts, massing strategies, and circulation systems at the schematic level. Schematic design translates concepts into testable spatial proposals.

Lesson 3 • Understanding the Design Brief

Teaches how to read, interpret, and interrogate a client brief to extract design requirements. A well-understood brief prevents costly design misalignments.

Lesson 4 • Design Iteration and Critique

Establishes a structured review process for evaluating and improving design proposals. Iterative critique builds analytical rigor and design resilience.

Lesson 1 • Building Envelope and Enclosure

Examines wall assemblies, roofing systems, and glazing for weather resistance and thermal performance. Envelope design directly affects energy use and occupant comfort.

Lesson 2 • Accessibility and Life Safety Systems

Covers universal design principles, egress requirements, and fire protection systems. Compliance with life safety standards is a non-negotiable design obligation.

Lesson 3 • Structural Systems Overview

Covers load paths, structural typologies, and material behavior in buildings. Structural literacy enables architects to design in collaboration with engineers.

Lesson 4 • Construction Materials and Methods

Surveys common construction materials and their application in building assemblies. Material knowledge informs specification decisions and construction detailing.

Lesson 1 • Urban Structure and Morphology

Examines how cities are organized through street networks, blocks, and land use patterns. Morphological analysis reveals the logic underlying urban form.

Lesson 2 • Public Space and Open Space Planning

Covers the design and programming of parks, plazas, and public realm networks. Quality public space is a measurable indicator of urban livability.

Lesson 3 • Land Use Planning and Zoning

Covers land use classification, zoning instruments, and their effect on urban development. Zoning shapes what can be built where and at what intensity.

Lesson 4 • Housing and Neighborhood Planning

Examines housing typologies, affordability strategies, and neighborhood design principles. Housing planning directly affects social equity and community resilience.

Lesson 1 • Passive Design Strategies

Covers orientation, natural ventilation, daylighting, and thermal mass as primary energy reduction tools. Passive strategies reduce mechanical system loads before active systems are sized.

Lesson 2 • Energy Modeling and Performance Analysis

Introduces energy simulation tools for predicting building energy consumption. Performance data enables evidence-based design decisions early in the process.

Lesson 3 • Urban Sustainability and Climate Resilience

Applies sustainability principles at the neighborhood and city scale, including heat mitigation and flood adaptation. Urban resilience planning addresses long-term climate risk.

Lesson 4 • Green Building Rating Systems

Surveys internationally recognized green building certification frameworks and their credit structures. Rating systems provide measurable sustainability targets for design teams.

Lesson 1 • Professional Ethics and Responsibility

Examines ethical obligations to clients, communities, and the environment in professional practice. Ethical literacy is foundational to long-term professional credibility.

Lesson 2 • Construction Documentation Fundamentals

Introduces the structure and content of a full construction document set. Accurate documentation is the primary legal and technical instrument for building delivery.

Lesson 3 • Integrated Design Studio Project

Guides students through a full design project integrating site, program, structure, and sustainability. The studio project synthesizes all course competencies into a single resolved proposal.

Lesson 4 • Project Delivery and Procurement

Covers design-bid-build, design-build, and other delivery models and their implications for the architect's role. Procurement method selection affects project cost, risk, and quality.