Aims & Learning Objectives:
To give students experience in developing a complex scheme working in teams with final year BSc architecture students or MArch students.
At the end of the unit, the student should have demonstrated an ability to engage in interdisciplinary design of a complex scheme.
Content:
Precedent lectures are used to discuss relevant examples.
The building or development project type will have more complex planning problems such as transportation, geotechnical and flood alleviation aspects, and potential for elegance in its structural solution and architectural function. There should be environmental conditions to consider, both external and internal - such as air conditioning/ natural ventilation to compare, and lighting and acoustic problems.
Types of building complexes which are suitable include autitoria based (theatre, opera house, concert hall - all have potential for interesting structures, eg cable, domes, frameworks etc), museum (differing types from art galleries to 'Exploratory' type, and libraries, requiring exclusion of noise and good lighting ), industrial (eg brewery, with the process providing a problem), sports complex or transport interchange facilities. All have potential for interest functionally, structurally and visually as well as in services, and heavy foundation loads.
The project will be tutored both by academic staff and industrial visiting tutors.
The project is also intended to be competitive between groups (with each group consisting ideally of 2 architectural and 2 engineering students), and is the subject of a prize jury and presentation - known as the Basil Spence Prize.
The BEng, MEng and Architectural students all participate in this interdisciplinary group project. The main distinction between the BEng (Project C3/1) and MEng (Project M3) is that MEng students are expected to apply their broader knowledge to the design, and to demonstrate leadership in the conceptual design stage.
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