Staffing
| Computer technicians |
Tutors |
| Peter Ramutenas |
Matt Fraser |
OVERVIEW
ELECTIVE - 20 Points
ASSESSMENT:
100% Internal by Assignment
Co-ordinator
Michael Donn
Room 4.7
Email michael.donn@vuw.ac.nz
Tel 463 6207
Office Hours: Wednesdays 12-1:30pm
Aims
This course provides students with an understanding of the uses and potentials of computers as aids to building visualisation and information management. This is not a training course for CAD operators. Basic digital craft skills are learned in two integrated projects and an associated series of skills tutorials. Students learn sufficient of the capabilites of computer packages to be able to use them to critically analyse a significant architectural project. As future professionals, they learn how to assess when the computer can contribute usefully to the business of design and construction of buildings.
Within this general aim, it is intended that on completion of the course students should be able to:
- Understand the nature and role of computers in relation to architecture and its associated activities.
- Understand some principles of operating systems and computer working environments.
- Criticise knowledgably current and proposed developments in computer applications in architecture - with particular emphasis on CAD and the electronic office.
- Understand some principles of information management and control - particularly with respect to project organisation and coordination via the Internet.
- Use a CAD (currently AutoCAD ArchiCAD or Revit) and two rendering engines (currently Light Studio and Mental Ray) within a 3D graphics package (currently 3DS Viz 2007) and a simple web-authoring package with sufficient skill that they can construct a three dimensional model of a reasonable size building and publish the results on the World Wide Web.
- Compare knowledgeably the options available in hardware and software for a range of computer application
Class Meeting Times
The course consists of one class session of 2 contact hours each week (Tuesdays 15:40-17:30 in LT1) plus two 2 hour tutorial reserve allocations for practical work:
Stream a:
Tuesdays 11:30-13:30 and Thursdays 11:30-13:30; in Room VS236 or
Stream b: Tuesdays 13:40-15:30 and Thursdays 13:40-15:30; in Room VS236
AND during the Study Break, two tutorial sessions organised at the last class before the study break.
Due to the size of the class group, the tutorial will operate for allocated groups of students. The allocation of people to tutorial sessions has been pre-organised. Should you wish to change tutorials for some reason, please swap with another student , and only then advise the course coordinator.
In addition to the contact hours of the course, students are expected to spend approximately twice this number of hours in individual study and practical work - a total of 12-15 hours per week. Specialist staff and visiting consultants contribute to the course as appropriate. The timetable tells you what is scheduled for each class session.