ARCH 125
Introduction to Computing in Architecture
Professor Martin Felsen

Tuesday
Thursday

Course Description:
Introduction to the concepts + processes of digital architectural design, and the conventions of graphic communication via CAD hardware/software. The course will review a set of fundamental design- based concepts/skills that parallel the concepts/skills taught in the design studio Core Curriculum. The course will introduce various methods of digital (and multi-media) thinking, sketching, drawing, modeling, communicating and presenting. The class will focus on project and portfolio based presentation techniques, preparing students to effectively communicate concepts and work to colleagues, professors, employers, critics and clients.

Course Objectives:
Students are expected to demonstrate the following fundamental 2D/3D computing concepts and skills with digital media at the completion of the course:

Cartesian Space
x, y & z axes, reference planes, units of measure and grids.

Object Creation
Object types: solids, surfaces.

Structured drawing methods:
grids, constructive geometry, underlays and digital tracing.

Creation methods:
extrusions, sweeps, revolutions, boolean operations.

Editing:
Geometric: basic transformations: move, rotate, scale.

Organization:
Maintaining object representation schemes for development/analysis by files, layers, symbols, colors.

Views:
Projections: axonometric, isometric, oblique & perspective.
Navigation: zoom, pan & rotate view, setting, saving and recalling views.

Visualization:
Rendering: display types; wire-frame, quick paint, hidden line, surface render, shaded render, Z-buffer.
Light models: distant (sun), spot lights, point lights.

Visual simulation:
transparencies, bumps, reflections.

Image composition:
photomontage techniques: integrating 3D models with context photos.

Presentation:
Drawings: line weights, styles, hatch patterns, text
2D and 3D Diagramming: analysis of circulation, daylighting, structural, functional, hierarchical, private/public, object/space, solid/void.
Slides/Images: presentation techniques.

Teaching Method:
The course will consist of in-class lectures and demonstrations followed up by assignments to be finished outside of class. In addition to the weekly assignments, there will be one final review of each student's personal website.

Course Material:
Each student will be responsible for creating a web site on which all the assignments are to be posted. This will serve as the main method of assignment submission. Late submissions will be reflected in the final grades (see below Grading Policy). Each weekly assignment is due (uploaded onto the personal website) 24 hours before the beginning of the following week's class time.

All the hardware and software needed for this course is available in the Media Lab and Seigal 236 and 237. Selected readings, tutorials and worksheets prepared by the instructor will be handed out in class.

Grading Policy:
You will be graded on every assignment given in this class. In addition there are 3 factors that can potentially reduce your grade, these are: attendance, punctuality and class participation. The instructor will take attendance at the beginning of every class. If you are late for the class without a legitimate excuse (see student handbook) this will count as half an absence. Two unexcused absences will cause your final grade to be reduced by one letter grade, three unexcused absences will constitute failure for the course.

Further, all students will be required to keep a backup copy of their work on Zip Disk. In the event that the server goes down or work is lost due to some computer failure the student will be expected to produce a backup copy of the work. Failure to produce a backup copy will result in a failing grade for the assignment. There will be no exceptions to these rules.

Stage 1: Languages of Design + Graphic Communication
Architects create drawing and models in order to allow others to understand, in concept and detail, their ideas. Sketches, diagrams, notated drawings and 3D scaled/CAD models allow designers to communicate to their colleagues and clients qualitative and quantitative information involved in the production of architecture. This series of three lectures will introduce multiple methods of graphically communicating ideas through various forms of 2D and 3D abstracted representation.

Week 1
Lecture: Computing, Drawing and Architectural Practice
Due:
IIT email account and password activated: xxxxxxx@charlie.cns.iit.edu
IIT web account with working personal website: http://www.iit.edu/~xxxxxxx
Your IIT web account works if, when you visit your personal www website, you see your name and other brief information; it does not work if you see an error message. If you see an error message or if you need to establish an email account call the CNS Helpdesk (567-3000).

Week 2
Lecture: Communication on the WWW
Due:
Re-Interface of personal website.
Add to personal website:
index.html
name; email link; self-portrait; link to http://www.iit.edu/~mfelsen/arch125a.html; link to path.html; links to "best communication" websites
path.html
one scanned image of path drawing; one digital photo of path model; text captions
(use "table" to organize images and text; images sizes @ 72dpi)

Week 3
Lecture: 2001 Techniques of Computing, Communicating
Personal website review.
Websites to visit:
potlatch paper
chicago symphony orchestra
turnstone furniture
Due:
Respond to web review: ameliorate website.

Stage 2: Digital Communication Skills
Table + Table Lamp

Week 4
Lecture: Warm-Up 3D CAD Model
CAD Seminar: 2D/3D CAD Interface, Window Tools, Palettes, Coordinates, Tools, Layers.
Review of pages 1-16-- FormZ Tutorial.
Due (beginning of class, Week 5):
1. Mies Side-Table:
On one 8 1/2" x 11" printed page @ 1/2" = 1'-0" scale (use "Plot/Print Setup"),
include one plan view and one elevation view of your 3D CAD model of a side-table designed by Mies.
"Copy"/"Paste From Modeling" your "Hidden Line" renderings from "Model" to "Draft".
Notate Drawing Title, Scale, Plan, Elevation.
2. Mies Side-Table virtual:
Upload one (minimum) 3D view "Hidden Line" rendering to website.

Week 5
Lecture: Warm-Up 3D CAD Model + Render
CAD Seminar: Drawing Objects (pgs. 18-19 Mini-Manual), Revolved Objects (pg. 23), Sweeps (pg. 28), Plotting and Rendering (pgs. 15-16), Layers, Views, Lights, Shadows.
Due (beginning of class, Week 6):
1. Artemide (Modern Classics) Table Lamp
Create a 3D CAD model of one Artemide (modern classic) table lamp; place table lamp on table.
Upload a minimum of 1 view of your table and table lamp to website.
Notes:
- two light sources are to be utilized: one distant source (sun) and one point source (to be located in lamp).
- add a floor to model, and turn shadows on (display / display options / Renderzone Options).
- all model materials to be realistic (add one layer for each material).

Stage 3: Digital Modeling Skills
3D Path

Week 6
Lecture: Digital help session.
CAD Seminar: Web Site completion.
Due:
Website with ALL assignments up-to-date.

Week 7
Lecture: 2D Digital Information
CAD Seminar: 2D Path Geometry; Web Layers.
Due:
1. Wire Frame Rendering of 2D CAD model of your path.
Model the plan of your path full-scale using real dimensions.
2. Upload one image of your path onto your website.

Week 8
Lecture: 3D Digital Information
CAD Seminar: 3D CAD Tools.
Refer to the following pages in your FormZ Mini Manual: pg. 22 Derivative Objects, pg. 28 Sweeps, pg. 51 Boolean operations, pg. 55 Joining and separating, pg. 66 Editing Lines, pg. 74 Insertions.
Due:
Upload one image of your (in progress) 3D path onto your website.

Week 9
Lecture: 3D Model Environments
Advanced Model Tools.
Due:
Upload one image of your completed 3D path onto your website.

Week 10
Lecture: 3D Render Environments.
CAD Seminar: Advanced Rendering and Digital Context.
Due
Create one image using Hidden Line rendering.
In formZ, use a Perspective View for this image.
Use the Edit Cone of Vision tool to create a perspective of your path at eye height.
In Photoshop, add a scale figure to your image.
Upload image of your 3D path onto your website.

Week 11
Lecture: Shadow and Shading.
Due
Create four shadow studies of your path using RenderZone rendering.
1. Using formZ, Copy/Paste your entire Path into a New (Model).
2. Change the Color of your entire Path to one single Surface Style: before changing the color, double-click the Color tool and select "Clear All Face Surface Styles".
3. Create a ground for your path: create a 2D plane, 60'-0"(dx) x 60'-0"(dy), co-planer to the main base of your path. Center your path on the ground. Make the color of the ground a very light grey.
4. Light Parameters: use one Distant light only; select Use Sun Settings; select Sun Position and choose Chicago as your site.
5. Create one study using the Summer Solstice (June 21), a second using the Winter Solstice (December 21), a third using the Vernal Equinox (March 21) and a fourth using the Autumnal Equinox (September 21). Set the time for all four studies @ 1:00pm.
6. Remember to select Shadows in Display / Display Options / RenderZone Options.
7. Note: the North face of your model may appear very dark because of the sun positions. If you require more light on the North face of your Path, add one more Distant light. Be SURE to de-select Shadows for this light only. Position this light opposite your sun.
8. Insert the study images into a Table (2 rows / 4 columns, or 4 rows / 2 columns) using Dreamweaver and Notate each study; upload page onto website.

Stage 4: Digital Presentation Skills

Week 12
Lecture: Sectional Communication.
2D dimensioned drawings.
Due
Create two sections of path model.
1. Save your Path as a new file named "Section".
2. Create a new layer named "planes" and draw two orthogonal perpendicular planes through your path. Place the planes at the most complex areas of your model.
3. Cut one 2D (transverse) section (information regarding the Section tool can be found on page 53 of the formZ Mini Users Manual)
4. Select the section (in Top View if necessary) and move it to a new layer; lock (select the small "lock" symbols in the Layer Palette) all layers except this new layer.
5. Use the Union (or other) tool(s) to merge necessary Path elements in order to create a precise section.
6. Copy/Paste from Modeling the sectional information into a New [Draft] file.
7. In the Draft file, name Layer 1: section, and add a Layer 2 and name it elevation (keep this layer active for the next Copy/Paste from Modeling step 8).
8. Return to the 3D Path "Section" (Model) file and select any necessary elevational element information (select the elements in Top View if necessary, and then switch to a side view and Copy/Paste from Modeling). Remember to unlock layers.
9. In the Draft file, fix line weights and line styles: remember, in the Draft file, sectional information should be represented with a heavy black line weight; use a light line weight for elevational information; use a dashed or dotted line style for reflected or geometric information.
10. Repeat steps 3-9 in order to cut a longitudinal section.
11. Create a key plan for the two sections.
12. Create a webpage for the two sections; Notate (including North arrow), Label and Dimension as necessary.

Extra Credit: Create a webpage with 3D Section views (Hidden Line rendered) of your path, notate and label as necessary.

Week 13
Lecture: Digital movement.
Due (for extra credit)
Create a sequence of Hidden Line Perspectives through your Path; insert scale images (via Photoshop) as necessary.
The sequence should communicate information about the concept, material, form, etc. of your Path.
1. You will create a minimum of 3 one-point section perspectives using only the Clip Hither/Yon setting.
2. Select Clip Hither/Yon from View / View Parameters as shown here (make sure your settings are the same as in this dialog box):



3. Remember to turn off Axes and Grid in Windows / Window Setup; and remember to select View / Perspective.
4. Go to View / Edit Cone of Vision.
5. Manipulate the cone to find the sequence of one-point perspectives you want to Hidden Line render.
6. Once you've located a sequence, exit the Edit Cone of Vision and Hidden Line render each image; Save As each image as a .tif file.
7. In Photoshop, poche (fill) the areas of the building mass cut by the section plane.
8. Create a webpage for the sequence; Notate and Label as necessary.
9. Create a key plan for the sequence; add arrows and other graphic devices as necessary.

Week 14
Lecture: Web Portfolio
Due
Enhanced website

Final Review