This assignment is aligned with the Studio Design Project and aims to facilitate students in the technical studies and development of their design. It deals with the analysis and establishment of the structural and the envelope systems of the student’s design to ensure that the design has logical and workable construction systems. It also encourages students to think about construction as integral part of the design and not just an afterthought. Most of the times amateur designers tend to design their spaces without thinking about the construction aspects and later on have to change and redesign their schemes due to the designs were unbuildable. This assignment was designed with the intention to tackle this issue and to increase the technical competency of students.

Objectives:
1. To encourage analytical and critical study of the principles, practices and details of building technology in the student’s own design.
2. To encourage students to consider the construction aspects throughout the design process.
3. To adapt and implement the alternative construction systems into the students’ design.

Task:
A. Alternative Design Schemes
1. Conduct some precedent studies of recent, complex or unique construction systems that could be applied in the design. They should include the following:
i) The roof system
ii) TWO (2) facade systems
iii) The structural system including the floor system

2. Next, conduct a thorough study on all the systems to answer the following questions:
i) What is the type of construction system used?
ii) What is/are the material(s) used in the system?
iii) How is the system constructed? (i.e. detailing)
iv) What is/are the advantage(s) of the system?
v) What is/are the disadvantage(s) of the system?
vi) Why did you choose the system considering the advantages and disadvantages of it?

3. Then, using the similar systems as the ones in the case studies, produce TWO (2) alternatives of façade design schemes for the current studio design project. Each scheme should include only the front and the rear façades (in scale 1:100). The drawings can be created based on the students’ current progress in the studio.


B. Sectional Perspectives
Task 2 on the other hand is intended to facilitate students to develop practical construction solutions and detailing for their own design through the production of sectional perspective drawings of spaces. Students are required to produce detail sectional perspective drawing of TWO interesting spaces in their design; which consists of a space on the ground floor and a space on the top floor.
The sectional perspective of the room on the ground floor should show the connections between the foundations, ground floor slab, façade, structures and the upper floor slab. On the top floor the sectional perspective should highlight the connections between the floor slab, structures, façade, and the roof. The drawings should be produced in appropriate scale (between 1:50 to 1:30), clearly annotated and accompanied by dimensions.

Precedent studies and analysis are compiled in an A3 report

This project aims to integrate students' understanding of the principles of lighting design in the context of their final design project of Studio 5. It encompasses artificial and day lighting systems as well as the implementation of PSALI design strategies.

Objectives:
1. To show understanding of artificial lighting and daylighting strategies (PSALI) in their final design.
2. To solve design problems in relation to sustainability issues (natural lighting, site analysis).
3. To design spaces incorporating artificial and daylighitng.

Task:
Each student is to identify two significant spaces in their final design for implementing the artificial and daylighting strategies (PSALI). Students are to produce:
1. A brief site analysis
2. Overall floor plan
3. Floor plans of 'Space A' and 'Space B'
4. Sections of 'Space A' and 'Space B'
5. Reflected ceiling plans
6. Lighting contours
7. Types of lamps to be used
8. To determine reflectance on walls, ceilings and floors
9. Daylighting calculation
10. Lumen method calculation
11. Lighitng design proposal

Analysis are to be presented in two A2 boards, with calculations compiled into A4 report.

An auditorium is a special room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres and music halls. For movie theatres, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens. Auditorium can be found in entertainment venues, community halls, and may be used for rehearsal, presentation, performing arts productions, etc. Apart from entertainment, an auditorium also used for a space for speech delivery such as lecture theatres. A successful design of auditoriums muchly depend on its acoustic design which include the auditorium layout plus absorption materials used. It is essential to preserve and enhance the desired sound and to eliminate noise and undesired sound.

Task:
In a group of 8, students are to conduct a case study on auditorium locally. It is an observe and report case study. Each group is required to obtain permission from the responsible personnel of the selected building.
List of the task:
1. Drawings of the auditorium (floor layout, significant sections)
2. Historical Background
3. Sound absorption materials used
4. Sound source
5. Sound path

Our chosen building is Damansara Performing Art Centre (DPAC), PJ.

All information and analysis are compiled into a A4 report.

Students are required to present an in-depth and analytical research study on the designated topic. Students are to explore the idea of “Life Between Buildings Using Public Space” (1986) by Jahn Gehl. The project consisted of 2 parts; the first is case study and the second part is to produce a comparative analysis essay.

Objectives:
1. To provide critical perspectives on key issues within the contemporary discourse of architecture, through integration of case-studies and theoretical studies.
2. To enhance the understanding of the complexity of architecture and the ability to undertake independent research.

This project comprises of 2 parts:
• Part 1: Case Study
• Part 2: A Comparative Analysis Essay

Part 1
Students are to read Jahn Gehl’s Life Between Buildings (Chapter 1). Subsequently, in group, students are to examine patterns of social activities in a city (foreign city to be provided by instructor*) and identify ‘contact points’. They are to classify the varying degrees of contact intensity.
The city given for our group is Nguyen Hue, Ho Chi Minh.


Part 2
Part 2 of the project requires students to write a comparative analysis essay based on findings from case study (Part 1) and local site research. The local site studied is Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR).
Students are to examine similarities and dissimilarities based on the patterns of social activities, types of ‘contact points’. And the varying degrees of contact intensity between the two cities.
A comparative analysis essay is a commonly used type of writing assignment where students are require to critically analyze any two subjects, finding and pointing out their similarities and/or dissimilarities. Students are expected to research for information from publications, internet and other relevant sources. For local site, students are expected to conduct own site observation.

The comparative analysis are compiled into an A4 essay report.

Subsequent to each thematic lecture, students are required to submit a synopsis in the form of a reaction paper. Its aim is for the students to read a selected reading in relation to the theme that has been discussed in class for the week and submit a reaction paper to the text. There will be a total to 3 synopses.

Week 6: Modern & Post Modern Theory
Week 8: Phenomenology: of Meaning and Places
Week 9: Critical Regionalism: Kenneth Frampton

Objectives:
1. To engage students with relevant theories which have shaped cities and experience around architecture, including its role as mediator between our society and its architecture.
2. To provide critical perspectives on key issues within the contemporary discourse of architecture, through integration of case-studies and theoretical studies.

Task:
Group reading is encourage for idea collaboration and better learning. Each student is to prepare and submit a reaction paper as a synopsis of the given reading during tutorial sessions.
The reaction papers shall be formulated based on questions listed below:
i) What issues or problems does the author address?
ii) What is the author's main point?
iii) What points or assumptions does the author make, and how does he/she back that up?
iv) What are strengths and weaknesses? Where are problems with the argument?
v) How do the texts relate? (if multiple texts)
vi) How do these ideas connect to the overall ideas of the class/unit/etc.?

This is a group project relates to the topics of Industrialised Building System (IBS). In a group of 6, we are to design a 3-storey apartment block using mainly IBS component. A physical model has to be constructed to imitate the actual IBS construction process with the process recorded in a video.

The preliminary studies is a preparatory assignment focuses on investigating the basic notions of the city and learning from real world examples of urban infill community libraries. Students are introduced to the basics in urban design and its relation with architecture.