Innovative and Alternative Building Techniques

Catalog description

Three lecture. One lab. Innovative and alternative building techniques such as steel framing, SIP, Integra or Rastra block, adobe, earth brick, rammed earth, cast earth, sand bag, papercrete, straw bale and earth ship will be presented along with environmental and aesthetic design considerations. These concepts will be integrated with a “pattern language” and passive solar design approach for student design projects. Students will be able to: describe and differentiate between the numerous building applications and systems involved in residences and their performance characteristics; design and evaluate construction projects for these various systems; evaluate the different performance characteristics of the systems listed below; differentiate the advantages and disadvantages of the listed systems for: a.) thermal performace, b.) labor involved, c.) procedures of assembly, d.) materials availiablity and delivery, e.) structural performace and integrity, f.) finishes and apperance; design 2 residential projects using methods from class & give oral presentations. Grading Option: May be taken for S/U credit. Recommended: CTM 120 , CTM 123 , CTM 124 , CTM 235 , or prior construction related experience.