Building Materials, Methods and Modeling I

Catalog description

This course covers the fundamentals of: (1) building materials to form building systems, (2) building construction methods to assemble building systems, and (3) computer modeling strategies to convey system designs. All three areas are concurrently taught to connect the lectures to a thematic area in building design. Thematic areas covered in AE 221 include: various architectural and structural materials; visual documentation of architectural designs and structural systems in 2D and 3D representations; industry accepted software tools to convey designs; and finally, building codes and their requirements. Students learn the course content in a variety of active strategies including: site tours, building construction demos and lab builds, utilizing campus buildings in assignments, guest speakers and more. By the end of the course, students will be able to comprehend trends in how materials are used to create buildings; identify and select current and emerging building materials for a variety of applications; apply technology to communicate designs to many different stakeholders; read, interpret and generate construction documents (e.g. 2D and 3D models); and connect building codes and standards requirements to building materials. AE 221 is a required course for all students in the Architectural Engineering undergraduate program.