Building engineering-architecture

Antonio Fioravanti

The course is devoted to train students interested in all-round architectural design, integrated into the various design phases up to the detail, involved in the problems of the 21st century and in available tools.
The achieve this objective the course proposes to tackle a design theme aimed at the thesis in which characters of innovation are present and relationships with the theory of design together with architectural sciences can be found by means of the most advanced technologies. The course fosters experimental theses especially in joined supervisions. The complexity and centrality of Comprehensive design, which takes into consideration all the disciplines related to the design and construction of a Building Organism seen as a complex System, are essential points in carrying out the lessons and the workshops. Therefore, peculiar and fundamental paradigms of the course to face contemporary architectural projects are: Collaborative Design; relationships between technological innovations and significant contemporary architectural masterpieces; theories, methods, techniques and implementations of computer-aided (and enhanced) architectural design (CAAD); multidisciplinary design.

The Integral Design course is aimed at developing an innovative degree thesis.
All lessons, workshops, readings, websites consulted, and the report on a work of architecture are directed towards this objective. The student will create a project characterised by significant originality, creativity, cohesive contextual integration, alignment with modern avant-garde culture, and presented in an appropriate and coherent format.
To achieve this aim, he will have perfected his ability to digitally model the load-bearing structure, the shape and the environmental context also thanks to the support of specific co-supervisors. The student will be capable of delineating and quantifying a high-performance building across various disciplinary domains, indeed "integral" from multiple perspectives. She or he will be able to expose the content of an innovative project through the mastery of different expressive techniques: sketches, diagrams, videos. The student will possess knowledge of methodologies, practices, and theories pertaining to the design process. She or he will be capable of generating innovative and creative projects due to particular theoretical frameworks of creativity.

The course “Comprehensive and integral design” is in the 5th and last year of the Master Degree program.‎
So, students to successfully attend the teaching, studio and design workshop – aimed at the final ‎master thesis – have to master the sciences and techniques of architecture as well as the ‎composition, space, morphology and distributive aspects of architecture and urban planning.‎
Therefore, the student should have passed with awareness and merit the preparatory exams to ‎this subject, especially those of Mechanics of solid, Theory and Technique of structures, ‎Technology of Materials, Building and Architectural Design 1st and 2nd, Drawing and Representation, ‎Architectural Composition and Urban planning.‎
Students should be able to master the application programs and simulative design tools in the field ‎of loadbearing structures, architecture, graphic and design as well as the corresponding SDKs ‎‎(Software Development Kits).‎
Knowledge of plant engineering aspects is very appreciated.‎

The teaching program is divided into two parts: a theoretical and a practical-application one.
The theoretical part concerns the Theory of design in general and the architectural one mainly, with the study of the most eminent personalities in the field. There follows a history of computer-aided design and its current limits. History of the influence of CAD tools on the results of architectural production.
The lessons alternate with seminars of PhDs, professors, researchers in the sector (prof. A. Saggio, prof. Peluffo, arch. M. Fuksas). Seminars are planned by the building industry both of technical-constructive aspects (Fisher), and of design (PhD G. Loffreda, Ove Arup, Italferr, IAN +, prof. G. Novembri, PhD A. Trento), both of technological components (Krupp elevator). Seminars of specific BIM application programs (A -Sapiens, NavisWork, Acca, Allplan, BuildingSmart, Prof. G. Di Giuda, Prof. B. Daniotti), FabLab della Sapienza (Prof. Valentini), Visiting professors (Prof. M. Clayton, prof. G. Wurzer).
Lectures on relationships with Urban Planning (Prof. M. Del Signore, Ing. S. Vizioli), heritage management (Agenzia del Demanio).
Seminars on the relationship between project and design process (programming, meta-planning, brief, preliminary, final, executive, constructive) (PhD. S. La Pergola, Eng. M. Castagnola) authorization titles (Eng. R. Maio).
It provides for the study of Collaborative Design and the study of recent significant architectural works.
The studio-workshop part focuses on the study of a significant architectural work of interest to the student, of a building typology, and of the setting and development of the design theme chosen for the final exam. During tutorials are held further seminars on specific software applications.

Carrara G., Fioravanti A., Loffreda G., Trento A. 2017 "Knowledge Collaboration Design - Theory, ‎‎techniques and applications for collaboration in architecture", Gangemi Editore spa - Roma.‎
Allen E. and Iano J. 2017. “The Architect's Studio Companion: Rules of Thumb for Preliminary ‎Design”, Wiley. ISBN 10: 1119092418 / ISBN 13: 9781119092414.‎
Allen E. and Iano J. 2013. “Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods”, 6th ‎Edition, Wiley. ‎
Allen E. and Iano J. 2013. “Exercises in Building Construction”, 6th Edition, Wiley. ISBN-13: 978-‎‎‎1118653289 / ISBN-10: 1118653289.‎
Allen E., Zalewski W., Foxe D.M. 2009. “Form and Forces: Designing Efficient, Expressive ‎Structures”, Wiley.‎
Allen E. 1992.” Architectural Detailing: Function, Constructability, Aesthetics”, 3rd Edition, Wiley. ‎‎ISBN-13: 978-1118881996 / ISBN-10: 1118881990.‎
Zalewski W. and Allen E. 1997. “Shaping Structures: Statics” ‎
Allen E. and David Swoboda 1980. “How Building Work. The Nature Order of Architecture”, ‎Oxford University Press. ‎
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MacDonald A.J. 2001. “Structure and Architecture”, Architectural Press.‎
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Lecture Notes
On the e-learning platform of Sapienza - Moodle 2 - will be available documents useful for the ‎Comprehensive Design course,‎
https://elearning.uniroma1.it/‎

The following didactic materials in .pdf format are present: ‎
 Slides presented during lessons, tutorial and Thesis workshops;‎
 Plants and materials regarding the annual studio (exercise site, building program, brief, ‎requirements and codes);‎
 notes regarding the Italian design process.‎

Other teaching aids are also available, such as the recorded lessons, the in-depth ‎books, on the Subject web pages on:‎
Google Drive of SAPIENZA, Archdaily, OneDrive, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, etc.‎

Simon H.A., 1996 “The science of the artificial, 3rd ed., MIT press, Cambridge, MA.‎
Hofstadter D. 1979 "Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid", ISBN 978-0-465-02656-2.
GU 20 January 2018: DM Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti, 17 January 2018, Update of “Building ‎technical codes for constructions”.‎

Websites:‎
www.theB1m.com
https://www.facebook.com/TheB1M
www.Archiportale.it
www.Edilportale.it
ArchDaily
Archilovers
Dezeen
Pinterest
Instagram
The Plan

The ex-cathedra teaching - about 50 hours - is structured into three distinct blocks: the ‎examination and presentation of significant contemporary architectural works; the participation in ‎seminars carried out by companies in the architecture and construction sectors (architectural, ‎structural and plant design, construction, testing, contract management, etc.); the theory lessons ‎on specific themes of Comprehensive design, also performed by colleagues and researchers from ‎other sectors.‎
The annual Tutorial and Workshop - about 60 hours - are developed by the student with the guide ‎of teacher and tutors in which s/he undertakes both the study of a particular building typology ‎together with other students and to develop his own project. During the year s/he studies and ‎presents a significant work of contemporary architecture to the class.‎
Up-to-date modelling and simulation programs are used.‎

Student signatures are not required during the Tutorials and Thesis workshops to certify their presence.‎

The evaluation of the student is expressed in thirtieths, it is given by the sum of four addenda:‎
• The evaluation of the graphic drawings of the architectural project, 40%; ‎
• The application of simulation models to the project (structural / plant / use / impact on the ‎context), 10%; ‎
• The study and presentation of a contemporary architecture masterpiece, 20%;‎
• The theoretical part, 30%.‎
The latter part consists of a written test and an oral exam.‎

1. Discussing of the O.E.: Renaissance modeling, Mandlesi's, Carrara's and Fioravanti's ones;
2. D. Hofstadter: truth and falsehood; abstraction levels; recursiveness.
3. Design theory: the design process and the overcoming of the Deadlocks.
4. Meaning of the Norman Foster's Apple Campus and Frank O. Gehry's Facebook headquarter.
5. Rem Koolhaas and Central Library in Seattle.
6. On the Book read in the year, its content towards architectural design.
7. The theory of design: empirical, scientific, architectural, holistic
8. Design theory requirements, objectives, and design process.
9. The decomposition/ organization/ control of a process (design).
10. Coordinated, concurrent and collaborative design.
11. The hexagons and the sixties.
12. Creativity. What it is, how it shows up itself, and the object of creativity.
13. Creativity as a multi-function and multi-semantic of an object or body (in broad senses).
14. Object body, agent, actor, agencies in the ICT building bodies.
15. The triplets in defining an architectural or design entity.
16. Simulation and modeling in architecture and building.
17. Creativity and incubators.
19. High-rise buildings and skyscrapers.

• Ricapitolazione e Complementi di Architettura Tecnica 2.0.