Applied Studies 240: Introduction to Structures

Part IV: Other Structural Elements and Reflecting on What You Have Learned

Project 11: Reflecting on What You Have Learned

Learning Plan

1. Review the Learning Outcomes.
2. Read the Introduction.
3. Complete the Required Reading and explore the online resources.
4. Answer the Focus Questions.
5. Add materials as appropriate to your Personal Archive.
6. Complete Project 11. (Revisit the marking matrix.)
7. Submit Project 11 as part of Collection 4 when you have completed Projects 10 and 11.

Learning Outcomes

After successfully completing this project, you will acquire proficiency in the following areas:

1. Ability to synthesize your learning experience about structures into an approach that can be used to analyze any structure you are working on;
2. Ability to appraise your learning experience to extract key lessons learned and develop your own design process; and
3. Ability to produce presentation-quality materials that communicate your ideas.

Introduction

In this project, you will synthesize your explorations of the previous projects into a summary of your learning experience and you will be asked to reflect upon what you have learned.

Required Reading

• Silman, R. (2018). Structural Design and Thinking in Approximations. Architectural Record.

  (Note: To read the full article, you must register with Architectural Record. There is no fee for registration.)

Focus Questions

See Project 11b for the Focus Questions for this project.

Evaluation

Your work will be evaluated using the marking matrix outlined in the Evaluation and Grading section of the Course Orientation.

Project Description

In this series of projects, you will consolidate and reflect on what you have learned about structures. Your work will consist of two small projects:

1. Assembling all the projects in which you analyzed the performance of your structure into a single collection
2. Reflecting on and applying what you have learned in this course

Project 11a: Structural Analysis of Your Project

Throughout this course, you have been asked to analyze the structure of one of your own designs through a number of projects. These should include the following:

1. Project 1e: Identifying and Quantifying Live and Dead Loads in Your Design
2. Project 4b: Embodied Energy
3. Project 5b: Designing with the Flow of Forces
4. Project 6b: Design of a Framing System
5. Project 7d: Drawing Shear (V) and Bending Moment (M) Diagrams for Your Structure
6. Project 8c: Designing Your Own Floor Deck
7. Project 9b: Design Beams for Your Structure
8. Project 10b: Design Columns, Frames, and Load-Bearing Walls for Your Structure

Assemble all these projects into a single collection that demonstrates how you have analyzed your structure. Remember that you will also be marked on the design and presentation of your work.

The intent of this project is to give you an approach that will help you as an architect to analyze, understand, and design any structure you may be working on. As the article by Robert Silman suggests, we want you to develop an intuitive feel for your structures.

Project 11b: Reflecting on What You Have Learned

Using the materials you have collected in your Personal Archive, create a commentary of about 1000 words (and supporting material) that will serve as a summary of what you have learned.

Your commentary should be organized around the following questions:

1. What are the critical issues raised by this course?
2. What are the key things you learned?
3. What was your most valuable learning experience?
4. How can this knowledge be applied in your architectural designs?
5. What ideas considered in this course would you like to explore further?
6. What is your personal approach to the role of architecture in society? Has it changed as a result of completing this course?
7. What could be changed to make this course better?
8. Early in the twentieth century, the Québec Bridge spanning the St. Lawrence River at Québec City collapsed not once but twice, killing close to 90 people. Research this disaster (there is a lot of material online) and using what you have learned from this course (particularly the Forensic Engineering article), decide what you would have done differently to prevent what may be the worst structural failure in the history of Canada. Would Silman’s approach of approximate analysis have helped?

Submission Requirements

For Collection 4, include the following items from Project 11:

• Project 11a – structural analysis of your design (including all the sub-projects listed)
• Project 11b – commentary (around 1000 words) and supporting material