This foundation course introduces graduate students to the theory, methods and practice of physical design for urban areas. Classes involve a variety of teaching and learning approaches including lectures, seminars, and case studies in built form, relying on both historical and contemporary urban precedents from around the world.Objectives:1. To develop an understanding of interrelationships between nature and human interventions2. To develop an awareness of thematic traditions in site design.3. To provide an overview of the history of site design as a potential source for precedent analysis.4. To develop an ability to observe, document, analyze, and describe site conditions.5. To develop an understanding of technical, legal, regulatory and ethical determinants in site design.6. To develop an understanding of the relationship between human activities and their accommodation in the landscape.7. To develop an understanding of the diverse palette of materials employed in site design.8. To develop ability to responsibly and effectively manipulate site conditions within a design scenario.
At the conclusion of this course students will demonstrate:1. Verbal and Writing Skills – Ability to speak and write effectively on subject matter contained in the professional curriculum.2. Graphic Skills – Ability to employ appropriate representational media, including computer technology, to convey essential formal elements at each stage of the programming and design process.3. Research Skills – Ability to employ basic methods of data collection and analysis to inform all aspects of the programming and design process.4. Critical Thinking Skills – Ability to make comprehensive analysis and evaluation of a building, building complex, or urban space.5. Fundamental Design Skills – Ability to apply basic organizational, spatial, structural, and constructional principles to the conception and development of interior and exterior spaces, building elements, and components.6. Collaborative Skills – Ability to identify and assume divergent roles that maximize individual talents, and to cooperate with other students when working as members of a design team and in other settings.
