SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN

Centre for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia (MASSA)

Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Architecture)
BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 1 [BLD61403 / ARC3514 / ARC3512]
Prerequisite: Building Construction II
Assignment 2 – Construction Solutions
30% of final marks (individual)
Submission date: 11 June 2018 (Week 12)

LO Hardcopy and digital

Assignment 2 Individual 30% A3 bound report
4,5,6,8 copy

Figure 1: A sectional perspective showing the construction details of a space

Introduction

This assignment is aligned with the Studio Design Project (semester 4 and 5) and aims to facilitate students in the
technical studies and development of their design. It deals with the analysis and establishment of the structural and
the envelope systems of the student’s design to ensure that the design has logical and workable construction
systems. It also encourages students to think about construction as integral part of the design and not just an
afterthought. Most of the times amateur designers tend to design their spaces without thinking about the construction
aspects and later on have to change and redesign their schemes due to the designs were unbuildable. This
assignment was designed with the intention to tackle this issue and to increase the technical competency of students.

Building Technology I (BLD61403/ARC3514): March 2018 1

Objectives of Project

1. To encourage analytical and critical study of the principles, practices and details of building technology in the
student’s own design.
2. To encourage students to consider the construction aspects throughout the design process.
3. To adapt and implement the alternative construction systems into the students’ design.

Learning Outcomes of this Project

1. Analyse and document construction methods and materials

2. Evaluate existing construction system and detailing of the selected project.
3. Critique issues pertaining to construction principles, materials, techniques, codes of practice, process of
assembly, and detailing.
4. Generate alternative construction solutions by means of sketches and drawings.

Tasks - Methodology

This assignment relates to student’s CURRENT studio design project studio 4 or 5 (however the final product may
not be the same as the final design in the studio). It consists of TWO parts:

Task 1: Alternative Design Schemes (15%)

1. Conduct some precedent studies of recent, complex

or unique construction systems that could be applied
in the design. They should include the following:
A) The roof system (reinforced concrete flat roof,
green roof and the common ‘A-shaped’ roof
trusses are prohibited)
B) TWO (2) facade systems (the common glass
curtain wall systems are prohibited)
C) The structural system including the floor
system (the common reinforced concrete post-
and-beam system is prohibited)
2. Next, conduct a thorough study on all the systems to
answer the following questions:
i) What is the type of construction system used?
ii) What is/are the material(s) used in the system?
iii) How is the system constructed? (i.e. detailing)
iv) What is/are the advantage(s) of the system?
v) What is/are the disadvantage(s) of the system?
vi) Why did you choose the system considering the
advantages and disadvantages of it?
Your answers to the questions should be in the form of writing and sketches and accompanied by images from
the precedent studies.
3. Then, using the similar systems as the ones in the case studies, produce TWO (2) alternatives of façade
design schemes for the current studio design project. Each scheme should include only the front and the
rear façades (in scale 1:100). The drawings can be created based on the students’ current progress in the
studio.

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Task 2: Sectional Perspectives (15%)

Task 2 on the other hand is intended to facilitate students to develop practical construction solutions and detailing for
their own design through the production of sectional perspective drawings of spaces. Students are required to
produce detail sectional perspective drawing of TWO interesting spaces (example as shown in Figure 1) in their
design; which consists of a space on the ground floor and a space on the top floor.

The sectional perspective of the room on the ground floor should show the connections between the foundations,
ground floor slab, façade, structures and the upper floor slab. On the top floor the sectional perspective should
highlight the connections between the floor slab, structures, façade, and the roof. The drawings should be produced
in appropriate scale (between 1:50 to 1:30), clearly annotated and accompanied by dimensions.

Submission Requirement

1. A3 bound report of the precedent studies and analysis of the construction systems.
2. TWO (2) alternatives of façade design schemes for the current studio design project (included in the A3 report).
3. Fully annotated detail sectional perspective drawing of TWO interesting spaces, one on the ground floor and
one on the top floor accompanied by key plans to indicate the location of the spaces.

Suggested content for the A3 report (not limited to the following)

Item
Cover page
Table of contents
Introduction to the studio design
project
Precedent study and analysis of
the construction systems.
TWO (2) alternatives of façade
design scheme for the studio
design project.
Detail sectional perspective
drawings of TWO (2) spaces
Description
To include assignment title, module name and code, student name and ID
number, tutor’s name and to include a TU logo.
With proper sections, sub-sections and page numbering
- Name and location of the project, functions of the building, design statement,
etc.
- Studies on the structural system (including the floor system), roof system and
TWO (2) facade systems.
- Background of the precedent study; the building can be different for each
construction system studied.
- The analysis should answer the questions asked in Task 1.
- To include appropriate images and other related information.
- The façade design should implement the system used in the case studies
- Each design scheme includes the front and rear façades.
- The drawings should be in the scale of 1:100
- Preferably showing the same design as produced in the studio
- Fully annotated detail sectional perspective drawing of TWO interesting spaces
one on the ground floor and one on the top floor.
- The drawings should fit nicely into A3-size papers in the scale of between 1:50
to 1:30
- A small key plan to indicate the location of the space.

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Marking criteria

Acquired
Marking Criteria FAIL POOR SATISFACTORY GOOD EXCELLENT
TGC
Precedent study Moderately
Poorly
and critical Poorly conducted Moderately conducted Excellently
conducted
assessment of the precedent studies conducted precedent conducted
precedent
construction and analysis of precedent studies studies and precedent studies
studies and
systems ONE system and and analysis of analysis of ONE and analysis of ALL
analysis of ALL
A) Roof (25%) moderate for the ALL construction system and construction
construction
B) Façade (50%) rest systems sufficient for the systems
3.1,3.2 systems
C) Structural (20 – 49%) (50 – 69%) rest (90 – 100%)
(<20%)
including flooring (70 – 89%)
(25%)

TWO proposed NO proposal or

ONE moderately
alternatives of ONE poorly TWO poorly TWO sufficiently TWO excellently
and ONE poorly
façade design produced design produced design produced design produced design
produced design
scheme for current alternative. alternatives alternatives alternatives
alternatives
studio design
project 1.1,1.2,
1.3
NO sectional
ONE moderately
perspectives or TWO poorly TWO excellently
and ONE poorly TWO sufficiently
ONE poorly produced detail produced detail
produced detail produced detail
produced detail sectional sectional
sectional sectional
sectional perspectives perspectives
perspectives perspectives
perspective
TWO detail
sectional Moderately
Poorly
perspectives of Poorly conducted Moderately conducted Excellently
conducted
spaces 3.1,3.2 precedent studies conducted precedent conducted
precedent
and analysis of precedent studies studies and precedent studies
studies and
ONE system and and analysis of analysis of ONE and analysis of ALL
analysis of ALL
moderate for the ALL construction system and construction
construction
rest systems sufficient for the systems
systems
(20 – 49%) (50 – 69%) rest (90 – 100%)
(<20%)
(70 – 89%)

Tips
i) Characteristics of POOR among others are: insufficient in number, very little effort and thinking put into it with
poor quality drawing/image/composition and print quality.
ii) Characteristics of MODERATE among others are: sufficient in number, moderate effort and thinking put into it
with moderate quality drawing/image/composition and print quality.
iii) Characteristics of SUFFICIENT among others are: sufficient in number, good effort and thinking put into it with
good quality drawing/image/composition and print quality.
iv) Characteristics of EXCELLENT: exceeding all the above.

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