UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO
	ARCH 553  Comprehensive  Design Studio Haglund Fall 2013

The Wooden IRIC

"The University of Idaho Integrated Research and Innovation Center (IRIC) is charged with hosting discovery and sparking innovation based on interdisciplinary efforts gathered from across the broad spectrum of science, engineering, architecture and other related fields on campus. IRIC is a flagship project for the University in demonstrating how the resources of the academic community can be brought to bear on some of the most significant challenges facing the citizens of the State and the world today."

—IRIC Document 30 July 2013

This project is the sixth in a series of comprehensive studios undertaken in response to Ed Mazria's challenge to the architecture profession to produce carbon neutral buildings by 2030. His case is well-articulated on his web site www.architecture2030.com. Both the AIA and the Association of US Mayors have endorsed Mazria's challenge. Mazria reckons that each year in the U.S. we tear down about 1.75 billion square feet; renovate 5 billion, and build 5 billion. Therefore, in 30 years 300 billion square feet will be renovated or built new; that's about 75% of the built environment. If this is accomplished with carbon in mind, global warming can be controlled. 

Ryan Smith on the future of practice and education 
(See http://network.aia.org/CenterforIntegratedPractice/Home/OnEducation/):

"The industry is rapidly advancing and it is clear that if architects do not integrate stakeholders well in the process of building, the industry will continue on without them. Hence the development and existence of the AIA Center for Integrated Practice, a nexus of the TAP, PD, and PM Knowledge Communities, whose mission is to be advocates and advance the role of the architect in integrated practice. Beyond the need to stay relevant in light of emerging technology, there is another reason why architects are critical to the integration paradigm. As a discipline, architects are fundamentally concerned with the critical historical and theoretical ethics of aesthetics, quality, and environmental stewardship – making architects the primary cultural harbinger of the building industry. Finding architectural solutions to the issues of today: social inequality, economic disaster, and environmental causality require an integrated process of collaboration. Therefore, in the end, architecture as a discipline and architects as professionals should and can be leaders in the process of integrated practice."  

AIArchitect on The Sustainability Leadership Opportunity Scan, 2013: (See http://www.aia.org/practicing/AIAB100276) 

Four Priority Issues

A 12-person advisory group of diverse thought leaders helped to synthesize the research into four priority issues that will make the greatest impact for the profession. The scan’s recommendations include two core issues (central to the architect’s current role) and two emerging issues (rapidly escalating areas where architects can contribute to a better environment for current and future generations).

Core Issues

• Energy: Drive building energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy toward meeting the AIA 2030 goals of achieving net-zero energy in buildings.

• Materials: Equip architects to make informed decisions about material selections based on full life-cycle and health-related criteria.

Emerging Issues

• Design & Health: Play an active role in improving human health and wellness through the design of the built environment.

• Resilience: Promote design that adapts to changing conditions and that maintains or regains functionality and vitality in the face of natural and man-made disturbances.

Our goal is to meet or exceed the project goals and to work toward carbon neutrality and zero net energy.

“Sustainability provides the prism through which architects and architecture firms are designing today,” said AIA Chief Executive Officer Robert Ivy, FAIA in a release. “But we still need to have energy modeling become standard for every design project if we are going to meet our ultimate goal of carbon neutral buildings.”

—ECOBUILDING Pulse 2013. Posted on: October 23, 2013

Students will accomplish a comprehensive design project in two phases: 

• Discovery, Programming, Research, and Planning Phase through Oct 5 (7 weeks) 
  
• Comprehensive Design Phase through Dec 7 (8 weeks). 
  

Collaboration

During this project our main collaborators will be the Idaho Forest Products Commission, UI Architecture and Engineering, and NBBJ Architects.

Collective Programming, Research, and Planning Requirements

This phase simulates the work of an integrated practice where architects, engineers, and landscape architects and their clients and consultants initiate a project and develop its master plan. We'll seek out experts on campus and beyond as well as with our client group and carbon-neutral collaborators to help form our design solutions. 

Each student will have the opportunity to present her/his research to the group and will be required to provide a hard copy for the studio. The research reports should include photo credits, references, and sources of further information. Two to five pages are expected. The Druk White Lotus School case study draft is a pertinent example.

Comprehensive Design Requirements

NAAB defines comprehensive design as, "Ability to produce a comprehensive architectural project that demonstrates each student’s capacity to make design decisions across scales while integrating the following:

    THEORETICAL, PRESENTATION, ANALYTICAL and CULTURAL CRITERIA

Design Thinking Skills  

Ability to raise clear and precise questions,

• use abstract ideas to interpret information,

• consider diverse points of view

• reach well-reasoned conclusions

• test alternative outcomes against relevant criteria and standards.

 Technical Documentation 

Ability to make technically clear drawings,

• write outline specifications

• prepare models illustrating and identifying the assembly of materials

• systems and components appropriate for a building design

 Investigative Skills

Ability to gather, assess, record, apply and comparatively evaluate relevant info within architectural coursework and design processes

Ordering Systems

Understanding of the fundamentals of both natural and formal ordering systems and the capacity of each to inform two-and three-dimensional design.

Historical Traditions and Global Culture

Understanding of parallel and divergent canons and traditions of architecture, landscape, local, regional, national settings from Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern Hemispheres in terms of climatic, ecological, technological, socioeconomic, public health and cultural factors for:

• Indigenous

• Vernacular

• Local

• Regional

• National Settings

Furthermore, comprehensive design seeks to integrate all major building systems. A successful project will have well-developed and well-integrated schemes for:

Carbon Neutral Design Requirements

What is your carbon emissions intent for this project? How do you define success relative to this intent? What evidence that this intent has been successfully met can be found in this project? 

Show how your project meets Mazria's requirements in all phases of the construction process.

Final Presentation Guidelines

The final critique will allow for 40-minute presentations of each team project. Each team may choose any combination of media appropriate to its project, anything from water colors to physical models, to digital media.

Presentations must address all the systems listed above and demonstrate their integration and achievement of carbon emission reduction. A CD containing the final presentation (if digital—ppt or pdf) and images of all drawings, models, and other materials in jpg or pdf format must be turned in by Dec 13.

Last Updated on 08/21/13 by Bruce