Course syllabus for Architectural technology: Theme concrete

Course syllabus adopted 2025-02-06 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameForm och teknik: tema betong
  • CodeACE675
  • Credits4.5 Credits
  • OwnerTKARK
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • Main field of studyArchitecture
  • ThemeArchitectural design project 1.5 c
  • DepartmentARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
  • GradingUG - Pass, Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language Swedish
  • Application code 45139
  • Open for exchange studentsNo
  • Only students with the course round in the programme overview.

Credit distribution

0124 Written and oral assignments 4.5 c
Grading: UG		 4.5 c

In programmes

Examiner

Eligibility

Information missing

Course specific prerequisites

  • Architectural technology: Theme wood, and
  • Architectural technology: Theme brick, or the equivalents
The course is part of the learning sequence Architectural Technology and deepens the knowledge of architecture's materials and technical systems at different scales.

Aim

The course treats the design of structural systems, building envelope, installation systems and fire safety at an apartment block/hotel/office made of concrete. The course also covers the building foundations and materials such as soil, rock and water.

The course is the fourth in a sequence of Architectural technology courses dealing with architectural materials and technical systems at different scales: material, detail, building and urban. The overall aim of the courses is to provide a systematic overview of the field and an approach that emphasises how functional technical systems and the physical properties of materials interact with perceived materiality and architectural wholeness. Furthermore, the courses provide the student with a repertoire of built examples that illustrate this interaction and that can support investigations of alternative designs and material choices in an iterative design process.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

  1. Describe the organisations of building elements in concrete construction technology and explain the functions of the different parts in a technical section, corresponding facade and in a selection of critical details.
  2. Describe the basic principles for structural design, installations, and fire safety in an residential building/hotel/office.
  3. Describe different overall principles/concepts for the building envelope of concrete buildings.
  4. Reflect upon the material concrete in terms of internal structure and properties, manufacturing processes and products, processing and joining, use in construction and environmental impact.
  5. Reflect upon how designs of technical systems interact with the architectural qualities of the building and material efficient and functional solutions.
  6. Reflect on different principles for building foundations.
  7. Reflect on the materials such as soil, rock and water in terms of internal structure and properties, processes and products, use in construction and environmental impact.
  8. Present a layout of the water pathway from the building detail to the building/ neighbourhood/ city water management.

Content

The course is divided into tree thematic parts: Construction section with details: concrete, Technical systems and Materials: concrete, soil, rock and water.

Construction section with details: concrete deals with:
  • functions of different layers in wall and joist construction
  • types of details and built examples (possibilities and problems)
  • representations with different tools (sketch, drawing) and at different scales.
Technical systems deals with:
  • the functions and principles of technical systems in a concrete building
  • examples of technical systems
  • rules of thumb for different technical systems
Materials: concrete, soil, rock and water deals with:
  • the materials concrete, soil, rock and water - internal structure and properties, manufacturing processes and products, processing and environmental impact.
  • the materials concrete, soil, rock and water in architecture.

Organisation

Lectures cover concepts, materials, behaviors and principles/concepts for load-bearing structures, climate systems and building details. The lectures provide typical examples that illustrate how different technical functions can be solved in principle. There is also a repertoire of built examples that highlight the interaction between architectural values and how technical functions can contribute to achieving these - Architectural technology.

Design labs are exploratory investigations with the aim of testing/sketching and analysing different possibilities/combinations in a simple set-up and then taking knowledge and skills to more complex design projects.

Supervision and seminars provide opportunities for reflection on both the work of others and your own.

The course ends with a reflection moment in the form of a peer review where the strengths and weaknesses of design choices are discussed and the basis for these design choices.

Literature

Literature will be announced at the start of the course.

Examination including compulsory elements

Examination takes place through
  • Assignments that mainly examines learning outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 8
  • Reflection tasks that mainly examines learning outcome 4, 5, 6 and 7
  • Active participation in the course and active attendance at compulsory moments
Submission requirements and compulsory moments are announced at the start of the course.

A student who is not approved in the course after the regular examination must be given the opportunity to be examined through supplementation after the end of the course if the examiner considers it feasible. If, after two attempts at completion, the student still cannot be approved, the student must retake the course. Assessment of completions takes place during Chalmers' re-examination periods. It is the student's responsibility to check reported study results in Ladok after each study period and to contact the course examiner for instructions on supplementation if an approved result is missing.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers about disability study support.