Sondra A. White
This curriculum unit is about the modern and traditional house built with the influence of the Shingle Style. Most single-family houses reflect the individual’s feelings and character in the design of the house in which they live. The environment in which the people live is not only reflected by the landscape outside the house, but is also landscaped into the house to continue a flow of “environmental” space. A horizontal and vertical tie of the interior spaces allow the architects to interweave the interior space with the porches and stoops attached to the exterior of the house.
The unit will be divided into four sections to aid the student into a basic design analysis and decision making program. The main objectives of the unit are:
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1. The students will develop a better understanding of the concept of design.
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2. The students will be able to use the proper vocabulary terms in structural design.
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3. The students will be able to analyze basic plans of a modern or traditional house.
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4. The students will be able to successfully reproduce a plan of a hallway.
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5. The student will be able to demonstrate, with the use of a ruler, proportion in drawing their plan.
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6. The students will be able to verbally explain the elements used for wall separation, windows, doors and place.
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7. The students will be able to design a house plan using asymmetrical or symmetrical space.
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8. The students will successfully complete an elevation drawing of their own.
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9. Students will be able to create an elevation or three dimensional drawing on a flat surface.
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10. The students will make a three dimensional model of an enclosed porch using the mixed media of cardboard and tissue paper.
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11. The students will show their basic understanding of architectural design in their finished porch structure.
In the first section of study, the students will gain sufficient basic knowledge of the vocabulary used in structural design. The students will be instructed on Plan Analysis which includes: how to read a plan, how the structure is built, what is common space, what is private space and how it works. The aid of transparencies and slides of different plans, drawings and photographs will help the students relate the building analysis and basic design. An open discussion of the plans will help the students verbally express what they have read in the plans.
The last three sections of the curriculum will require from the students a design decision which will be shown in their final project. In the first project each student will make a floor plan of either a hallway in school or their own house. They will have to use a ruler with a pencil to draw in windows, doors, stairs and wall space. They will have to indicate private space and common space on the plan.
Once project #1 is completed, a pen and ink with watercolor elevation drawing will be made. The drawing will include a view of a side of the house or school unit that was designed in the plan of project $1. The student will now begin to relate the floor plan with the elevation drawing allowing a better understanding of the three dimensional design.
In the final project, students will be forced into a decision making process. Each student will draw a plan of an enclosed entrance porch. The student will then draw the front elevation drawing of their structural design to show what the porch will look like. To tie in their understanding of the plan and elevation drawing the student will create an actual three dimensional model out of cardboard of the proposed entrance porch.
The entire unit should take the students approximately eight weeks to complete. Upon completion of the unit, each student will have gained sufficient knowledge of total design construction.
