The process of designing and executing a building is like a relay race. Design consultants pass the baton to engineers on site for implementation. Engineers hold responsibility to read drawings, understand the vision and execute the project. Good buildings are a reflection of coordination and synergies of vision that are communicated through the medium of drawings, a universal language in building construction. Drawings also become a base to determine estimates of time and costs involved at various stages of the process. Proficiency in making and reading drawings becomes their key skill, in order to realise a vision to perfection.
In this unit, the students will study selected buildings by cutting sections and observing materials, construction details, and layers/ sequence of construction. Students will propose an extension to the studied buildings that would be a result of structural necessity and strength of materials amalgamated with an artistic expression of a designer, reflecting the study done in stage one. Students will also make a cost estimate and specifications document for the proposed structure. Successful completion of the studio will give the students an observational eye towards construction process, materials, cost estimation, timelines, and familiarity towards reading and making detailed drawings.
