THE BREATHING SHELL, OPENING, & SITE LOGIC
A design is defined as much by its gaps as by its solids. This course focuses on Openings (Doors and Windows) and the integration of modern "Smart" materials. Students will learn how to use glass, acoustic panels, and smart partitions to create flexible, high-performance boundaries that adapt to the user's needs.
A building must breathe to be healthy. This course explores the "hollow" elements of architecture. By merging Site Logic (sun and wind path) with the design of Openings (doors and windows), students learn to create a "Breathing Shell." You will study how Materiality—the weight, porosity, and sheen of finishes—automatically defines space and affects the internal climate.
Instructor Profile
Prerequisites
Description
Learning Objectives: Balance privacy with transparency; integrate acoustic and smart materials; manage the transition between interior and exterior.
Topics Covered :
The Geometry of Openings: Utilizing doors and windows for display and formation through balance and coordination.
Smart Boundaries: Introduction to Smart Glass (switchable privacy), acoustic drywalls, and modular partition systems for offices.
Joinery & Transitions: How to manage the "meeting point" between different materials (e.g., where a stone floor meets a glass wall).
Outcomes: Proficiency in designing "breathing" spaces that optimize natural light while maintaining technical performance.
Learning Objectives:
Design window and door placements that optimize Natural Ventilation and site-specific airflow.
Analyze "Site Logic" to position openings for maximum natural light while minimizing solar heat gain.
Utilize materiality to "self-define" interior zones without the need for solid partitions.
Topics Covered:
Openings & Transitions: Utilizing doors and windows for balance, display, and coordination between interior elements.
Natural Ventilation Treatment: Detailed study of airflow and the appropriate treatment for each interior zone (e.g., moisture control in wet zones).
Materiality & Spatial Identity: How the choice of stone, wood, or glass automatically creates boundaries and influences the "feel" of the shell.
Learning Outcomes: The student will produce an "Opening & Ventilation Schedule" that respects the physical constraints of the site and the sensory needs of the user.
Course Rules
Ready to Enroll?
Preserve your seat by filling in the application form, upload a sample of your artwork, or provide your Artstation account for revision. Kindly, Do Not pay unless you have a confirmation message from us that you are accepted in this course.