NJSOA Course Syllabus

 

Graduate Building Systems IV (Arch 544G) Rima Taher, Ph.D., University Lecturer

Spring 2009                                                    Prerequisite:  Graduate Building Systems III

 

NAAB Criteria: 15, 19 and 22.

  • Type of Course:

Graduate course - Lecture format – 3 credits – Meets twice a week: Monday, from 8:30 to 9:55 am, and Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:55 pm – Location: Faculty Memorial Hall 207.

 

  • Course Overview:

This course provides an understanding of the basic principles and appropriate application of building service and environmental systems, incorporating thermal exposure, climate modification, environmental systems and energy use with a focus on sustainability and as these relate to the building envelope. The course also provides an introduction to aspects of plumbing, vertical transportation systems, and life safety in building design.

An HVAC project will be assigned. This project will require completing a reflected ceiling plan for a building showing a schematic representation of the HVAC system.

The course will also include a field trip to visit a green LEED-certified building, the new academic building of the Cooper Union in New York City.

 

  • Learning Objectives:

Today’s buildings are expected to perform many functions other than their basic sheltering function. It is the role of the architect as a generalist to have a good understanding of these functions and to coordinate the services provided by the various engineers and consultants involved in a building project. The course teaches students about some of these functions and services with a focus on sustainability and an integrated approach to architecture.

 

·         Course Requirements:

Students are expected to take a test, a mid-term examination and a final examination, in addition to some projects and assignments. Tentative test dates are given below. Make-up tests will not be given without a valid reason and a written justification.

The field trip will be scheduled on a Friday. The date of this trip is to be announced.

 

·         Grading Criteria:

Test 1: 20% - Tentative date: Wednesday, February 25th, 2009.

Mid-Term Examination: 30% - Tentative Date: Wednesday, March 26th, 2009.

Assignments: 10% - Due dates to be announced.

Project: 10% - Due date to be announced.

Final Examination: 30% - During the week of final exams, May 7 to May 13.

The NJIT-Honor Code will be upheld, and any violations will be brought to the immediate attention of the Dean of Students.

 

  • Office Hours:

Instructor, Rima Taher, will be available for counseling at Room 521, on Monday, from 12:00 to 1:00 and on Friday from 2:30 to 3:30 or by appointment.

 

  • E-mail Address / Website Address:

E-mail: Taher@adm.njit.edu - Website: http://web.njit.edu/~taher

 

  • Texts:

Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings, 10th Edition, by Stein, Reynolds, Grondzik, Kwok, Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-0-471-46591-1, 2006.

 

  • Useful References:

1-      Heating, Cooling, Lighting: Design Methods for Architects, 2nd Edition, by Norbert Lechner, Wiley & Sons, ISN 978-471-24143-0, 2001.

2-      How Buildings Work – The Natural Order of Architecture, 3rd Edition, by Edward Allen, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-516198-X.

3-      Environmental Control Systems – Heating, Cooling and Lighting, by Fuller Moore, McGraw Hill, ISBN 0-07-042889-1

 

  • Course Content:

 

Week 1:           1/19 to 1/23

Designing for Heating and Cooling:

Organizing the Problem – Zoning – Daylighting Considerations – Passive Solar Heating Guidelines – Passive Cooling Guidelines – Case Studies

 

Week 2:           1/26 to 1/30

Cooling Systems:

Refrigeration Cycles – Refrigerants – Cooling-Only Systems: Fans, Unit Air Conditioners, Evaporative Cooling

 

Week 3:           2/2 to 2/6

Heating Systems:

Heating Devices – Boilers and Types of Boilers – Hydronic Distribution Systems – Radiant Panels – Radiant Ceiling or Floor Design – Hydronic Zoning – Heating Equipment Efficiency

 

Week 4:           2/9 to 2/13

Heating Systems:

Warm Air Heating Systems – Heat Pumps

 

Week 5:           2/16 to 2/20

Mechanical Ventilation:

Ventilation Systems – Regenerative Wheel – Filtration -          Case Studies of HVAC Systems – Sustainability Issues

HVAC Project Assigned

 

Week 6:           2/23 to 2/27     Test on Wednesday 2/25

Water Supply:

Sources of Water – Water Treatment – Transportation of Water – Private Water Systems – Water Distribution within a Building – Conventional Water Heater Selection – Solar Water Heaters

 

Week 7:           3/2 to 3/6

Waste Disposal:

Sewage Systems in Buildings – Municipal Sewage Disposal – On-Site Sewage Disposal Systems: Cesspools and Septic Tanks – Solid Waste Disposal

 

Week 8:           3/9 to 3/13

Lighting:

Light in Architecture – Direct and Diffuse Light – Kelvin and Color Rendition Index – Power of Intensity – Flux – Illumination – Luminance – Lighting Systems: Incandescent Types, Fluorescent Types, High Intensity Discharge Lighting (HID) – Emergency and Exit Lighting – Lighting Design and Artificial Lighting Calculations: the Point Grid Method, the Zonial Cavity Method – Daylighting Considerations

 

 

Week 9:           3/16 to 3/20     Spring Recess

 

Week 10:         3/23 to 3/27     Mid-Term Exam on Wednesday 3/25

Lighting Design Continued – Case Studies

 

Week 11:         3/30 to 4/3       Withdrawal Deadline: March 30

Electrical Systems:

Electrical Circuits – Direct Current – Alternating Current – Electrical Equipment: Motors and Generators – Generation of Power – transformers – Electric Lighting Circuits – Receptacles – Panel Boards – Wiring – Conduits and Types of Conduits – Safety Considerations – services and Meters

 

Week 12:         4/6 to 4/10       Friday 4/10/09 is Good Friday – No classes scheduled

Electrical Systems Continued

 

Week 13:         4/13 to 4/17

Fire Safety:

Building Codes – Compartmentation – Exits – Classes of Fires – Fire Detection – Standpipes: Dry Standpipes, Wet Standpipes – Sprinkler Systems: Wet and Dry Systems, Preaction Sprinkler System, Deluge Sprinkler System

 

Week 14:         4/20 to 4/24

Acoustics:

Fundamentals of Architectural Acoustics – Sound in Enclosed Spaces – Sound Absorption and Room Acoustics – Room Design – Building Noise Control

 

Week 15:         4/27 to 5/1

Vertical Transportation:

Stairs – Ramps – Elevators and Elevator Types – Safety Features – Spatial Requirements for Elevators - Escalators – Moving Walks and Ramps

 

Week 16:         5/4 to 5/8         Tuesday 5/5 is a Friday schedule and is the last day of classes

                                                Wednesday 5/6 is a reading day

 

Final Exams: May 7 to May 13