2023 Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate major in Urban Design and Built Environment
Architectural Awareness & Design
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Urban Design and Built Environment
- Instructor(s)
- Satoshi Nasu
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - Intensive (J3-2010)
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- UDE.D448
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2023
- Offered quarter
- 4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 8, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Architecture is developped and designed in reration to various conditions such as regionality, institution, technology, their users and so on. Architectural Design are kinds of representation of understanding and translation of those conditions. From the other point of view, architectural awareness, such as perception, recognition, experiment, usability and meanings will be given by these representation through its physical design. In this course, we will discuss user oriented design of architecture and built environment through comparative consideration of designl subjects on planning phase and the representation form on the phase of post occupancy.
The main theme of this course is spatial tolerance as peoples environment.
Course description and aims
"Through this course, students will understand architectural awareness on human' short and long term experiences, and be able to design architecture based on those subjects. In detail, by the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Clarify specific relationship between human behavior and built-environment on various aspects of architecture.
2) Research physical, social and cultural factors of architecture.
3) Design architectures and buil-environments by using the various point of view, such as human, social, historical, environmental and technical viewpoints."
Keywords
Architectural Design, Built Environment, Public Space, Human centered design
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Classes are classified to five themes with independent or group work project.
Every five theme class are composed of lecture and student' presentation.Students should discuss actively.
Finally, students group practice Evidence Based Design study.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Concept of Architectural awareness and design System image and design model | Make research groups and chose specific sites |
| Class 2 | Usability in architectural design 1: group work | Assignment "Environmental analysis with Human centered approach" |
| Class 3 | Usability in architectural design 2: student' presentation | Presentation and discussion |
| Class 4 | Tolerance of space 1: lecture and student' group work | Assignment "Tolerance of public space" |
| Class 5 | Tolerance of space 2: student' presentation | Presentation and discussion |
| Class 6 | Tangible nature in architecture 1: lecture | |
| Class 7 | Tangible nature in architecture 2: group work | Assignment "Design a tangible nature" |
| Class 8 | Tangible nature in architecture 3: presentation | Presentation and discussion |
| Class 9 | Social and historical forces 1: lecture | |
| Class 10 | Social and historical forces 2: lecture+survey | Assignment "Introduction of house museum" |
| Class 11 | Social and historical forces 3: presentation | Presentation and discussion |
| Class 12 | Evidence Based Design 1: lecture | |
| Class 13 | Evidence Based Design 2: group work | |
| Class 14 | Evidence Based Design 3: presentation | Presentation and discussion |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Course materials will be given via OCW or in each class.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
References: A. Rapoport, Culture, Architecture, and Design / W. Mitchel, Logic of Architecture / D.A.Norman, The Phsychology of Everyday Things, R. Banham, Architecture of the well-tempered environment / E. Ford, The Details of Modern Architecture / K. Frampton, Modern Architecture: Critical History / C. Alexander, A Pattern language / J.Gehl, Cities for People
Course materials will be given via OCW or in each class.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Presentation in classes (75%).
Report (25%).
Related courses
- UDE.D442 ： Comfortable Built Environment I
- UDE.D541 ： Comfortable Built Environment II
- UDE.E432 ： Practice of Environmental Design based on Environment-Behavior Study I
- UDE.E433 ： Practice of Environmental Design based on Environment-Behavior Study II
Prerequisites
Students should have basic knowledge and motivation for architectural or urban design.
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
nasu.s.aa[at]m.titech.ac.jp
Office hours
Contact by e-mail in advance to schedule an appointment.