VIDEO OVERVIEW OF MAJOR

 

PLTW CEA: Civil Engineering & Architecture can lead to college credit through the Rochester Institute of Technology. This course involves the development of a local property site. As students learn about the various aspects of civil engineering and architecture, they apply what they learn to the design and development of the property. In addition, students use Rivet, which is a state of the art 3D design software package from AutoDesk, to help them design solutions to solve the major course project. Students will learn about project documentation, problem solving, and communicating their solutions to peers and members of the professional community of civil engineering and architecture.

 

Construction Documents: Students will evaluate the architectural process involved in designing small residential to commercial projects for specific building types according to NYC building codes. Projects will require research and analysis, program development, flow diagrams, schematic design, and final presentation. These studies will guide the students in the preparation of a complete set of drawings: plans, elevations, sections, details, schedules, and an introduction to specifications. By producing a complete and correct set of working drawings, from plans through details and specifications, students will gain the understanding of the process and preparation of construction documents. 

 

Structural Design: Students learn the basics of statics and strength of materials. They then apply these techniques to the design of beams, columns, and bearing plates. This is an introductory course needed for the design of more complex structures such as bridges and buildings. In this course, students will also apply their strength of materials knowledge to perform calculations for their senior design project. 

 

Senior Design Studio: This course is an expansion of Architecture Design in the junior year. Students continue to build their sketchbooks and portfolios. The class works as a lecture and studio course. The basic types of architectural drawings – site plan, floor plan, sections and pictorials are learned and drawn by the students. The students go through the design process by being required to design a structure within the guidelines of a given program. Each assignment ends with students presenting their work to the class. There is an emphasis on 3D drawing and design with the use of the computer software 3D Studio Viz and AutoCAD.

 

Building Construction: This class begins with researching the methods and construction techniques of how people throughout the world built their homes through the ages. Students incorporate a creative approach when constructing a scale model of a primitive dwelling. This helps to develop the students’ skills in the use of hand and power tools along with how various types of materials are used. The remainder of the course concentrates on theory and the actual building of a typical wood frame house in the classroom. The concepts of how platform frame construction is built are emphasized rather than carpentry skills. Home electrical wiring and plumbing are also included.