.
Morton Friedman (friedman@columbia.edu)
Vice Dean
Columbia University, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Volumes serve as classroom and reference aids to improve the teaching of engineering design to undergraduates. Case studies highlight some creative aspects of design, show that many design problems have no unique solution, and contextualize engineering issues with respect to related disciplines such as architecture and the history of technology. Each volume includes information useful for freshman and senior level classes. Building envelope thermal analyses, for example, can be understood and modified by students with a knowledge of freshman-level physics; in-depth structural analyses and cladding studies are intended to fit into senior year engineering curricula. Design oriented homeworks and group projects at both freshman and senior levels are included.
To analyze particular aspects of a project, users employ a user-specified WWW browser (like Netscape or Mosaic) as a "meta-front-end" to launch applications running on their own computers. Freshmen studying a building's thermal performance, for example, may download heat transfer spreadsheets for use with Excel or a compatible program. Similarly, finite element structural analysis information is available in Staad and Ideascompatible formats, and large scale, 3-D detail models are available in .dxf and .dwg formats. WWW browsers may be set up relatively easily to automatically launch an appropriate application (such as Staad) when students begin work on a particular problem (such as structural analysis). For a complete description of application software required to take full advantage of the Engineering for Architectural Projects volumes, click on the hypertext link below.
Engineering for Architectural Projects volumes are not intended to stand alone as "edutainment" tutorials. Rather, by featuring a wide variety of interactive, cross disciplinary material, volumes improve on the idea of a textbook, which students must peruse under their own initiative. Engineering for Architectural Projects volumes also extend the textbook paradigm by making their digitized information easily accessible and presentable in class. Volumes' abilities to present information quickly during class lets them work as electronic blackboards -- projecting three dimensional and animated information in place of a chalkboard's single perspective drawings and static notes. As with the use of traditional textbooks and blackboards, scheduled classes and the guidance of an experienced professor helps students master course materials.
Engineering for Architectural Projects is an experimental educational project of Columbia University's School of Engineering and Applied Science, Graduate School of Architecture, and Academic Information Systems Group. This project is partially supported by NSF's Gateway Engineering Education Coalition (NSF Award EEC-9444246). Access is restricted to the Columbia University community and member departments of the Gateway Engineering Coalition.