Facades Education in the United States
Current State and Recommendations for Improvements
Presented on October 9, 2024 at Facade Tectonics 2024 World Congress
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Overview
Abstract
This paper presents the results of a research study, outlining the state of facades education at higher-education institutions across the United States. The objective was to identify coursework focusing on facades (or enclosure systems) and analyze how these courses relate to the overall curricula, educational objectives, and teaching methods at various universities.
The study began by identifying universities that offer facade-related courses, and by administering a survey. The survey asked participants to identify facade-related courses in their institutions, provide the course names and numbers, and indicate the course level, course format, and the relation of the course to the overall curriculum. Subsequently, syllabi were requested from instructors for each of the identified courses. Of the 70 originally identified courses among both the U.S. and Canadian higher-education institutions, detailed information and course syllabi were collected for 36 courses offered by U.S. programs that represent 22 higher education institutions and 23 NAAB accredited programs.
The next step of the research study involved quantitative and qualitative analysis of the submitted syllabi. The collected information was classified into different categories, including geographic regions, program type, course format, whether the courses are offered as part of a professional program, identification of topics that are covered in various classes, learning outcomes, and course assessment methods. The study found that facades have been increasingly integrated into building technology lecture courses and integrated design studios, but that standalone courses with primary focus on facade-related topics remain few and are primarily offered as elective and graduate level courses. This paper provides detailed results of the study and offers recommendations on how the breadth and depth of facade course offerings in the U.S. can be expanded and improved.
Authors
Ajla Aksamija, PhD
Professor and Distinguished Chair for Resilient Places
University of Utah
ajla.aksamija@utah.edu
Suncica Milosevic
PhD Candidate
University of Utah
suncica.milosevic@utah.edu
Gabrielle Brainard
Associate Principal
SOM
gabrielle.brainard@som.com
Timothy Brown
Associate Professor
Clemson University
tb2@clemson.edu
Keywords
Paper content
1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
1.1 Importance of Facades in Architectural Education
Knowledge of facades, or building enclosures, is critical for successful professional architectural practice. Thus, academic programs are the first
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Footnotes
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank Alex Terzich and Becher Neme for their assistance in identifying courses and collecting some of the course syllabi. The authors also thank the Society of Building Science Educators (SBSE) and Building Technology Educators’ Society (BTES) for assisting us with the data collection and for sharing surveys with their members, as well as all faculty members who shared their course syllabi.
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