Terri Meyer Boake B.E.S. B.Arch. M.Arch. LEED AP
Associate Professor School of Architecture University of Waterloo

last updated May 2, 2011
 


Arch 384:
Competitions Elective

Course Outline


RULES OF ENGAGEMENT!! (effective 01.01.2006)

1. The Competition must be registered for and entered (on time) and proof submitted to indicate this. This course is not a "test run" but the "real thing". The competitions listed below have all been selected as they allow student entries. If you fail to enter, it will not "count".

2. Failure to submit the illustrated essay portion of the course will result in failure of the course (maximum grade of 46%). The essay portion is necessary for this course to qualify as a research elective and it allows me (and you) a better understanding of the development of the project/building type.

3. The elective must be completed in a timely fashion. Please select a competition/deadline that is manageable within either your work term or school term. Lack of time will not be acceptable as an excuse for failure to complete. You need to figure out how to manage your time and create space to complete the course. This is why it is an "independent" course. If you cannot manage your time, do not take this course. You will never be "gifted" with 2 to 3 weeks with nothing else to do, so you cannot count on this.

4. The course is reserved for students of a 3A or higher studio level. 2B students may be permitted to take this elective providing they have a minimum 78% average in their design studios (cumulative) and achieved at least 80% in Arch 113. High quality digital submissions are expected.

5. Students may undertake the competition entry in pairs, but each student must submit their own, unique, essay.

 

Undergraduate Course Requirements:

The grading basis for the elective will be as follows:

75% will be based on the competition entry

Approximately (as a function of the focus of the specific competition)
20% for site development
20% for structure and skin (tectonics)
20% for planning, and development of the building according to the program
20% for design development and the remaining
20% will be for an overall evaluation based on the nature of the presentation, graphics, boards, etc.

25% for an illustrated 1,500 word essay based upon the quotation:

“The works of the past always influence us, whether or not we care to admit it, or to structure an understanding of how that influence occurs. The past is not just that which we know, it is that which we use, in a variety of ways, in the making of new work…. The typology argument today asserts that despite the diversity of our culture there are still roots of this kind which allow us to speak of the idea of a library, a museum, a city hall or a house. The continuity of these ideas of type, such as they are, and the esteemed examples which have established their identity and assured their continued cultural resonance, constitute an established line of inquiry in which new work may be effectively grounded.”
The Harvard Architectural Review. Volume 5. Precedent and Invention. Between History and Tradition: Notes Toward a Theory of Precedent. John E. Hancock.

Breakdown of the essay grade:
40% for research
20% for clarity of text
20% for integrated images/graphic presentation of essay
20% for bibliography and footnotes/endnotes

The essay will be a discussion of precedents and initiatives for the research that is to be conducted on both the building type as well as the specific "product" that is featured in the competition. Illustrations are mandatory. Include illustrations of both the precedents studied as well as specific images of your project, showing the relationship between it and the precedents.

PLEASE USE A HORIZONTAL/LANDSCAPE FORMAT FOR THE ESSAY.

You MUST submit your competition on time. This is a "real life" experience. There are no extensions for competition entries that arrive late.

You CANNOT sign up for these courses on Quest.

 
Payment of any registration fees associated with some competitions is the responsibility of the student. Any project costs, printing, shipping, etc. are also borne by the student.
Sample Mark Breakdown Sheet:
Mark breakdowns for both the competition submission and essay will be emailed following grading. Blank forms can be viewed here: undergrad grading sheet
IF I DO NOT REMEMBER TO SEND YOU A COPY OF THIS AFTER THE GRADE IS SUBMITTED, PLEASE EMAIL ME AND REQUEST ONE. I COMPLETE THESE FOR ALL COMPETITION GRADES.
Deadlines:

You MUST enter the competition on time! Actual course deadlines for Arch 384 will vary by competition and by term. The boards/jpegs will be due to ME, after the competition deadline.

Winter 2008 deadlines: deadlines are adjusted to coordinate with your respective competition. If the competition entry deadline is before April 21, 2007, then both the jpegs and essay are due on April 21, 2007. If your competition is due after spring term, ie. in May, then both the jpegs and the essay are due one week following the competition deadline. An INC grade will be submitted for the winter term grade. This grade will be revised shortly after receipt of the material. Failure to submit will prevent promotion to the following academic term.

Spring 2008 deadlines: deadlines are adjusted to coordinate with your respective competition. If the competition entry deadline is before August 1, 2008, then both the jpegs and essay are due on August 17, 2008. If your competition is due after this date, ie. later in August or September, then both the jpegs and the essay are due one week following the competition deadline. An INC grade will be submitted for the spring term grade. This grade will be revised shortly after receipt of the material. Failure to submit will prevent promotion to the following academic term.

Fall 2008 deadlines: deadlines are adjusted to coordinate with your respective competition. If the competition entry deadline is before December 5, then both the jpegs and essay are due on December 20, 2008. If your competition is due after fall term, then both the jpegs and the essay are due one week following the competition deadline. An INC grade will be submitted for the fall term grade. This grade will be revised upon receipt of the material. Failure to submit will prevent promotion to the following academic term.

Submission of Boards/Images:
I do not need copies of the actual printed boards, just good quality jpegs or pdf files. These may be emailed to tboake@uwaterloo.ca

 

This course requires an override form.
Students interested in registering for these opportunities should contact me at tboake@uwaterloo.ca.

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last updated May 2, 2011