The students are expected to acquire and to demonstrate during the exam the ability of: - Understanding methodological tools useful for design activities; - Understanding strengths offered by different MATERIALS and BUILDING PRODUCTS - Understanding functional roles and related performances of different parts of the building, being able to properly recognize and describe, for each of them, the main technological alternatives; - Understanding consequences of technological choices for USERS and ACTIVITIES, relationship with their NEEDS and in respect of different CONTEXTS; - Becoming conscious that architecture and its life span it is the result of a building process characterized by specific sequences and roles of operators; - READING and REPRESENTING architecture through building elements at different scales. Skills - Critical reading and drawing of building elements at different scales Use of the needs-requirements approach for the technological design of a building and its technological elements

The class doesn’t require specific former knowledge. Attending the drawing course at the first semester would provide better skills of reading and representing technological details

The class is subdivided into theoretical activities (6 CFU) and lab activities (2 CFU). Theoretical activities (6 CFU) Theoretical activities aim at providing the whole understanding of a building, requirements for building components, technological alternatives and a methodological approach to the project. Topics are: 1- Construction technology, construction systems and materials 2- Needs-requirements approach 3- Building and technological system 1- Construction technology, construction systems and materials Meaning and context of technology of architecture, characteristics of construction systems, materials and building products (production processes and specific properties). 2- Needs-requirements approach Needs-requirements approach to design activity, definition of users and needs, requirements and performances classification, building process definition and identification of phases and operators, building quality concept, relationship between the building and the environment. 3- Building organism and technological system Building system definition, technological system classification, characterization of building elements: load bearing structures, floors and wall systems, horizontal and vertical internal partitions. Lab activities (2CFU) - Focus on specific topics of building technology by representing building details, elements and components - Book reading and presentation to the class

Theoretical activities may foresee: lectures, individual exercises or in small groups; plenary revision activities; watching and discussing videos about building sites, case studies and technologies, technical seminars; meeting with manufacturers of building products; reading on technological topics. Lab activities may be foresseen if the course will be done in presence in the classroom or they will be substituted by the invitation of experts from companies who will be asked to do web-lectures on specific topics and/or products. Examples of in-person activities: visits to the Laboratorio di Sistemi Tecnologici Innovativi of Department of Architecture and Design; visit to factories that manufacture buildings materials and components; visits to building sites.

- ANDREA DEPLAZES ( ED. ) CONSTRUCTING ARCHITECTURE. MATERIALS PROCESSES STRUCTURES. A HANDBOOK, Birkhäuser – Publishers for Architecture, Basel · Boston · Berlin, Softcover: ISBN-10: 3-7643-7189-7, ISBN-13: 978-3-7643-7189-0. Hardcover: ISBN-10: 3-7643-7190-0, ISBN-13: 978-3-7643-7190-6 - CAMPIOLI, A., LAVAGNA, M., Tecniche e architettura, Città Studi, 2013  - Ching F. D.K., Mulville M., European Building Construction Illustrated, John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2014 - Allen E., Iano J., Fundamentals of Building construction: materials and methods, John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2009 Other references:  - AMERIO, C., CANAVESIO, G., Tecniche e elementi costruttivi, SEI, Torino 2005.  - AMERIO, C., CANAVESIO, G., Materiali per l’edilizia, SEI, Torino 2005.  - ARBIZZANI, E., Tecnologia dei sistemi edilizi: progetto e costruzione, Maggioli Editore, Santarcangelo di Romagna 2011.  - BOCCO, A., CAVAGLIÀ, G., Cultura tecnologica dell’architettura: pensieri e parole prima dei disegni, Carocci, Roma 2008.  - TORRICELLI, M. C., DEL NORD, R., FELLI, P., Materiali e tecnologie dell’architettura, Laterza, Roma 2001. Readings:  - BUTERA, F., Dalla caverna alla casa ecologica: storia del comfort e dell’energia, Edizioni Ambiente, Milano 2007  - MUNARI, B., Da cosa nasce cosa: appunti per una metodologia progettuale, Laterza, Bari 1981  - SALVADORI, M., Why buildings stand up: the strenght of architecture, W W Norton & Co Inc, 1980 - LEVY, M., SALVADORI, M., Why buildings fall down: how structures fail, W W Norton & Co Inc, 1980 - Allen E., How buildings work: Natural order of architecture, Oxford Univesrity Press, 1980, 3rd edition 2005 Specific references may be provided during lectures. Slides will be made available on the course web page on the official portal of Politecnico di Torino website

Exam: Compulsory oral exam;

Questions for the oral exam include topics presented and the drawing exercises proposed to students during the whole course. Particularly the student will be asked to: - Demonstrating to have a full knowledge of topics taught during the class - Demonstrating to be able to draw by free hand the technical details analysed during the class - Presenting and discussing exercises and results of the lab activities The oral exam lasts about 20 mins. During the oral exam the assignment submitted during the course may also be discussed with the candidate.

Exam: Compulsory oral exam;

Questions for the oral exam include topics presented and the drawing exercises proposed to students during the whole course. Particularly the student will be asked to: - Demonstrating to have a full knowledge of topics taught during the class - Demonstrating to be able to draw by free hand the technical details analysed during the class - Presenting and discussing exercises and results of the lab activities The oral exam lasts about 20 mins. During the oral exam the assignment submitted during the course may also be discussed with the candidate.