Duration
Sociotechnics : 20h Th, 4h Pr
Synthesis : 20h Th, 4h Pr
Number of credits
| Bachelor in architecture | 5 crédits |
Lecturer
Sociotechnics : Julie Neuwels
Synthesis : Olivier Henz, François Laurent , Jean-Philippe Possoz, Guirec Ruellan
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
Concluding the bachelor's level training in building technology, this teaching unit is structured around two course components. The first component, "Part 1 - Socio-technical," aims at a critical and holistic understanding of some socio-environmental implications of construction and technical choices in the building sector, through the lens of social sciences. The second component, "Part 2 - Synthesis," allows students to integrate and master the building technology skills acquired throughout the training by applying them in an architectural project.
Sociotechnics
Eco-efficient buildings, designed and implemented primarily through a technical perspective, are often considered effective and established technological solutions for mitigating climate change. However, their practical application is not always as straightforward as it seems, as evidenced by the rebound effect. From the perspective of Science and Technology Studies (STS), this course addresses the implementation and testing of environmental policies in the construction sector. It exposes certain socio-technical dynamics, their effects on the representations and practices of public authorities, architects, and building users. What foundations and assumptions underpin the institutionalization of eco-efficient buildings? What debates emerge around major political trends? How do inhabitants adapt to these buildings, and what are the effects? How do architects position themselves, and how do their commitments translate into responses to socio-ecological issues?
Synthesis
If the discovery of Building Technologies requires a separation into different learning areas in order to better understand the ins and outs, the understanding and ultimately the concomitant resolution of these Technologies inevitably results in the necessary integration of the different issues studied on a single object, the Project.
With this in mind, the Synthesis component is intended as a receptacle for the learning achieved over three years of training in Building Technology, to be applied to a jointly developed architectural project with its own compositional constraints.
In concrete terms, students will be required to demonstrate their mastery of a certain number of technical aspects that they will have discovered in the Introduction and studied in previous courses: Structure /Materials /Comfort /Construction
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
Sociotechnics
By the end of the "Part 1 - Socio-technical" component, students will be able to:
- Understand and explain the main socio-technical dynamics in the field of eco-efficient buildings (from design choices to user appropriation).
- Understand and explain the assumptions and ideologies underpinning the institutionalization of environmental policies applied to the construction sector and the resulting debates.
- Provide an informed analysis of technical culture, architectural culture, dwelling culture, and construction culture in relation to environmental challenges.
Synthesis
At the end of the component Synthesis, the student will be able to :
- Understand and explain the main technological choices of an architectural project, on the basis of the usual graphic documents of the project;
- Interact in a basic manner with professionals from the construction sector on questions related to Building Technology;
- Propose and defend technological choices - on the basis of the knowledge acquired during their training and the information available to all building professionals - in parallel with the development of an architectural project.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Mastery of the content from all the bachelor's courses in building technology will be useful for understanding the concepts developed in this course.
Sociotechnics
See general guidelines for the teaching unit
Synthesis
See general indications for the teaching unit.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Sociotechnics
The "Part 1 - Socio-technical" component is delivered through five interactive in-person sessions, consisting of 4-hour lectures. Some sessions require the analysis of a text or viewing of a video in preparation for the class, following a flipped classroom approach.
Synthesis
The Synthesis component is organized as an exercise in integrating technological issues into an architectural project.
Two ex-cathedra sessions will introduce the exercise and illustrate its expectations.
Two days of workshops and round-table discussions will work on this integration, alternating between presentation, drawing, discussion and debriefing phases, under the supervision of teachers of the different themes addressed.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Sociotechnics
Face-to-face course
Synthesis
Blended learning
Further information:
Blended learning
Further information:
The Synthesis component follows a project-based learning philosophy. It is organized around a situational exercise. This exercise enables the student to confront, in a semi-autonomous way, the resolution of technical problems tackled in previous Technology of the built environment course, transposed concretely onto an architectural project.
The exercise will be based primarily on the student's personal work, but will be punctuated by some days of discussion and question-and-answer sessions. These round-table discussions will bring together groups of students with the teachers of the various subjects covered, so that the feedback provided on the various problems encountered can be used by the whole group.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Sociotechnics
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
Course presentation materials are provided no later than one hour before the session begins on eCampus. Reading materials and lectures for preparation are sent one week in advance via eCampus. Their reading or listening is mandatory as they are integral to the course content.
Synthesis
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
The few course materials and documents that will be used by the teachers will be made available on eCampus. However, as the Synthesis component echoes the various lessons taught in the Building Technology 1 to 5 courses, it is assumed that all the course materials and notes that students will have collected over the course of their training will form the basis for their answers to the required exercises.
Similarly, there is no new recommended reading specifically for this component. However, all the compulsory, recommended or recommended readings for the Building Technology 1 to 5 courses are resources that are still relevant today.
Assessment methods and criteria
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam AND oral exam
Written work / report
Out-of-session test(s)
Further information:
Each course component is evaluated separately and is assigned a grade out of 20, rounded to the nearest whole number, accounting for 50% of the overall grade for the teaching unit.
To pass, students must obtain a minimum grade of 8/20 in each course component AND an overall grade of 10/20 or higher.
If a student scores at least 8/20 in each course component, their overall grade will be the average of the two components, rounded to the nearest whole number.
If a student scores below 8/20 in one or both course components, the principle of the absorbing grade will apply: the lowest component grade will serve as the overall grade.
If, in the first-session evaluation, a student scores at least 10/20 in one component but fails to pass the teaching unit, they will automatically carry forward the grade of that component to the second-session evaluation. The student will only need to retake the component they failed. If the student wishes to retake the entire teaching unit evaluation, the new grade will replace the previous one, regardless of whether it is higher or lower. Unless approved by the grading jury, grade carry-over between academic years is not permitted (even if the grade for one of the two components is above 10/20).
Sociotechnics
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( open-ended questions )
Further information:
The assessment is conducted through an in-person written exam, comprising open-ended questions with both short and long answers. It focuses on the understanding of the course content, associated texts and lectures, as well as the ability to reproduce this material and to establish connections between these elements
Synthesis
Written work / report
Further information:
The exercise will lead to the production of a graphic presentation at the end of the term, the content and method of evaluation of which will be specified at the beginning of the course. Evaluation of this presentation will constitute the grade for the Synthesis component.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Sociotechnics
To improve and ensure the currency of the teaching, course content and supplementary materials are reviewed annually. Updates to notes from previous years are therefore necessary.
Recording of course sessions as podcasts is not guaranteed. If available, the podcast will remain accessible for one week via unicast. After this period, it will no longer be accessible.
Synthesis
Any questions about the course or exercise can be submitted to the teachers via the channel they specify.
A priori, the channels to be used in priority are the following:
- live during the round tables.
- on the course e-campus forum
- by e-mail.
Contacts
Sociotechnics
Synthesis
Coordinator: guirec.ruellan@uliege.be