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

last updated January 5, 2018
 


NXT City Toronto Competition - Monty deLuna


Arch 346: Competitions Elective
Course Outline

 

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT!!

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 80% 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.

6. Referencing is to use Chicago Style. http://guides.lib.monash.edu/citing-referencing/chicago

 

Undergraduate Course Requirements:

The grading basis for the elective will be as follows:

75% will be based on the competition entry
40% for the conceptual response to the design brief
40% for design development and detailing
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 and illustration references (Chicago style please)

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. Please contact Donna Woolcott the Undergrad Students Services Coordinator for a Permission number after checking with me that the competition is suitable.

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:

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 346-686 will vary by competition and by term. The boards/jpegs will be due to ME, after the competition deadline.

Winter deadlines: deadlines are adjusted to coordinate with your respective competition. If the competition entry deadline is before the end of April, then both the jpegs and essay are due by April 30. 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 deadlines: deadlines are adjusted to coordinate with your respective competition. If the competition entry deadline is before August 15, then both the jpegs and essay are due on August 31. 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 deadlines: deadlines are adjusted to coordinate with your respective competition. If the competition entry deadline is before December 22, then both the jpegs and essay are due by January 1. 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 January 5, 2018