TAWFIK MAHMOUD
Architectural design 1 was like an extremely simple simulation as to what working as an architect in reality is really like. It involved designing with a specific brief in mind and sometimes included certain clients that we had to satisfy their requirements as well.
The lectures were simple and very easy to comprehend, they assisted us to better understand the brief and as to what exactly was expected of us for each project.
The projects assigned to us built up to one another which made the transition from one to the next flow more easily. Project one was the simplest and was a good way to better understand the different design principles. Project two was much more challenging as working in a group required clear communication and that was hard to achieve at times. It also involved us making a 1:1 structure which was a lot of physical work! However, I had much fun working with bamboo and utilizing all the different tools and machines. I learnt a lot about how to better work as a team and the do's and don'ts to achieve efficient workflow. Project three was the most challenging as I took quiet some time understanding how to create a good design concept and narrative. However it was interesting to create my first ever design boards!
The MyTimes portal was well organized and it was easy to refer back to notes after the lectures. In addition, having a Facebook and WhatsApp group made it efficient to be informed on important notices in a very convenient and fast way.
My tutor gave me a lot of feedback on my various design during the tutorial sessions, which personally has helped me to improve a lot! She gave me many creative ideas on how to change my designs to be more outstanding. She has really pushed me to be more out there and create more bold designs. I am still learning how to create more bold design and be more confident in my designs.
Overall this has been the most time consuming and challenging module however I have learnt a lot of very useful skills that I am still working to improve further.
Design communication involved us taking a simple step by step to reach the final stage of producing accurate Architectural drawing. We started the journey by an abstract drawing and ended by producing floor plans, elevations, axonometric and perspective drawings. The lectures were relatively easy to comprehend and follow through. I enjoyed all the module assignments and projects given. They started with simple tutorials and slowly graduated into more complex accurate drawings this made the transition very smooth.
The MyTimes portal was well organized and it was easy to refer back to notes after the lectures. The addition of videos to illustrate the step up step drawings was also very helpful especially in doing project 2. Having a telegram and Facebook group made it easy to be informed on important announcements.
My tutor was polite and aided me in the areas I found challenging.
Overall this was a wonderful module and my personal favorite!
Architecture history and theory was like travelling back in time. It was very intriguing to learn how architecture transformed through the years and how life was like in all the different eras.
Some lectures were very exciting while some were extremely long and tiring!
The assessments given were quite simple and aided in reflecting on the content learnt in a fun way. As they were mainly drawings and I enjoy drawing!
The group project assigned was challenging as it was hard to make sure that everyone was doing their tasks accordingly and that the tasks allocated were fair. I was not the group leader however I felt that they held great responsibly in relative the other group members. However it was a good way to socialize and get to know my classmates more. Seeing how we can compline all our different unique ideas into one was also interesting!
The MyTimes portal was well organized and it was easy to refer back to notes after the lectures. However some of the lecture slides were extremely long and it was challenging to summarize them in order to study for the exam more effectively.
Dr. Lia was extremely kind throughout the semester and she was chill. This made it less stressful in general and I felt that I could comfortably ask for any help or guidance.
Overall this course was good and very insightful!
Architecture and environment emphasized on how to utilize the natural site to better your design. It advanced my knowledge into how design isn't just about aesthetics but rather it is about how to design a structure that will have the least energy consumption possible. How to take advantage of the natural daylight and prevailing wind so reduce energy usage. As someone who cares deeply about the environment this course was the foundation as to how I can built sustainable structures as a future architect.
The lectures were very dense and informative, it was more technical especially during the acoustic topics. Personally, I actually enjoyed this more! The assignments involved real life examples and therefore we could view what we learnt in practice, especially in assignment 1 when we were required to obtain our own primary data.
The learning platforms were well organized and it was easy to navigate through. However the lectures were uploaded relatively late and so I could not review the lecture slides as efficiently.
Our lecturers where good, however some were more engaging and obtained our full attention more than others.
Overall this was a great course!
