Architectural Drafting & Design (ARCH), AAS
At Dunwoody College of Technology, the Associate of Applied Science degree in Architectural Drafting & Design trains students to become ideal employees in the architecture, building design, digital fabrication, and computational design industries.
Students develop skills in a wide array of design technologies including sketching, drawing, manual drafting, digital drafting, physical modeling, digital and parametric modeling, building information modeling, architectural visualization, and digital fabrication. Students acquire a strong knowledge of building technologies including structural systems, building envelope systems, building service systems, building environment systems, building codes, and project management.
Students also develop professional skills through portfolio and project management courses, opportunities for governance, and frequent interaction with professionals in and out of the classroom.
Concurrently, students engage in Arts & Sciences courses in oral and written communications; math and science; social and behavioral studies; and the arts and humanities.
Length of Program: 2 years (4 semesters)
Classes Offered: Day
Available Starts: Fall Semester; Spring Semester
Accreditation: NAAB: National Architectural Accrediting Board (as part of the 5 year BARCH)
Bachelor's Completion Option(s): Architecture (BARCH), Bachelor of Architecture | Business Management Leadership (AMGT), Bachelor of Science
- Design: to harness the capacity of established and emerging design and building technologies and generate a capacity for architectural discovery.
- Technology: to embrace and participate in the current and profound changes in design and building technologies.
- The Profession: to create a generation of architects ideally poised to become leaders in the architecture profession.
- Communication: to explore vast architectural modes of representation, documentation, and presentation.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Requirements | ||
| ARTS1000 | Introduction to Drawing | 3 |
| Communications | 3 | |
| Natural Sciences/Mathematics | 3 | |
| Social Sciences | 3 | |
| General Electives | 3 | |
| Technical Requirements | ||
| ARCH1111 | Architectural Drawing | 5 |
| ARCH1121 | The Site | 3 |
| ARCH1131 | Building Systems | 3 |
| ARCH1141 | The Profession | 1 |
| ARCH1211 | Construction Drawings | 5 |
| ARCH1221 | Building Details | 3 |
| ARCH1231 | Building & the Environment | 3 |
| ARCH2111 | Construction Documents | 5 |
| ARCH2122 | Building Materials | 3 |
| ARCH2131 | Building Regulations | 3 |
| ARCH2211 | Capstone | 5 |
| ARCH2221 | Portfolio | 3 |
| ARCH2231 | Building Economics | 3 |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
The following sample academic plan demonstrates how a student's schedule might look on a semester-by-semester basis, including elective courses. Your actual degree plan may differ from this sequence, depending on whether you start in the fall or spring semester, what transfer credits you may have (if any), and which General Education courses and electives you take and when you take them.
The sample academic plan is for informational purposes only. To determine your academic plan, please meet with an academic advisor.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| ARCH1111 | Architectural Drawing | 5 |
| ARCH1121 | The Site | 3 |
| ARCH1131 | Building Systems | 3 |
| ARCH1141 | The Profession | 1 |
| ARTS1000 | Introduction to Drawing | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Credits | |
| ARCH1211 | Construction Drawings | 5 |
| ARCH1221 | Building Details | 3 |
| ARCH1231 | Building & the Environment | 3 |
| Social Science | 3 | |
| Communications | 3 | |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Total Credits | 17 | |
| Second Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| ARCH2111 | Construction Documents | 5 |
| ARCH2122 | Building Materials | 3 |
| ARCH2131 | Building Regulations | 3 |
| Natural Sciences/Mathematics | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Total Credits | 14 | |
| Second Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Credits | |
| ARCH2211 | Capstone | 5 |
| ARCH2221 | Portfolio | 3 |
| ARCH2231 | Building Economics | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Total Credits | 14 | |
Descriptions
ARCH1111 | Architectural Drawing | Studio (5 Credits)
Engage in a breadth of architectural representation and design technologies. Develop skills in architectural communication, professionalism, learning culture, and technological agility.
ARCH1121 | The Site | Lecture (3 Credits)
Analyze the relationship between a building site and its physical, cultural, and environmental contexts. Develop technical abilities for site design and documentation.
ARCH1131 | Building Systems | Lecture (3 Credits)
Analyze a breadth of building systems and their associative materials and assemblies. Analyze the basic principles of building structural and envelope systems.
ARCH1141 | The Profession | Seminar (1 Credit)
Engage in the profession of architecture and acquire knowledge of architectural licensure, career paths, and forms of practice. Develop proficiency in professional communication and behavior.
ARCH1211 | Construction Drawings | Studio (5 Credits)
Create and coordinate a set of construction drawings. Develop visual communication, organization, and time management skills. Explain and apply systems of building information management.
Prerequisite(s): ARCH1111
ARCH1221 | Building Details | Lecture (3 Credits)
Analyze and develop critical intersections of building systems. Explain the relationship among systems. Identify the relationship between details and design intent.
ARCH1231 | Building & the Environment | Lecture (3 Credits)
Analyze varying building systems, their relationship to climate change, their integration into buildings, and their standards for documentation. Develop skills for design and documentation of ecologically sustainable building systems.
ARCH2111 | Construction Documents | Studio (5 Credits)
Create and develop building construction drawings and specification. Apply building regulations and codes to inform design development. Engage in collaborative building information management.
ARCH2122 | Building Materials | Lecture (3 Credits)
Analyze varying building systems details, material selections, and their specification standards. Develop skills for detailing, documenting, and specifying building materials.
ARCH2131 | Building Regulations | Lecture (3 Credits)
Examine the design implications of building regulations. Research building codes, zoning ordinances, and other regulatory factors. Explain the role of building regulations to public health. Analyze and apply building regulations to specific building conditions.
ARCH2211 | Capstone | Studio (5 Credits)
Engage in the design process and communicate design intent through architectural representation and construction documentation.
Prerequisite(s): ARCH2111
ARCH2221 | Portfolio | Lecture (3 Credits)
Create a curriculum vitae and portfolio of work suitable for entry into the profession and advancement in education. Expand professional behavior and communication skills.
ARCH2231 | Building Economics | Lecture (3 Credits)
Analyze and create building construction cost estimation. Explain and model building life cycle costs. Identify the relationship between whole building costs and climate change.