NAAB Accreditation

October 6, 2009


To: Design 7 Thesis Faculty

From: Matthias Altwicker, Nader Vossoughian

Re: NAAB Accreditation

Our NAAB re-accreditation is coming up soon, so Matthias and I wanted to take a moment to remind you all that this year we need to make an effort to redouble our efforts to make sure our students – and our thesis students in particular – are being taught skills that fulfill the 2009 NAAB Student Performance Criteria that was circulated to all of us all earlier this week.

Below is a list of some of the specific skills that we need to be teaching in Design 7; going forward this semester, please be see to it that evidence of these skills is demonstrated in student work. Few of you will likely be able to cover all of these points; hopefully, though, together we can make an effort to cover the majority of them.

A.2. Design Thinking Skills: Ability to raise clear and precise questions, use abstract ideas to interpret information, consider diverse points of view,reach well-reasoned conclusions, and test them against relevant criteria and standards.

A. 3. Visual Communication Skills: Ability to use appropriate representational media, such as traditional graphic and digital technology skills, to convey essential formal elements at each stage of the programming and design process.

A.4. Technical Documentation: Ability to make technically clear drawings and models illustrating the assembly of materials, systems, and components appropriate for a building design.

A.5. Investigative Skills: Ability to gather, assess, record, apply, and comparatively evaluate relevant information within architectural coursework and design processes.

A. 6. Fundamental Design Skills: Ability to effectively use basic architectural and environmental principles in design.

A. 7. Use of Precedents: Ability to examine and comprehend the fundamental principles present in relevant precedents and to make choices regarding the incorporation of such principles into architecture and urban design projects.

A. 8. Ordering Systems Skills: Understanding the fundamentals of both natural and formal ordering systems and the capacity of each to inform two- and three-dimensional design.

B. 1. Pre-Design: Ability to prepare a comprehensive program for an architectural project, such as by providing an assessment of client and user needs, an inventory of space and equipment requirements, an analysis of site conditions, a review of the relevant laws and standards and assessment of their implications for the project, and a definition of site selection and design assessment criteria.

B. 2. Accessibility: Ability to design sites, facilities, and systems to provide independent and integrated use by individuals with mobility, sensory, physical and cognitive disabilities.

B. 4. Site Design: Ability to respond to site characteristics, including proper contour manipulation in the development of a project design.

B. 5. Life Safety: Ability to apply the basic principles of life-safety systems with an emphasis on egress.

B. 8. Structural Systems: Understanding of the basic principles of structural behavior in withstanding gravity and lateral forces and the evolution, range, and appropriate application of contemporary structural systems.

B. 9. Environmental Systems Integration: Understanding the principles of active and passive environmental systems, such as embodied energy, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, bioclimatic design, solar geometry, passive heating and cooling, day-lighting, carbon-neutral design, as well as the application of appropriate performance assessment tools.

B. 10. Building Envelope Systems: Understanding of the basic principles involved in the appropriate application of building envelope systems and associated assemblies relative to fundamental performance, aesthetics, durability, and energy and material resources.

B. 11. Building Service Systems Integration: Understanding of the basic principles and appropriate application and performance of building service systems such as plumbing, electrical, vertical transportation, security, and fire protection systems

B. 12. Building Materials and Assemblies Integration: Understanding of the basic principles utilized in the appropriate selection of construction materials, products, components, and assemblies, based on their inherent characteristics and performance, including their environmental impact and reuse.

C. 2. Human Behavior: Understanding of the relationship between human behavior, the natural environment and the design of the built environment.

C. 3 Research: Understanding of the role of research in evidence-based design in areas such as human behavior and building sciences.

C. 4. Client Role in Architecture: Understanding of the responsibility of the architect to elicit, understand, and reconcile the needs of the client, owner, user groups, and the public and community domains.