Transcript Communication Skills for Architecture Students

Communication Skills for
Architecture Students
Communication Skills for
Architecture Students
 Architecture students spend much of
their academic careers creating visual
solutions for design problems. An
emphasis, however, has been placed
lately, on the importance of lucid
writing and clear speech for architects
in their profession.
Communication Skills for
Architecture Students
 It is important to write with impact
and to speak with conviction. Global
economy and politics require that a
successful architect should express
himself or herself effectively in
English through writing and speech.
Communication Skills for
Architecture Students

Architecture focuses on
architectural education, but
teachers all over the world
have become aware that
though a studio experience
with its emphasis on design is
of fundamental importance, an
architect’s ability in
 writing proposals
 memoranda
 e-mail
 planning reports
 articles
 delivering oral and written
presentations of posters
and designs is of equal
importance.
Communication Skills for
Architecture Students
 The aim is to build up a greater
confidence and proficiency in students
in expressing ideas, questions,
criticisms and arguments and
developing writing skills in
composition, in essays on the history
of architecture and in design
descriptions and explanations, thus,
expanding students’ interests beyond
drawing and modeling.
Communication Skills for
Architecture Students
Writing and oral assignments will range from:
1.
a formal analysis of a building which entails the use of technical terminology
necessary for verbal and written communication.
2.
writing descriptions and explanations of designs.
3.
writing essays
4.
writing reports.
5.
research papers about architectural programs of study
6.
the written and verbal presentation of posters which provide strong
advantages in developing communication skills since they combine visual and
verbal information by using illustrations, the written text and a spoken
explanation.
Communication Skills for
Architecture Students
Assignments will be classified by media :

Printed: technical writing, essays and reports

Graphic: presentations with visual graphics

Spoken: speech

Electronic: email or the Web
Communication Skills for
Architecture Students
 Writing well and speaking clearly is
important for students to get good
grades. Above all, you will become
professional architects one day and
as such will need to communicate
both in writing and speaking with
professionals and future clients about
your project.
Communication Skills for
Architecture Students
 The principal scope of the assignments will
be to
 provide language and communication skills
specifically designed to help Architecture
students acquire a wider range of architectural
terminology in order to interact effectively in
discipline-specific discussion tasks and
 to write clear and well-organized descriptions of
buildings.
Communication Skills for
Architecture Students
 Assignment # 1
 Student Portfolio

The student will write an introduction to
their portfolio. The “About Me” section shall
include information about their personal and
academic background, educational
aspirations, and their outlook into their
future goals. They will have the opportunity
to showcase their strengths and introduce
the reader to their works.
Communication Skills for
Architecture Students
 Assignment # 1 continued…
 Student Portfolio
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The student will use the weebly website
builder to design an online portfolio to
showcase their visual graphics and writing
assignments.
The portfolio will include at least 3 pages
(Home, Architectural Gallery, and Writing
Samples)
Each page shall include text and graphics
that best illustrate the students’ strengths
Communication Skills for
Architecture Students
 Assignment # 1 continued…
 Student Portfolio

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The student will be assigned a peer to
evaluate and give constructive criticism to.
The student will present their portfolio
design at the completion of Assignment #1
to the class. The oral presentation will
serve as an exercise to enhance their verbal
communication skills.
Communication Skills for
Architecture Students
Grading Rubric:
Design (40%) – Was the student’s design well-thought out? Is
it organized and easy to follow/navigate? Is it visually dynamic?
Does it contain a clear vision?
Written assignments (40%) – Was the student successful in
conveying a clear concise view about their background, goals,
and strengths in their introduction? Was the student able to
clearly define their works? Did the student offer constructive
criticism to their peers?
Presentation (20%) – Was the student successful in presenting
their portfolio? Did they defend their design choices and text?
Did they speak clearly and confidently with correct terminology?
Did they show a level of preparedness for the presentation?
Communication Skills for
Architecture Students
 Writing exercise:
 What do you hope to gain from this course?
What would you like to learn more about in
this course?
Communication Skills for
Architecture Students
 Writing exercise:
 You are the architect for a brand new construction
project that will house a Hospital complex. In
order to build the complex you must tear down a
dilapidated neighborhood with 82% foreclosed
homes.
 In your speech, you must convince the residents
and the city council why the Hospital complex
would benefit the overall community. You must
defend your structure and persuade the people
affected why it would be a good thing for them to
sell their land.
Communication Skills for
Architecture Students
 Writing exercise:
 Creative Essay Assignment: The Ultimate
Gameroom.
 Everyone wants a special place they can hang out
with friends, describe in detail what your ultimate
Gameroom would be.
 Write the essay in a descriptive point of view.
Include where it would be located and why. What
architectural details would be built-in to better the
experience?