On December 8th &9th I spent two informative days at the University of Kansas (KU), my eighth sabbatical visit. Thanks to the efforts of Tom Mulinazzi and Craig Adams (Department Head) I met eight faculty currently teaching the design aspects of the AE program and others as well. As on my previous trips everyone was welcoming and helpful, making my visit both productive and enjoyable.
What did I learn?
About the KU Architectural Engineering (ArcE) program
- It's a five year program Bachelors program with longstanding ties to the Architecture program, ties that the department wishes to strengthen again.
- Many faculty are proud of this tie and feel that it distinguishes their program from most other ArcE programs.
- Administratively it has an unusual history.
- Until recently it was an independent program reporting jointly to the School of Architecture and Urban Planning, and also the Engineering School.
- In 2001 it moved fully to engineering as part of the newly renamed department of Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering.
- Students for the ArcE program are still admitted by the Architecture program.
- Of the 24 tenure-track faculty in the department the ArcE faculty 5-6 would probably state that their primary identification is as ArcE faculty.
- There are also several full-time auxiliary faculty who are important to the program.
Teaching Methods and Curriculum
- Although the number of Architecture studio courses has decreased in recent years, there's still a strong architectural studio experience in the first two years with studios similar to those for architecture students although now taught separately with higher student-faculty ratios for ArcE's.
- Design in some form is present throughout the student's five years
- There are design problems in the first year introduction to Architectural Engineering course
- Architectural design starts in the first year and extends through the sophomore year
- Students take discipline design classes in the intermediate years and have design problems as part of some of the discipline analysis courses
- The capstone design sequence is two semesters long - 6 credits each semester and thus intense
- The first semester is organized sequentially into three parts addressing structures; mechanical; electrical (power) & lighting
- In the second semester students choose an discipline area in which to specialize
- The program offer four emphasis areas which are achieved by selection in the capstone sequence and through electives selected by the students.
- Building Environmental Systems (HVAC, energy, acoustics)
- Lighting/Electrical
- Building Construction Engineering and Management
- Building Structural Systems
- AE students must take the FE exam to graduate
- There is graduate study in the department for ArcE's with the MS in ArcE and the PhD in Civil.
- It's also possible, and encouraged, to continue on to a Master of Architecture - currently 2-3 students per year follow this option.
- The faculty take pride in preparing students for industry.
- They take advantage of industry contacts (primarily from Kansas City) as adjuncts, consultants in the design classes, and as full-time auxiliaries.
- There is also considerable pride on the quality of their teaching as a group.
- Faculty identified use of many teaching methods
- Lecture in many classes - often spiced with field trips and guest lecturers.
- Studio in Architecture
- Modified studio in several classes
- Case Study - as examples in lecture classes
AE Content Issues
- Balance of curiculum ingredients
- In my conversations I found a number of different views on the appropriate balance of curriculum agreements
- The strongest, though not unanimous, belief was that the architecture emphasis was important
- Structures was perceived as being the dominant curriculum element and discipline emphasis by some, with a desire for more MEP
- There's an effort to reestablish a former strength in lighting
- Sustainability
- Faculty cited multiple elements related to sustainability in the current curriculum although it isn't explicitly emphasized .
- BIM
- There will be a new BIM course next term.
- Other than that it wasn't generally perceived as particularly important by most faculty although several tied it, sustainability and economic design together as jointly important.
- Coordination with Other departments and Programs
- As noted above the relationship with the architecture program is considered highly important and there is considerable effort to improve it.
- There was little mention of a desire to establish relationships with other departments (although some are doing so) or institutions.
Students
- Departmental Enrollment is approximately as follows
- 240 Civil Engineers
- 175 Architectural Engineers
- ?? Environmental Engineers
- ArcE graduates work approximately as follows:
- Construction & Structures each 1/3
- MEP 1/6
- Other 1/6
- Admission for ArcE students is fairly selective
- They are limited by the places available in the initial architectural studios
- An estimate was that only 1 in 3 is admitted
- They have high ACT scores, amongst the highest in all engineering
- There is considerable encouragement to get international experience
- There are study-abroad relationships with Newcastle University in Australia as well as a new one with Leeeds in the UK.
Observations
- The administrative changes in the department disrupted its operation for a number of years, but there is now a sense of optimisim and a desire to continue what all regard as as strong, unique tradition.
- As is the case at many of the other institutions I've visited there in some curiousity about the results of my study, but there's little apparent interest in significant cooperation with other Architectural Engineering programs.
- I believe that this is the case for most of the programs because there's little benefit perceived to come from such cooperation and because there's a significant rivalry with nearby instutitions.
