Engineering room
The main idea behind forming an Egineering Room at an Art Academy was to offer the students a possibility to go through the whole process of designing in architecture. In the year 2006, Prof. akad. arch. Imro Vaško and Assoc. prof. Sabah Shawkat, PhD. established the Structural Egineering Room at the Department of Architecture of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava.
The subject named “Constructions in Architecture“ is assigned for the third year students of the Bachelor Grade. The subject is also examined as a part of the Final State Exam, and it is guaranteed by Assoc. prof. Sabah Shawkat, PhD. The crucial aim of introducing a new engineering subject was to make the students familiar with architectural design of constructions in a complex way that includes all the important functional, constructional, structural and technical issues. Students first create their own architectural concept and step-by-step work on the details of a realizable project. This educational approach is supported by several external teachers as well, mainly from the Faculty of Engineering of the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava. Moreover, many other experts in professions such as structural engineering, building constructions, acustics, economy, etc., can be consulted.
Within the first term students scheme out a design architectural concept and propose suitable materials. As the student propositions are almost allways very creative and atypical, the design concept is only rarely classical and it requires unconventional solutions. As a result different constructions are obtained: non-classical truss structures, composite structures and two-layer space truss frames. In the second term students choose the most suitable type of structural design and the project is elaborated with all the belongings.
What else is interesting about the subject “Constructions in Architecture“? Certainly it offers a unique possibility for students to follow the entire journey that has to undergo an architectural idea until it becomes a final realizable project of a viable engineering structure. The whole process is extremely creative, inventive and complex. Moreover, students can train their managerial and co-ordinative skills. By discussing with various experts they can get new inspiring ideas and usefull information, learn how to find optimal solutions and argue for different important technical parameters.
Sabah Shawkat
