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courses

ARCH6934-1 / Fall 2025

Tim Michiels

Traditional Building Technology

Canvas

This course introduces students to the analysis of the existing built environment through the study of existing building technologies, preservation methods, and scientific evaluation. It emphasizes the evolution of construction systems and materials, equipping students to identify, interpret, and assess traditional building elements in the field. Lectures (online and in-person) and site visits focus on common structural systems—such as masonry, timber framing, and early steel and concrete frames—and explore how these systems interact, perform, and deteriorate over time. The course situates building materials and systems within technological, historical, and economic contexts, with an emphasis on physical behavior, environmental exposure, and patterns of decay.

Students will examine traditional materials such as brick, stone, iron, steel, mortar, wood, terra cotta, metals, and concrete. Each is discussed in terms of sourcing, fabrication, embodied carbon, and degradation processes. Scientific principles underlying building diagnostics are introduced as essential tools for preservation and adaptive reuse. Field-based case studies, in New York City, allow students to apply observational and analytical skills in real-world contexts. Through this approach, students gain foundational knowledge for future study in conservation, retrofit technologies, and sustainable preservation practices. This course establishes a critical and scientific framework for understanding the built environment, preparing students to engage with aging structures through informed analysis and intervention.

Course format: Weekly on-line review of recorded lectures. Bi-weekly in-person lectures, with (past) recordings available online. Bi-weekly walking tours in New York City.

Location & Time

Preservation Technology Lab (655 Schermerhorn)

TH 9 AM - 11:30 AM

Session & Points

Full Semester

3 Points

Sequence

HP Required

Call Number

10748

Programs

M.S. Real Estate Development

Master of Architecture

M.S. Advanced Architectural Design

New York / Paris

M.S. Urban Planning

M.S. Architecture and Urban Design

M.S. Computational Design Practices

M.S. Historic Preservation

Other Semesters & Sections

Course	Semester	Title	Instructor	Syllabus	Requirements & Sequence	Location & Time	Session & Points	Call No.
A6934‑1	Fall 2024	Traditional Building Technology	Tim Michiels		HP Required	Preservation Technology Lab TH 9:00 - 11:30 AM	FULL SEMESTER 3 Points	10611
A6934‑1	Fall 2023	Traditional Building Technology	Tim Michiels		HP Required	Preservation Technology Lab TH 9 - 11:30 AM	FULL SEMESTER 3 Points	10109
A6934‑1	Fall 2022	Traditional Building Technology	Tim Michiels		HP Required	115 AVERY TH 10:30 AM - 1 PM	FULL SEMSTER 3 Points	12502
A6934‑1	Fall 2021	Traditional Building Technology	Tim Michiels		HP Required	655 SCHERMERHORN W 5 PM - 7:30 PM	FULL SEMESTER 3 Points	11866
ARCH6934‑1	Fall 2020	Traditional Building Technology	Tim Michiels		HP Required	Online W 6 PM - 8 PM	FULL SEMESTER 3 Points	11896
A6934‑1	Fall 2019	Traditional Building Technology	Tim Michiels	Syllabus	HP Required	655 SCHER- CONSERVA LAB W 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM	FULL SEMESTER 3 Points	41492
A6934‑1	Fall 2018	Traditional Building Technology	Tim Michiels	Syllabus	Required for M.S. HP 1st Year HP Required	412 Avery W 6 PM - 8 PM	Full Semester 3 Points	23446