Advanced Curtain Wall

This course is the final offering in the GSAPP technology sequence, and offers an intense exposure to the custom curtain wall in a lecture/seminar and technical studio format. It is the intent of the course to provide graduating students with a comprehensive understanding of the technical concepts and specific skills necessary to undertake in actual practice the design, detailing, specification, and construction administration of the custom curtain wall. Although the course will emphasize current and emerging technologies of the curtain wall, discussion of specific technical issues and methodologies will focus on those aspects that directly inform contemporary architectural design. Case studies of contemporary examples will be used throughout to illustrate the technical content of the course.

A key feature of the course is the Technical Studio Design Problem which is assigned at the beginning of the semester and concludes with a final formal review: in this exercise, students will develop detail drawings and prepare outline specifications for a unique curtain wall of their own design. The lecture and seminar content of the course is intended to inform the studio component and vice versa.

Enrollment and Prerequisites:
Enrollment is limited. Students must have completed all prerequisite courses and must apply for enrollment in the course by submitting a one page statement of interest at or before the first class. Statements of interest should include examples of the student’s previous technical curriculum work. Students who have not submitted a statement by the first class will not be considered for enrollment.