Syllabus

ARCH430 | Networked Technologies

Thomas Kearns | kearns@iit.edu | office hrs th 4-6 Th 6:25-9:05 – 3410 Computer Lab

Introduction
Today, the www has emerged as the most freely traversed ’social space’ in the world. Every day, millions of geographically disparate people connect, converse, work (etc.) with one another via Internet-based communication technologies. These networked technologies are perhaps the most radical force currently contributing to the changes in both the form of the City and the mutation of social urban space. As a result, this new ‘electronic’ urban space is subverting, displacing and redefining our notions of the relation between architecture and the traditional gathering place. Furthermore, these emerging gathering places are being fashioned in much the same way architects and planners have always envisioned the public realm: they are being designed as dense interactive networks within which people (purposefully or randomly) meet, communicate and exchange information.

The Class
An investigation into the relationship between architecture, the city and networked technologies. Students will learn principals of designing for networked digital space, ways of augmenting physical space through digital technologies, and how networks and web based communication have transformed our daily lives and the practice of architecture.

Throughout the semester practical examples will be supported with readings and discussions of concepts fostered by Walter Benjamin, Gilles Deleuze + Felix Guattari, the Situationist International, Lawrence Lessig, Steven Johnson and more.

Class objectives
-To investigate new technologies and how they are influencing architecture
-To develop an understanding of new forms of organizational and relational logic.
-To learn principles of designing websites using HTML and its supporting protocols
-To learn how to use Macromedia flash for design + presentation
-To learn object oriented programming with Flash Action script
-To learn new modes of digital presentation
-To learn how to teach yourself
-To develop more efficient modes of production to facilitate group projects
Class structure

Each class will be divided into 2 parts. Most weeks a conceptual lecture and discussion will be occupy the first half with a technical workshop given in the second. Some weeks an open help session will be offered in all or part of the class and in others the class parts will be dedicated to review of student projects The semester will be divided into 4 segments with 4 corresponding projects serving as the framework for conceptual and technical investigation. To expand the breadth of the class beyond the delivered content, students should (and are inherently expected to) diligently exercise the following practices

Exploring Your Tools – Training oneself to experiment with menu options, parameter changes, and buttons in order to gain a further understanding and expanded skill set within an application. If you don’t completely know what a function of a program is for, and you notice or pass it frequently, use it, see if you can figure out what it is for. Chances are, if it made it through the development process it performs a useful function. Who knows, it could become one of you most frequently used functions.

Finding Help – Each week key words will be provided for navigating appropriate software package help offerings and online keyword searches. This will serve as the foundation “support” material, with tutorial references, descriptions + definitions or examples of work. These pointers replace the need for any purchased reference material. The reality is, most of the software we will be using has been around for many years, and as a result very thorough documentation has been developed by the maker to educate users in how to take advantage of their product. In fact, most of the literature available at a bookstore is a simple regurgitation of descriptions, tutorials, etc (available for free to registered users) with a thin, often poorly written commentary. Advanced users must be able to teach themselves if they wish to take their skills further
Calendar at a glance (subject to change)
Aug 21
introduction | situationism | blogs,wikis,blikis | everything is miscellaneous
flash walk through | drawing in flash
Aug 28
links | networks | rhizomes | cmaps
working with the timeline
Sep 04
timeline scripting
open work session
Sep 11
blog review
student presentations | due: project 1 – dynamic drawing
Sep 18
web 2.0 | mashups | social media
scripting 101 : variables + decisions
Sep 25
scripting motion in flash
open source
Oct 02
locative media
open work session
Oct 09
blog review
student presentations | due: project 2 – image space
Oct 16
fall break no class
Oct 23
ubiquitous computing | physical computing | micro-controlled technologies
scripting continued – functions + classes
Oct 30
functions and classes
open work session
Nov 06
blog review
student presentations | due: project 3 – spatial game
Nov 13
digital environments
construction in second life
Nov 20
simocc
scripting in second life
Nov 27
thanksgiving no class
Dec 04
open session
Dec 11
Final presentations | due: project 4 – collaborative constructions

Progress + Evaluation

Project and Assignments
Over the course of the semester students will complete 4 unique projects. In some cases students may be given the opportunity to work in groups or individually. Each project will have a formally outlined set of technical criteria that will be evaluated for completion. In addition the students project designs will be evaluated for uniqueness + craft. For each project a total of 20 pts will be awarded, 10 for technical completion, and 10 for concept + craft.

Readings + Journal
There will be a select number of mandatory readings or websites to visit, and where appropriate additional optional texts or areas of investigation. As a seminar course it is expected that students have thoroughly read the material and are able to speak to the issues of the text in class discussions. Additionally students will be required to cultivate the class blog with posts related to the topics of the class. These blog posts will be recorded and evaluated for quality. Each quality post will be given one half pt. (Readings will be posted to the Galvin Library Electronic Reserves: http://www.gl.iit.edu/erp/erphome.htm)

Grades
Letter Grades will be administered based on the above mentioned criteria, with a percentage grade determined by the total points accumulated to those available

Attendance
The professor will take attendance at the beginning of every class. If you are late for the class without a legitimate excuse (see student handbook) this will count as half an absence. 2 unexcused absences will cause your final grade to be reduced by one letter grade, 3 unexcused absences will result in failure of the course.

Backup
All students will be required to keep a backup copy of their work on Zip Disk, CD/DVD, or Micro drive. In the event that the server goes down or work is lost due to some computer failure the student will be expected to produce a backup copy of the work. Failure to produce a backup copy will result in a failing grade for the assignment. There will be no exceptions to these rules.

Americans with Disabilities (ada)
Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with documented disabilities.  In order to receive accommodations, students must go through the Center for Disability Resources office. The Center for Disability Resources (CDR) is located in Life Sciences Room 218, telephone 312 567.5744 or disabilities@iit.edu.