23 August 1999

INTRODUCTION:

This will be an instructional and investigative course in Architectural Communication in the virtual WEB environment. The course seeks to explore a new kind of Architectural communication in a constantly evolving multimedia environment called the world wide web.

Through various short-length exercises, you will learn to map and invent sites, design prototypical models, create links, examine virtual structures, raster digital images and digitize flatwork all in an effort to reinvent how architectural information gets communicated in the "3D"world. We will take advantage of the various software in the School of Architecture's Digital Design and Media Lab such as Photoshop, Netscape, Internet Explorer, FormZ, Adobe Premiere, Dreamweaver, Fireworks and raw HTML. Taking advantage of these tools, we will create both a visual and structural forum on the WWW for new forms of communication of Architectural information.

The class will focus on creating and understanding a new "language" and its application in WEB envrineoinents along with its relationship to the concept of architevctural discourse, as we understand it. We will discuss notions of synchronous and asynchronous communication, differences between the virtual and the real, and the difference between the 3D and the 2D.

STRUCTURE:

The class will be limited to 12 students and be held on Monday's from 6-9:45 in B510. Classes will alternate between Lab and Instruiction periods and will consist of readings/discussions, assigned exercies, and/or software instruction. You will be required to mainatin a web site of your own which will illustrate your progress throughout the course and serve as a world-wide exposed diary of your progress in the class.

PRE-REQUISITES:

Students who are qwell verse and comfortable in either the MAC or PC platform and with an introductury knowledge of computers. Some experience in either of teh above-mentioned software(s) is reccomended.

BOOKS REQUIRED:

HTML For The World Wide Web, Elizabeth Castro, Peachpit Press

Envisoining Infomrsation, Edward Tufte, Graphic Press

READING
HTML For the World Wide Web,     CH 1-3

LINKS

University of Ilinois @ Chicago