Our School of Architecture (UCV) at Caracas, Venezuela is in the
process of revising its study programs. Computer graphic use at
pregrade level is now to be a two-semester mandatory course
(we have been at it for some twenty years now, teaching computer
use and more recently CAD as an elective subjects). At the
initial discussions on the subject, three questions have been
amply debated without still any consensus:
1) Should Descriptive Geometry predate the proposed computer
course, in order to help architectural students to gain a
better understanding of space before they tackle things like CAD
and 3-D visualization ?
2) Should Computer Use as an introductory, exploratory course
(as it is taught now) be dropped in favor of a more direct
hands-on approach CAD Level 1 and CAD Level 2 ?
3) Should acceptance of architectural students' computer-aided
presentations of design projects be deferred until the last two
semesters of the career ?
Can anybody throw some light on the subject ? What is the trend
actually in US and/or European schools of architecture on those
matters ? Any suggestions or advise ?
We would be indebted.
Gonzalo Velez Jahn
Associate Professor
Laboratory for Advanced
Techniques in Design
School of Architecture UCV
...........................
Internet: gvelez@xxxxxxxxxx
...........................
process of revising its study programs. Computer graphic use at
pregrade level is now to be a two-semester mandatory course
(we have been at it for some twenty years now, teaching computer
use and more recently CAD as an elective subjects). At the
initial discussions on the subject, three questions have been
amply debated without still any consensus:
1) Should Descriptive Geometry predate the proposed computer
course, in order to help architectural students to gain a
better understanding of space before they tackle things like CAD
and 3-D visualization ?
2) Should Computer Use as an introductory, exploratory course
(as it is taught now) be dropped in favor of a more direct
hands-on approach CAD Level 1 and CAD Level 2 ?
3) Should acceptance of architectural students' computer-aided
presentations of design projects be deferred until the last two
semesters of the career ?
Can anybody throw some light on the subject ? What is the trend
actually in US and/or European schools of architecture on those
matters ? Any suggestions or advise ?
We would be indebted.
Gonzalo Velez Jahn
Associate Professor
Laboratory for Advanced
Techniques in Design
School of Architecture UCV
...........................
Internet: gvelez@xxxxxxxxxx
...........................