Elemental Building Function

This course builds a discourse encompassing the many aspects of building function to try to rediscover the best role of the architect. We attempt to discover what level of functional system knowledge is appropriate for the architect today. A palette of potentially complex topics are provided to explore building function, but to avoid the seminar becoming overly technical, it is grounded in the basic elements of function that one might imagine: Aristotle's Air, Fire, Earth, and Water. Air: space and comfort; Fire: energy and operation; Earth: materials and construction; Water: flow and systems