i've been trying to dig my harddrive for anything substantial that could be of help to u, but thing is, i've left all the old curriculum files in my other harddrive in msia, and there's no way i could retrieve it at the moment. so what i'm gonna do is try to put down things that i could remember on top of my head. but it's not VERY reliable, bcoz juggling between 6 different curriculums in my head currently, i might tend to confuse some of them with each other. so here goes:
setting, location and site
in the diploma curriculum, 3rd year 1st sem is a project in an urban setting. if previously u've dealt with 1 or 2 shoplots the most (in an urban setting), this semester we're talking a slightly bigger project, probably about 3-4 shoplots in size.
issues
3rd year 1st sem projects will be very issue driven, where u must set out clearly to tackle the issue(s) right from the beginning of the project, be it urban, social or environmental (these are the common ones in an urban setting).
project(s)
in 3rd year 1st sem, u will have 2 projects, one minor and one major. sometimes the major project is split into smaller segments. there will also be a working drawing (?) exercise which can be based either on ur minor project or the smaller segment of the major project. both the minor and major projects usually connected with each other, probably by site, issue or design wise. clues to understanding the major project can be observed by the minor project.
technical requirements
the projects will involve short to medium span structures, and a considerable amount of details (which should be illustrated by the working dwg project). so it would be best to look up references on short-medium span structures early on. if i'm not mistaken there should also be a requirement for composite construction, but i cant recall whether this is the new or old curriculum.
services wise: water & electrical supply, fire regulations, lift & escalators (if applicable), aircond, waste disposal and basic distribution services and circulation.
all in all, a student should be able to critically analyze principles of building technology, and integrate them in their design.
communications
students should be able to exhibit competent dwg skills (both presentation and technical), ability to argue and debate an issue as well as portray/project a good self image.
others
for the 3rd years 1st sem in the degree curriculum, there's a requirement to calculate building costs, but i'm not sure with the diploma's. it may be a requirement in 2nd sem.
i hope this helps.
