In Year 1 the student is introduced to the principles of building materials and technology and is encouraged to develop a capacity to identify and resolve architectural technology problems.

The year-long 'Technical Design Studio: Masonry Technology' module explores the materials and construction techniques employed in the construction of a domestic structure. It also provides the vehicle for application and integration of technical knowledge and understanding developed in the other modules to the development of studio projects.

These videos provide insights into the nature of the first year experience on the TU831 Architectural Technology programme. 

• TU831 Architectural Technology - Student Work - First Year (7:41)
• TU831 Technical Design Studio - the first four weeks (9:55 minutes) 
• Introduction to Year 1 of TU831 Architectural Technology from Kirk McCormack (6:58 minutes)

The following is the Year 1 Technical Design Studio work produced by Sean Molloy

Semester 1 - Construction Studies

• Year 1 Project 1 Exercise 1 9 Drawing
• Year 1 Project 1 Exercise 10 12 Drawing
• Year 1 Project 1 Exercise 13 14 Drawing
• Year 1 Project 1 Exercise 15 Model
• Year-1-Project-1-Exercises-16-Presentation
• Year 1 Project 2a Presentation Walls Group
• Year 1 Project 2b Study Wall Openings
• Year 1 Project 3a Presentation Foundations Group
• Year 1 Project 3b Study Foundations
• Year 1 Project 4a Retrofit Study Walls
• Year 1 Project 4b Retrofit Presentation Group
• Year 1 Project 4c Retrofit Drawings
• Year-1-Project-4d-Retrofit-Study-Roofs

Semester 2 - House

• Year 1 Project 5 Esquisse 1 Layout
• Year 1 Project 5 Esquisse 2 Roofs
• Year 1 Project 5 Esquisse 3 Floors
• Year 1 Project 5 Esquisse 4 Section
• Year 1 Project 5 Esquisse 5 Services
• Year 1 Project 6a House Site Analysis
• Year 1 Project 6b House General Arrangements
• Year 1 Project 6c House 1.20 Section
• Year-1-Project-6d-House-Details
• Year 1 Project 6e House Services
• Year-1-Project-6f-House-Site-Plan
• Year 1 BIM Project House

From the first day we were launched into an atmosphere of busy, practical and often demanding work and this was carried all the way through to the last day of the year.

The Year 2 Semester 1 'Technical Design Studio: Architecture Frame and Skin' module explores materials and construction techniques employed in typical and non-typical contemporary construction focussing on multi-storey residential timber buildings and medium span non-residential steel framed buildings.

The Year 2 Semester 2 'Technical Design Studio: Assembling Architecture and Environment' module explores materials and construction techniques employed in typical and non-typical contemporary construction, focussing on multi storey concrete framed and Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) buildings.

This video will take you though the work of Second Year of the TU831 Architectural Technology programme.

The following is the Year 2 Technical Design Studio work produced by our 2019 Morrison Scholar Emma Harrington.

Semester 1

• Year 2 Project 1 Timber
• Year 2 Project 2 Steel
• Year 2 Project 3 Passive House

Semester 2

• Year 2 Project 4 2D Construction Details
• Year 2 Project 4 Drainage Plan & Calculations
• Year-2-Project-4-Group-Project
• Year-2-Project-4-Planning-Application

It was evident from day one, that this year was going to involve a lot more self-directed learning than 1st year

The Year 3 'Technical Design Studio: Prefabrication for Multi-Cell Buildings' module focuses on the development of studio projects exploring multi-cell, mixed span buildings. Students are required to be conversant with current state-of-the-art engineered timber technologies and the implications for Building Regulations. The technologies explored are Glulam, Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), Frame and Panelised Systems and hybrid options.

The year commences with a detailed study of exemplar mid- to large-span timber projects from abroad, following which students reimagine an existing building design in one of three or more specific timber technology systems. They are tasked with producing a complete set of documents, from General Arrangement drawings to typical critical details. Referencing case studies and current techniques, the students are expected to apply a number of key technological advances using current data in the application of these technologies.

This video will take you though the work of Third Year of the TU831 Architectural Technology programme.

The following is the Year 3 Technical Design Studio work produced by Aidan McKenna.

Semester 1

• Year 3 Project 1 Exemplar Timber Project
• Year 3 Project 2 Esquisse
• Year 3 Project 3 GAs & Renders
• Year-3-Project-4_Structural-Design-Sheet-&-Sketches
• Year-3-Project-5-1.20-Section
• Year-3-Project-6-Details-&-Sketches

Semester 2

Students spend Semester 2 of Year 3 in professional practice placement. 

We were very excited about the work placement module that was ahead of us. It was definitely a motivating factor that drove us from day one.

The final year of the programme aims to establish the learner’s independence and ability to develop a major technical design thesis demonstrating a capacity for technical design and an ability to produce a rigorous and comprehensive study into a research question of their own choosing.

The Semester 1 'Technical Design Studio: Collaboration and Synthesis' module provides the vehicle for bringing together and applying the technical knowledge, understanding and skills developed previously to propose technical design solutions for existing buildings, using collaborative and individually driven design and research processes. The emphasis in this module is on the retrofitting and upgrading of existing buildings, including those with a conservation heritage value. The student is introduced to best practice measures in low energy retrofitting, refurbishment works and building conservation methodologies.

The Semester 2 'Technical Design Studio: Thesis' module provides the means for application and integration of the technical knowledge, understanding and skills developed in previous architectural technology modules to a building design proposal, and provides a vehicle by which the learner can evaluate and bring to completion their thesis proposal. While the emphasis will be on retrofit and compliance measures for existing buildings, students will also be free to explore the technical design of new buildings.

The following is the Year 4 Technical Design Studio and Dissertation work produced by our 2021 Mont Kavanagh Scholar Liam Deguara.

Semester 1

• Year-4-Project-1-Collaborative-Project
• Year-4-Project-2.1-Construction-Information
• Year-4-Project-2.2-Individual-Details-Esquisse
• Year 4 Project 2.3 Individual_Details_PART1
• Year-4-Project-2.4-Individual_Details_PART2
• Year 4 Project 3 Baseline Esquisse
• Year-4-Project-3-Baseline-Tender-Drawings

Semester 2

• Year-4-Project-4.1-Stakeholder-Presentation
• Year-4-Project-4.3-Macro-Thesis-Detail-Design
• Year-4-Project-5.1-Micro-Thesis-Research-Documentation
• Year-4-Project-5.2-Micro-Thesis-Developed-Investigation
• Year-4-Project-6.1-Research-Documentation-Esquisse-PART1
• Year-4-Project-6.1-Research-Documentation-Esquisse-PART2
• Year-4-Project-6.1-Research-Documentation-Esquisse-PART3
• Year-4-Project-7-Final Presentation
• Year-4-Project-8-Final Dissertation

Final year allowed us to engage with course content in a new and refreshing way that will only benefit us for our future careers.