Mechanism theory in architecture education

Abstract

In mechanical engineering tasks concerning motion and moving parts are very common, thus of course topics like kinematics and mechanism theory are content of teaching in various lectures, exercises and laboratories. At RWTH Aachen University besides mandatory basic courses for all engineering students, continuative courses for students specialized on engineering design or automotive engineering impart profound knowledge. In architecture education the focus lies on the design of buildings in consideration of social, functional, esthetical and statical aspects. Although due to the demand of sustainable and adapting buildings the importance of deployable structures and kinematic parts is increasing, these topics are rarely found in education. Suitable opportunities to bring interested prospective architects in touch with mechanism theory are design projects scheduled for master students. Following an existing cooperation in the research field of foldable structures the Chair of Structures and Structural Design (Faculty of Architecture) and the Department of Mechanism Theory and Dynamics of Machines (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering) offered in the winter semester 2012/13 an interdisciplinary task of designing a foldable bridge to a group of architecture students. The focus of this student project was on the design of a new foldable bridge, but in order to enable the students to solve this unusual task some preliminary activities were performed. The project started with analyses and presentations of existing solutions followed by lectures and workshops providing contents from architecture, arts and mechanism theory. Observations of the project showed that thanks to this preparation students considered kinematic issues as well as architectural ones from the very beginning. The aim of this paper is to present how mechanism theory can be integrated into Interdisciplinary education, which content the authors consider being important for students and which influence can be observed in students’ results.