Course Syllabus

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INDES 390          Interior Building Systems       Spring 2015       

Instructor Contact Information

Instructor:       Dan Beert

E-mail:             The Canvas website includes a web-based email service. Please use this service to contact me about anything related to this class. To access the email service, click on the Inbox link at the top of any Canvas webpage. To send an email, click the Compose Email button (pencil in square icon). Select this course from the dropdown box. Click the icon on the right and choose whether to send an email to the Teacher or students in the class.

DO NOT SEND YOUR ASSIGNMENTS via email. Use the Assignment pages.

For issues not relating to this class, or in an emergency, please email me directly at dan.beert@bellevuecollege, or email our program manager, Margaret Wuerth, at m.wuerth@bellevuecollege.edu.

 

Telephone:      425-564-4041 | My Office

425-564-2624 | Interior Design Program Manager

425-564-2341 | Arts & Humanities office

Office hours:   By appointment only; contact me via Canvas email, or contact the program manager to arrange a time.

Course Description

INDES 390 introduces the physical components of building construction. Topics include industry wide classification systems, standards and resources, basic physical properties of building materials, typical building construction systems, mechanical and electrical systems, and building codes related to interiors. 

The course provides a systemic framework for integrating knowledge of interior building systems, regulations, and codes to achieve sustainable and responsible interior design.

Students are expected to supplement the assigned readings and lectures with independent activities and research.

Students enrolling in this course are expected to be comfortable with basic computer functions. As a core class within the Interior Design curriculum, all BAA degree-seeking students must earn a C or better in the course. See “Course Outcomes” to further clarify objectives of this course.

Textbooks and Resources

Your required textbooks for the quarter are:

Sustainable Building Systems and Construction by Lisa Tucker

The Codes Guidebook for Interiors by Sharon Koomen and Katherine E. Kennon
(Both are available at the BC Bookstore and through various online retailers)

Other recommended books you can look for in the Bellevue College Library and from other sources:

Building Systems for Interior Designers by Corky Bengali
Materials, Structures, Standards by Julia McMorrough

Building Construction Illustrated by Francis D. K. Ching

Building Codes Illustrated by Francis D. K. Ching

Elements of Interior Light Frame Construction by Katherine Ankerson

2012 International Building Code, International Code Council, Inc.

(Note: Full-time students may join the International Code Council as student members, pay a one time membership fee of $25.00 and receive a complementary copy of the IBC.) You may also view the 2012 International Building Code online by following this link: http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/ibc/2012/index.htm. 

Resources that you will need to complete this class include:

  • Access to the Web with a secure, reliable, wired broadband connection. Mobile applications and WiFi connections may not be reliable while uploading large documents or taking quizzes.
  • The latest version of your web browser and Flash plug-in
    http://guides.instructure.com/s/2204/m/4214/l/41056-which-browsers-does-canvas-support
  • Access to MS Word and PowerPoint, or equivalent, and a printer
  • Miscellaneous office and drawing supplies
  • A reliable method for backing up your work: USB drive, portable hard drive, cloud storage (Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.)

 Resources that are highly recommended to complete this class include:

 

Class Web Site

Bellevue College uses Canvas, a web-based online learning portal, to deliver and manage instruction for all classes, including online. The site will be used to post announcements, messages, and assignments. It also provides a place for class discussions, as well as content delivery via multiple media, including lectures, videos, and other resources to help you learn and interact with each other.

To log onto our class website, go to http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/canvas/. Click the Log in to Canvas button. Use the same NetID login you use to access your BC email and campus computers. If you’re not sure of your NetID login and password, go to this site: https://www.bellevuecollege.edu/netid/. Look under the Courses link at the top of the Canvas home page to see links to all of your current classes.

Occasionally, technical problems can block you from accessing the Canvas site for a few minutes to a few hours. If you cannot access the site, check back later. If a deadline is approaching, contact me by email so I’m aware of the issue.

If you still can’t access the site, contact the Technology Help Desk. This site provides three methods of contacting them: Live Chat or phone M-F 6:30a-6:30p, or request ticket, available anytime 24/7. http://depts.bellevuecollege.edu/helpdesk/

If you still cannot access the site please contact me using the email address above for further instructions.

Class Participation and Communications

Attendance. One of the advantages of an online class is that the classroom is open 24/7 and you can come to class when and where it is convenient for you. One of the disadvantages is that being and online learner requires a greater degree of self-discipline. My suggestion to you is that you “come to class” at least three times per week, just like if you were meeting in a classroom. The more frequently you come to class, and the more that you participate through reading and writing discussion responses, the more you will get out of the course.

Announcements. All communications will be done through the class Canvas site. Any necessary revisions or important class announcements will be announced through the site. Please be aware that it is your responsibility to remain appraised of all class matters, so you will need to check your class email and announcements on a regular basis. When you first access the site, please open your personal settings and set notifications so that you receive Announcements and Conversation Messages: http://guides.instructure.com/m/4144/l/73162-how-do-i-set-my-notification-preferences.

Discussion Boards. Using the discussion board is equivalent to raising your hand in class. Everyone “hears” your question or comment, and anyone can respond to it. In fact, discussion boards are where some of the most important learning happens in online classes. As mentioned before, online learning is asynchronous – activities can happen any time you choose. A related advantage is that you have time to think before raising your hand or responding to a question. Because of this, instructors and students might interact as much as three times more than they do in face-to-face settings; and interaction with your peers is many times more. So you can see that there’s opportunity for greater interaction, if you choose to take advantage of it.

This class features two types of discussion: assigned or open.

  • Assigned Discussions. You will be assigned to post and respond to other student postings on a weekly discussion thread. Discussions on each thread are restricted to assigned topics. For these discussions, I will try to stay in the background and let you take the topic in a direction that’s relevant to you. But I will step in to offer clarifications or corrections, or to keep the discussion on topic. Keep it loose, have fun, but bring it back to the topic if it strays too far. For questions or comments that seem important but may not relate to the assigned discussion, there’s another place you can go:
  • Open Discussion Board. If a communication will benefit the entire class, the Open Discussion Board has two threads that you can use any time:
    • Shared Resources is for you to share anything you think will be helpful to others, including the instructor. A great website, books or other resources, an “aha!” moment, or ways to improve the class.
    • Use the FAQs board to post questions about the course that you think everyone will benefit from reading and finding answers to. Get tips from me or your classmates, ask topical questions, find out how things work – and why they don’t. Build a list of FAQs for future classes!

Email. A personal email is equivalent to coming up to see me (or another student) after class or during a break. Use this option when more one-on-one conversation is required.

  • Canvas Inbox. This is not like normal email: it’s a “conversation messaging” system with a contact list of your teachers and classmates. Unless you specify it (see link below), messages will only be seen when you log into Canvas.
    • You may use the Canvas Inbox to broadcast emails to the entire class, but it would be more effective to use the Announcement tool for this.
    • Set your personal preferences so that you get notifications of Conversation Messages (Canvas email) to your preferred email account.

http://guides.instructure.com/m/4144/l/73162-how-do-i-set-my-notification-preferences

  • Emailing Me. For all class-related messages, please email me using the Canvas Inbox. I’ve chosen that Canvas NOT notify me of any Inbox messages, to keep my class emails separate from my general emails. Only use my BC email when it’s an emergency, or something unrelated to class.

When corresponding with me via email, please understand that it may take up to 24 hours to respond if you email Sunday-Thursday, and up to 48 hours if you email on a Saturday. I make every effort to check my email at least once per day – typically in the early mornings – and to be responsive to your questions or concerns. If your email is about assignment grading, I strive to provide feedback and grades within one week of the submission of work.

Assignments

You will be assigned activities and discussion questions throughout the quarter. Instructions and information about these assignments are found within the modules.

You will be expected to participate in the class discussions on each learning module by answering discussion questions, replying to your classmates’ answers, and reading through the responses of others (roughly on a weekly basis).

Late work will not be accepted. Discussions and activity reports are due by 12:00 midnight on their assigned due date.

Canvas Site and Study Tips

Start by reviewing each module’s Overview. Then, quickly review all the material in the course modules before spending time on any one item. Use the Next button at the bottom of each page to advance to the following item. Review the assignments in detail so you know what questions you’ll have to answer or activity to prepare for. This will leave you with a lot of questions. Write them down. Then begin reviewing lecture and other resource material in depth. Post any questions on the FAQ discussion board.

When you’re ready to begin your assignments, take a look at any rubrics that are associated with the assignment. This will tell you what’s important for you to demonstrate, and how to evaluate the quality of work expected for a better grade.

Better grades are awarded for higher-order thinking: synthesizing facts from multiple sources, analyzing and summarizing this research, and drawing conclusions based on well-formulated arguments. Simply reciting the correct facts may be all that’s required, if the assignment or question asks simply for a right answer. But in many cases, you’ll be asked to evaluate or judge which response is appropriate, given complex criteria; you have to gather multiple facts and decide what they mean. In this case, you have multiple answers to get right. From these answers you must create a convincing argument for your decision. This tests the problem-solving skills you’ll need in practice.

When studying for exams or completing assignments, it is highly encouraged that you supplement the assigned readings with the use of independent research – from recommended sources, or your own – to further clarify lecture topics.

Exams

There will be a midterm and a final exam in this course. The midterms will cover the material surveyed in the readings and slide lectures prior to the exam. The final exam will cover new content knowledge from the last half of the quarter.

Exams will be timed, so it is important that you have your study materials well organized before starting the exams.

Final Grades

  • Points will be totaled and grades assigned at the end of the quarter.
  • Grades are awarded on an A through F scale, with +/- grades.
  • Instructor reserves the right to adjust the student’s final grade up or down 5-15 points to reflect class participation and attendance.
  • No incompletes will be given.

Since INDES 390 is requirement for graduation from the Bachelor of Applied Arts (BAA) program, your graduation will be denied until you pass this course with a C or better.

Grading

Points are awarded and converted to percentages for computation of your final grade based on the following:

  • Midterm exam 100 pts
  • Final exam 50 pts
  • Activity Portfolios 185 pts
  • Discussions 200 pts           
  • Course Evaluation
    10 pt bonus
  • Total Points Available
    545 pts

 

Grading Scale:

95-100%          A

90-94%            A-

86-89%            B+

83-85%            B

80-82%            B-

76-79%            C+

73-75%            C

70-72%            C-

65-69%            D+

60-64%            D

 < 60%             F

 

Student Procedures and Expectations

Students taking this course are subject to the terms and conditions outlined in the Arts and Humanities Student Procedures and Expectations manual. You can find the full text of this document at http://bellevuecollege.edu/ArtsHum/policy.html.

Student Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity

Cheating, stealing, and plagiarizing (using the ideas or words of another as one’s own without crediting the source) and inappropriate/disruptive classroom behavior are violations of the Student Code of Conduct at Bellevue College.  Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to, talking out of turn, arriving late or leaving early without a valid reason, allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and inappropriate behavior toward the instructor or classmates.  The instructor can refer any violation of the Student Code of Conduct to the Dean of Student Success for investigation.  Specific student rights, responsibilities, and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code of Conduct at: http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/policies/id-2050/

Class Evaluation

Toward the end of the quarter, you will receive instructions on providing feedback about the course you are taking. This evaluation will only take a few moments of your time and is required of you by the college.

Student Services

If you need help with your writing skills, please make use of the Writing Lab in D-221 (425-564-2493). These folks can really make the difference if you are struggling…but go to them early, not the hour before your assignment is due.

The Disability Resource Center serves students with a wide array of learning challenges and disabilities. If you are a student who has a disability or learning challenge for which you have documentation or have seen someone for treatment and if you feel you may need accommodations in order to be successful in college, please contact us as soon as possible. 

If you are a person who requires assistance in case of an emergency situation, such as a fire, earthquake, etc, please meet with your individual instructors to develop a safety plan within the first week of the quarter.

If you are a student with a documented autism spectrum disorder, there is an additional access program available to you. Contact asn@bellevuecollege.edu or 425.564.2764. ASN is located in the Library Media Center in D125.  www.bellevuecollege.edu/autismspectrumnavigators/

The DRC office is located in B132 or you can call our reception desk at 425.564.2498. Deaf students can reach us by video phone at 425-440-2025 or by TTY at 425-564-4110. Please visit our website for application information into our program and other helpful links at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc

 

Final Exam Schedule

Consult the course and assignment schedules on Canvas.

Academic Calendar

The Bellevue College Academic Calendar is separated into two calendars.

 

Affirmation of Inclusion

Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and discrimination.

We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with dignity and respect. http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/inclusion.asp

Course Learning Objectives

Beyond the course outcomes listed in the official course description and in the Getting Started module on our Canvas course site, this course addresses these specific Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) criteria and student learning objectives:

Standard 2. Global Perspective for Design

Entry-­‐level interior designers have a global view and weigh design decisions within the parameters of ecological, socio-­‐economic, and cultural contexts.

Student Learning Expectations

Student work demonstrates understanding of:

  1. the concepts, principles, and theories of sustainability as they pertain to building methods, materials, systems, and occupants.

Standard 5. Collaboration

Entry-­‐level interior designers engage in multi-­‐disciplinary collaborations and consensus building.

Student Learning Expectations

Students have awareness of:

  1. the nature and value of integrated design practices.

Standard 11. Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment, and Finish Materials

Entry-­‐level interior designers select and specify furniture, fixtures, equipment and finish materials in interior spaces.

Student Learning Expectations

Students have awareness of:

  1. a broad range of materials and products.
  2. typical fabrication and installation methods, and maintenance requirements.

Standard 12. Environmental Systems and Controls

Entry-level interior designers use the principles of lighting, acoustics, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality to enhance the health, safety, welfare, and performance of building occupants.

Student Learning Expectations

Students understand:

  1. the principles of acoustical design.
  2. appropriate strategies for acoustical control.

Students understand:

  1. the principles of thermal design.
  2. how thermal systems impact interior design solutions.

Students understand:

  1. the principles of indoor air quality.
  2. how the selection and application of products and systems impact indoor air quality.

Standard 13. Interior Construction and Building Systems

Entry-level interior designers have knowledge of interior construction and building systems.  

Student Learning Expectations

Student work demonstrates understanding that design solutions affect and are impacted by:

  1. structural systems and methods.
  2. non-­‐structural systems including ceilings, flooring, and interior walls.
  3. distribution systems including power, mechanical, HVAC, data/voice telecommunications, and plumbing.
  4. energy, security, and building controls systems.
  5. the interface of furniture with distribution and construction systems.
  6. vertical circulation systems.  

Standard 14. Regulations

Entry-level interior designers use laws, codes, standards, and guidelines that impact the design of interior spaces.

Student Learning Expectations

Students have awareness of:

  1. sustainability guidelines.
  2. industry-­‐specific regulations.

Student work demonstrates understanding of laws, codes, standards, and guidelines that impact fire and life safety, including:

  1. compartmentalization: fire separation and smoke containment.
  2. movement: access to the means of egress including stairwells, corridors, exitways.
  3. detection: active devices that alert occupants including smoke/heat detectors and alarm systems.
  4. suppression: devices used to extinguish flames including sprinklers, standpipes, fire hose cabinets, extinguishers, etc.
  5. Students apply appropriate:
  6. federal, state/provincial, and local codes.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due