EPOKA UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
COURSE SYLLABUS
2025-2026 ACADEMIC YEAR
COURSE INFORMATIONCourse Title: ADVANCED DESIGN STUDIO I |
| Code | Course Type | Regular Semester | Theory | Practice | Lab | Credits | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARCH 401 | B | 7 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 10 |
| Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) | Dr. Egin Zeka ezeka@epoka.edu.al |
| Main Course Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours: | Dr. Egin Zeka ezeka@epoka.edu.al , Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 am |
| Second Course Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours: | M.Sc. Sindi Balla sballa@epoka.edu.al |
| Language: | English |
| Compulsory/Elective: | Compulsory |
| Study program: (the study for which this course is offered) | Integrated second cycle study program in Architecture (5 years) |
| Classroom and Meeting Time: | S04. Monday +Thursday 9:40-13:30 |
| Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours: | NA |
| Code of Ethics: |
Code of Ethics of EPOKA University Regulation of EPOKA University "On Student Discipline" |
| Attendance Requirement: | 75% |
| Course Description: | Development of personalized processes of data collection, analysis and building programming which reflect the nature and interests of designers; development of ability of applying the knowledge about structures, construction and detailing all trough the design process by design problems; control of the ability of developing complicated programs for buildings - building groups in complicated environments and finding relevant design solutions. |
| Course Objectives: | - Integrating a deep research in the design process - The importance of a comprehensive understanding of the context - Analytical and critical thinking - Creativity and innovation in design - Dealing with complex phenomena - Concept development - Graphical representation - Teamwork - Awareness for social responsibility of architecture [co-living concept] |
|
BASIC CONCEPTS OF THE COURSE
|
| 1 | Urban Design |
| 2 | Architectural Design |
| 3 | Concept development |
| 4 | Critical thinking |
| 5 | Contextual design |
| 6 | Multidisciplinary design |
|
COURSE OUTLINE
|
| Week | Topics |
| 1 | Introduction – Delivering Project Brief. |
| 2 | Research + Readings |
| 3 | Research+ Case Studies |
| 4 | Understanding the Context+ Site analyses |
| 5 | Understanding the Context+ Site analyses |
| 6 | Understanding the Context+ Site analyses |
| 7 | Developing the concept. Integration of the concept with the context |
| 8 | Preliminary Jury I |
| 9 | Developing the concept. Concept development in urban scale |
| 10 | Developing the concept. Concept development in urban scale |
| 11 | Developing the concept. Concepts in intermediate scale |
| 12 | Developing the concept+ project. concepts in architectural scale +footprints |
| 13 | Developing the concept+ project. Concepts+ 1:500 scale drawings+ model |
| 14 | Preliminary Jury II |
| Prerequisite(s): | |
| Textbook(s): | Jacobs, J., The death and life of great American cities. New York: Random House and Vintage Books, 1961. Lynch, K., A theory of good city form. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1981. Alexander, C., Ishikawa, S., and Silverstein, M., A pattern language: towns, buildings, construction. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977. Gehl, J., ‘Cities for People’. London: Island Press, 2010. Lynch, K. (1960) The image of the City, MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts Debord, G. (1967) The Society of the Spectacle, New York Conde, Y. (1994) Architecture of the Indeterminacy, Pallasmaa, J. (2005) Eyes Of The Skin, Great Britain Eisenman, P. Diagram_An Original Scene of Writing pp. 83-103. Alexander, Ch. (1977), A Pattern Language |
| Additional Literature: | |
| Laboratory Work: | |
| Computer Usage: | yes |
| Others: | No |
|
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
|
| 1 | Holistic Analytical Thinking in design process |
| 2 | Multidisciplinary design process understanding |
| 3 | Producing multi-scale design proposals |
| 4 | Dealing with social and and environmental design problems |
|
COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES
(Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution) |
| No | Program Competencies | Cont. |
| Integrated second cycle study program in Architecture (5 years) Program | ||
|
COURSE EVALUATION METHOD
|
| Method | Quantity | Percentage |
| Presentation |
2
|
17.5
|
| Project |
1
|
35
|
| Attendance |
0
|
|
| Other |
1
|
30
|
| Total Percent: | 100% |
|
ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)
|
| Activities | Quantity | Duration(Hours) | Total Workload(Hours) |
| Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours) | 16 | 8 | 128 |
| Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice) | 16 | 8 | 128 |
| Mid-terms | 2 | 8 | 16 |
| Assignments | |||
| Final examination | 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Other | 1 | 20 | 20 |
|
Total Work Load:
|
300 | ||
|
Total Work Load/25(h):
|
12 | ||
|
ECTS Credit of the Course:
|
10 | ||
|
CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE COURSE LECTURER
|
|
To be added at the end of the semester |