The Implementation of Animation (Computer Software) in Teaching Sustainable Architecture (Education for Sustainability) with Specific Reference to the Sun.

By William Van Zyl

Design and Visual Communication - Passive Solar Architectural design (Sustainable Architecture):  

Extend sustainability practice into the classroom beyond recycling, repurposing, waste management, worm farms, and composting. Introduce sustainable architecture! For children and students of 8 years of age and up. Teachers will benefit from this research! New to SketchUp? Teachers and educators, watch a couple of tutorials and away you go.

This book contains research information on Animation tools (Sketch Up Computer Aided Design Tools) as well as additional information on sustainable architectural design for young children and students. The author is an experienced Design and Visual Communication teacher with over 28 years of teaching experience. 

In this book, he shares his research results with Secondary School students. The author includes hints, tips and other relevant information, which will benefit teachers and students in the architectural design processes. 

Primary school, intermediate and secondary school teachers and students will benefit from this book. For Primary and Intermediate School students and teachers the book goes beyond sustainability concepts like worm farms, composting, and vegetable gardens. The tools discussed here are Sketch Up computer-aided design tools (digital sketching). The software is free to download and very user-friendly (Sketch Up Make). A Professional version of the software is available at an annual registration fee (Pro version). Students as young as 8 to 10 years of age will be able to master the programme. It is a very user-friendly programme, and students will design within minutes after watching the first SketchUp tutorial. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Five House Publishing
• Release date: Jan 11, 2018
• ISBN: 9780473438302

William Van Zyl

The author had an interesting and unique childhood. Not travelling abroad - as you would expect - but venturing into the fields, bushes, tools sheds and mysterious underground tunnels around his neighbourhood. His happy place was - and still is - tinkering with ideas, science, and new possibilities. Many times while cycling he will get new ideas; he brings the unexpected, the unique, the creative in a flurry on a page or in a sketch. To this day he dreams of vicious wars and sophisticated weaponry in an innocent child's scout cave. He loves diagrams, timelines, cross sections, sketches, and details of sinister and hidden concepts and ideas; always looking for a new mystery to decode and to encode. He investigates and explores extravagant thoughts which he includes in children's books, stories and articles; he loves to include philosopher’s perspectives, articles,  intriguing stories, and poetry in his writing. Academic and research work are also his forte. He always offers a simple but practical explanation within an engaging context. Not your ordinary thinker! A lifelong scholar and teacher. 

Book preview

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Copyright © 2018 by William Van Zyl

The Implementation of Animation (computer software) in Teaching

Sustainable Architecture (Education for Sustainability) with specific

Reference to the Sun.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without the express written permission of the publisher

except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ISBN (epub) 978-0-473-43830-2

First Publishing 2018

Five House Publishing (New Zealand) - Research was done in 2010 in NZ by the author.

https://fivehousepublishing.com/

Research Title:

THE IMPLEMENTATION of Animation (computer software) in Teaching Sustainable Architecture (Education for Sustainability) with specific reference to the sun.

The Focus:

THE FOCUS OF THE STUDY is with secondary school students and the use of Sketch-up (computer-aided software) exploring shadows and shading and the choice of sustainable building materials and the selection of sustainable components.

Synopsis:

THE RESEARCH CONTAINS information on the use of Animation tools (SketchUp Computer Aided Design Tools) as well as additional information shared by the author. The focus is on sustainable architectural design with specific reference to the sun (shadows and shading). In simple terms, the author investigated the use of the shadow tool in SketchUp with his Design and Visual Communication student in the class. He explored, investigated and documented the processes and decision making of the student regarding the location of the building, the position of the sun, deciduous landscaping, choice of building materials, and more. The passive solar design principles for sustainable architecture are the focus. Questions like, how will the sun heat up the thermal masses (heatsinks) like concrete floors and brick (or concrete) walls? Are the windows large enough to allow the sun in during winter? However, during the summer season how will the house cool own? How will deciduous trees (landscaping) shape the building? How will the roof overhang effect the amount of sun that enters the building during the different seasons? Considerations for louvers (over windows) are also considered. The research documents the processes before and after a unit of work is delivered regarding the SketchUp shading tool. The effect of the animation tool is described, and data is interpreted to illustrate the impact of animation software in sustainable architectural practice. About 7 Design and Visual Design students participated voluntarily in this research. The ages of the students ranged from 16 to 17 years of age. The typical procedures for doing research was strictly followed to protect the rights of individuals. The individuals consented to the release of the data and findings. 

A short overview of the shadow tools in SketchUp:

Diagram showing solar shading from trees and overhangs

IMAGE: POSITION OF the sun in the sky. Effect of a deciduous tree during summer. The tree will provide shading during hot summer months, keeping the building cool. Deciduous trees shed their leaves during the winter and allow the sun to shine through the tree, consequently heating up the building. Credit: http://buildingdignity.wscadv.org/site-design/empower/

Sketchup is a great tool for solar system designing

IMAGE: The path of the sun - SketchUp. Credit: http://www.sketchup-ur-space.com/2012/july/sketchup_is_great_tool_solar_system_design.html

Please view this YouTube video to understand the SketchUp Shading Tool before continuing reading.

https://youtu.be/yLK1zuxR9KY

Image result for shadow tools sketchup

IMAGE: Screenshot of the shadow tools in SketchUp. Credit: https://www.civicsolar.com/support/installer/articles/using-google-sketchup-visualize-array-shading

BACKGROUND OF THE RESEARCHER:

THE AUTHOR IS AN EXPERIENCED Design and Visual Communication teacher with over 23 years of teaching experience. In this book, he shares his research results with Secondary School teachers and students.

WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS RESEARCH?

THE TEACHER INCLUDES hints, tips and other relevant information, which will benefit teachers and students in the sustainability design processes. Although Secondary school focused, Primary school, intermediate schoolteachers and students will also benefit from this book. For Primary and Intermediate School students and teachers the book goes beyond sustainability concepts like worm farms, composting, and vegetable gardens. The tools discussed here are Sketch Up computer-aided design tools (digital sketching). The software is very user-friendly, and free software is available for download (SketchUp Make). The junior school teachers could consider implementing the software into their curriculum and lessons. Junior students will design within minutes after downloading the software! A Professional version is available at an annual registration fee. Students as young as 7 to 10 years of age will be able to master the software. Many video tutorials are available on YouTube and at https://www.sketchup.com/learn.  

Why should you read this book?

TO LEARN HOW THE ANIMATION tools in Sketch Up could improve and open up some new ideas on sustainable architectural design for younger and older children. It will prompt readers to think about different approaches and challenge in-depth investigation of the architectural and sustainable design process. It specifically touches on the sun, passive solar concepts, passive ventilation concepts and the choice of building materials. The book also explains how deciduous trees (shedding leaves during winter) could be used to screen and allow the sun into the buildings. It means that the amount of sunlight (energy) could be regulated by implementing different strategies, and design features.    

Who should you read this book?

ALL TEACHERS AND STUDENTS with interest in sustainable architecture.

Model illustrating sustainable features and functions: Related book by the author.

IMAGE: MODEL ILLUSTRATING Sustainable Architectural Design

RELATED BOOK BY THE AUTHOR:

See the book on using a model to illustrate sustainable architectural design by the author. This resource touches on the use of a model to teach the principles of Sustainable Architecture. Additionally STEM project-based learning is discussed )popup greeting cards with circuits (programming microprocessors).