Math and Architecture WebQuest
Created by Mrs. Schoenberger
(based upon a
HUD WebQuest
designed by Heath Matthews and the book, Math in the Real World of
Architecture: Dimensions, Quantities,
Shapes, and Patterns)
Introduction|Task|Process|Resources|Evaluation|Conclusion|
As you know, Medford's population is growing everyday! New schools are being built, new stores are opening, and, of course, new homes are being built to house all of the new people. With all of your expertise in architecture and design, you have been chosen to create and build one of the new homes in Medford. WOW! Building a home is not easy and it takes time. So, without further ado, let's get started!
Designing a home is a great opportunity! You get to use your math and everyday skills to create something that can be used in everyday life. You will also be required to work with a budget and plan your material usage very carefully. Also, designing a floor plan and building a model will give you an opportunity to work with your hands and make something that is very unique and personal to you as an architect and a builder. Of course you must be able to sell the house, so you will need to create a presentation of your designs as a proposal for a future home.
1. GROUPS
The first thing to do is to divide up into groups for the project. Each group should try to include specific skills to make the most of the presentation.
***These people are not solely
responsible for each section of the presentation, but rather as a supervisor to
their particular section. Each person is expected to participate in every
aspect of the project.
2. FLOOR PLANS
As a team, the first step in creating your home is to design it on paper, or the floor plans of the design. You have specific requirements that must be met in the design of your home. Your home's floor plans should include:
Total perimeter of the house cannot exceed 200 feet
House must be no more than 2500 sq ft (excluding garage space)
The house may occupy only one level. However, a basement, which will not be drawn will house things such as the furnace.
The house must have a kitchen, two full bathrooms, 1 living area, 3 bedrooms (including closets), and a 1 car-car garage
The house will be situated on a two-acre lot
The house will be close to a lake and a park
The house must accommodate at least three children
Create a drawing of the front view of the house, clearly showing the roofline, the entry door and the windows as viewed from the front. Use colored pencils or crayons to complete the drawing.
You will need to put together a key for your plan that shows the measurements, the total square footage, and the perimeter of each room. You will also need to show the total square footage and total perimeter of the house.
You should thoroughly describe each unique feature when you promote the sale of your home
3. Budget
You are going to work with a budget of $80,000 for the total cost, with materials costing the following:
Using Excel you will list the items, give a total price and then a grand total for your house. Make a chart to show the allocation of the budget money.
As you work with your budget, you must make decisions on what to include in the
construction, and if you are to go over, you must make appropriate decisions on
what to cut. But, remember that you are designing a home for a family, and some
things are necessities in the home. Through the project, the best thing to do
is to imagine that you are building a home for your family while you try your
best to stay under budget.
4. Make A Model
As a group, you are going to build a model of your home. You can use cardboard, wood, or whatever materials you think would be appropriate for your model. You do not have to go into great detail, but you do have to recreate your design to the best of your abilities. This is the fun part, and you should hopefully learn a lot from this part of your project. Any tools that you may need will be supplied by your teacher and they will be available to give advice or answer any questions you may have during the project.
Here are books to help you with this WebQuest:
Under Every Roof: A
Kid's Style and Field Guide to the Architecture of American Houses
Math in the Real World of
Architecture: Dimensions,
Quantities, Shapes, and Patterns;
Here are web-sites to help you with your floorplans:
Homeplanner
Explore: Architecture for Kids
Museum
of Modern Art: Tall Buildings
Be An
Architect!
Archkidecture
Loggia
Architecture
Rick Garner House Plans and Home Design
How House
Construction Works
Google Sketchup
Google
Sketchup Video Tutorials
Here is a web-site to help you with your budget:
Money Matters for Kids
Congratulations you have completed the assignment! Hopefully you have learned a lot about the design of houses and how much work it takes to design one. What is one new fact about architecture, design, or math that you learned? How did feel about working in your groups? Was it hard to compromise all of your ideas? If you could, what would you have done differently?