Course syllabus for Architectural technology: Theme wood

Course syllabus adopted 2026-02-11 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameForm och teknik: tema trä
  • CodeACE265
  • Credits4.5 Credits
  • OwnerTKARK
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • Main field of studyArchitecture
  • ThemeArchitectural design project 1.5 c
  • DepartmentARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
  • GradingUG - Pass, Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language Swedish
  • Application code 45124
  • Open for exchange studentsNo
  • Only students with the course round in the programme overview.

Credit distribution

0123 Written and oral assignments 4.5 c
Grading: UG		 4.5 c

In programmes

Examiner

Eligibility

General entry requirements for bachelor's level (first cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements

Specific entry requirements

The same as for the programme that owns the course
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements

Course specific prerequisites

  • Architectural design and aesthetics, or equivalent
The course is part of the learning sequence Architecture and technology and builds on and deepens knowledge of architecture's materials and technical systems on different scales which were introduced in the in the above-mentioned cours.

Aim

The course is the first in a sequence of Architectural Technology courses dealing with architectural materials and technical systems at different scales: material, detail, building and urban. The overall aim of the courses is to provide a systematic overview of the field and an approach that emphasises how functional technical systems and the physical properties of materials interact with perceived materiality and architectural wholeness. Furthermore, the courses provide the student with a repertoire of built examples that illustrate this interaction and that can support investigations of alternative designs and material choices in an iterative design process.

In the course, a simple wooden building's load-bearing frame and climate shell are treated and how the frame and climate shell interact in various details, especially in meetings such as ground-floor-wall, various openings, and wall-ceiling. The course also provides an overall structure for the study of materials in architecture: their internal structure and properties, production processes and products, processing and joining, and environmental impact.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

  1. Describe how the parts of a simple load-bearing structure are logically arranged to carry horizontal and vertical loads (gravity and wind) and estimate sizes.
  2. Describe with accepted terminology a residential indoor climate (temperature, humidity and air quality).
  3. Describe and explain different overall principles/concepts for simple building climate shells.
  4. Describe and explain the construction of the floor, walls and roof of a wood construction and explain the various functions of the constituent parts through a self-built physical model and a drawing of a construction section with a selection of critical details.
  5. Describe the material wood in terms of internal structure and properties, production processes and products, processing and joining, use in construction and environmental impact.
  6. Reflect on how the load-bearing structure, indoor climate, climate shell, building details and choice of materials interact with the building's architectural qualities and the demand for sustainable and high-quality functional solutions.

Content

The course is divided into four thematic components: Load-bearing systems, Building envelope and indoor climate: introduction, Construction sections with details: wood, and Materials

Load-bearing systems deals with:
  • behavior and principles for composition of simple load-bearing structure
  • examples of load-bearing timber structures
  • rules of thumb for timber structures
Climate envelopes and indoor climate: introduction deals with:
  • qualities that characterise a proper indoor climate.
  • the functions of the building envelope and principles for building simple climate shells.
Construction sections with details: wood deals with:
  • functions of different layers in walls and floors.
  • type details and built examples (possibilities and problems).
  • representations with different tools (sketch, drawing, physical model) and in different scales.
Materials deals with:
  • species and types of wood, internal structure and properties, production processes and products, processing and joining, environmental impact.
  • wood material in architecture

Organisation

The course consists of lectures, design labs, tutorials and seminars.

Lectures cover concepts, materials, behaviors and principles/concepts for load-bearing structures, climate systems and building details. The lectures provide typical examples that illustrate how different technical functions can be solved in principle. There is also a repertoire of built examples that highlight the interaction between architectural values and how technical functions can contribute to achieving these - Architectural technology.

Design labs are exploratory investigations with the aim of testing/sketching and analysing different possibilities/combinations in a simple set-up and then taking knowledge and skills to more complex design projects.

Supervision and seminars provide opportunities for reflection on both the work of others and your own.

The course ends with a reflection moment in the form of a peer review where the strengths and weaknesses of design choices are discussed and the basis for these design choices. Proposals and reflections are collected in the student's portfolio

Literature

Course literature (reference literature)


Materiallära

Att välja trä: Trävaror och träprofiler till bygget. Svenskt Trä. https://www.svenskttra.se/siteassets/6-om-oss/publikationer/pdfer/att-valja-tra.pdf

Dahlgren, T., Wistrand, S. & Wiström, M.: Nordiska träd och träslag. Stiftelsen ARKUS, 2004. ISBN 9789197362627

Burström, P.-G., Nilyér, K.: Byggnadsmaterial - Tillverkning, egenskaper och användning. Studentlitteratur, 2018. ISBN 9789144057552

Hegger, M. et al: Construction Materials Manual, Birkhäuser, 2006. ISBN 9783764375706


Detaljer, stomsystem och klimatskal

Björk, C., Reppen, L., Kallstenius, P.: Så byggdes husen 1880-2020. Svensk Byggtjänst, 2021. ISBN 9789179170943

TräGuiden - Digital handbok för trä och träbyggande. Svenskt Trä. https://www.traguiden.se/ Herzog, T., et al: Timber Construction Manual. Birkhäuser, 2008. ISBN 9783034614634

Pettersson, B.-Å.: Tillämpad byggnadsfysik. Studentlitteratur, 2018. ISBN 9789144123936 Strandberg, B., Lavén F.: Bygga hus - illustrerad bygglära. Studentlitteratur, 2018. ISBN 9789144125138

Sandin K.: Praktisk husbyggnadsteknik (2019). Studentlitteratur. ISBN 9789144131580

Wahlgren, P.: Fukt för arkitekter och andra husbyggare, Studentlitteratur, 2025

Examination including compulsory elements

Examination takes place through
  • ­ Assignments that correspond to 4.5 credits and mainly examines learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
  • ­ Obligatory reflection which mainly examines learning outcome 6
  • ­ Active participation in the course and active attendance at compulsory moments
Submission requirements and compulsory moments are announced at the start of the course.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers about disability study support.