Course Syllabus

ARCHA4839_001_2024 Building Condition Assessment

Spring 2024

Course Description

This course on condition assessments will take place over six weeks and will present various approaches on how to assess and document conditions based on an understanding of a range of construction typologies and building structures.  Methods for assessing and categorizing types of conditions will be introduced and illustrated with case study presentations, including a discussion on how to identify building problems as background to recommending and developing repairs, treatments for historic buildings, and building resiliency. The course will also cover an overview of the parameters, guidelines, and regulations for the New York City Department of Buildings Facade Inspection and Safety Program (FISP). Case studies will include older historic buildings primarily in New York City (e.g., New York Public Library) as well as examples of heritage structures from the recent past. 

Course Objectives:

Students will carry out visual examination using digital documentation and drawing plans and elevations in order to look at each building comprehensively and integrally.  The aim is to learn more about building resiliency, including how to interpret, diagnose, and assess different types of conditions, distress and understand their relationship to different types of building construction.  Understanding various building materials and how they perform over time, especially based on their construction and detailing, will inform how to investigate these materials and develop repairs and treatments that can prolong the life of the building. Students should be able to draw upon the following from this course:

• Develop a basic understanding of the tools used to carry out observations and assessment of building envelope conditions.
• Develop a basic understanding of different types of building materials and related representative building conditions, deterioration, and potential failures.
• Develop a greater understanding of approaches for evaluation of building conditions and building diagnostics.
• Learn how to organize types of conditions and data in descriptive and drawing formats to present findings in a clear and concise manner.
• Learn to collaborate using multi-disciplinary approaches to evaluation of building conditions.
• Present project goals, methodology, and findings through a mid-course PowerPoint presentation and through a final written report that includes documentation of findings through digital documentation referenced to building drawing plans and elevations.

Course Format:

Through lectures and site visits, students will learn how to identify conditions unique to building forms and construction in New York City and the Tri-state area.  Students will learn how building pathology and the need to carry out detailed diagnosis is critical to understanding how to fully assess the building envelope.  Students will select and develop their own case studies and will provide a draft report and PowerPoint presentation at mid-course; students will then build off the mid-course results and further develop a final report with drawings as part of their final term project; this conditions assessment report that will complement other coursework. It is noted that for the final assignment, teams can be formed comprised of no more than two persons to present and to submit the mid-course presentation and final written report.

Requirements:

Students will be expected to work on two class assignments toward the development of a final condition assessment report that will be presented in Class 6.  The class will meet once a week on Mondays from 2pm – 5pm in the Preservation Technology Lab for a total of six weeks.  Attendance, participation, and collaboration are a large part of the grade and are greatly encouraged.  The following items are requirements for the course.

• Attendance in classes and site visits
• Active participation in each class discussions
• Interim mid-course assignment and final presentation with written report and drawing documentation: The final report includes an 8 to 10 page paper (single spacing), with figures and drawing documentations.  The final report will also be presented to the entire class on the selected building condition assessment project selected by each student.  The final report is due March 1, 2023. 

Assignments:

Assignments will occur in accordance with the class schedule below.  Site visits will be dependent on favorable weather conditions and so may be adjusted accordingly. If site visit dates are changed due to weather, the schedule will be adjusted accordingly.

The final project presentations are scheduled on the sixth class on February 26; the final written report should be submitted on or before Friday, March 1, 2023.  Final reports should be submitted in electronic copy (PDF) by email to Kyle Normandin and should be submitted no more than 48 hours after the final deadline or credit will not be given for the assignment.

Course Evaluation and Grading:

Grades will be based according to the following scale below:

- Attendance - 20 percent

- Participation and Collaboration - 20 percent

- Interim assignment and presentation - 25 percent

- Final student presentation and condition assessment report with drawings - 35 percent

 

Proposed Course Schedule

Class 1:  January 22, 2024           Introduction to Building Pathology

As is commonly known, building pathology is a holistic approach to studying and understanding buildings, and in particular, building defects that may or may not require remedial action. Building defects are aspects of the building that were not completed in accordance with the original drawings and specifications or that have failed over time. Defects can occur due to a range of issues such as material deficiency or deterioration, maintenance and repair deficiencies, and environmental or other external factors. There are typically two categories of defects that can be described as “patent” or “latent.” Patent defects are those that can be discovered by reasonable inspection, while latent defects are those that cannot be discovered by reasonable inspection, for example, problems with underlying building assemblies that may not always be apparent.

• Part 1: Introduction to the course

Review syllabus - background discussion, class approach and participant instructions

• Part 2: Building Pathology Lecture introduction with overview of conditions related to varied building types (e.g., masonry, concrete, curtain walls).
• Part 3: Building Condition Assessment Project

Student topic selection and summary

Assignment:  Students select building for condition assessment

(Due at the start of the following class on January 29, 2024) 

Each student to prepare a 10-minute PowerPoint summary of the case study selection.

 

Class 2:  January 29, 2024           Overview of Condition Assessment Reports

Visual condition assessments are often performed based the readily accessible and visible portions of a building facade, including ancillary portions of the main building envelope that may include additions, annex portions, or setback facades.  During the assessment of the facade, often with the assistance of a contractor, the professional many also recommend exploratory probe openings in the facade materials to observe concealed conditions. Samples of paint and sealant may also  be removed for laboratory analysis. It is important to note that the facade condition survey is “limited” when the survey will only identify deficient conditions that are readily visible from the exterior.

• Part 1: Student presentation on selected condition assessment projects (*)
• Review student topic selections – Summary PowerPoint presentations on building selections

Next steps:  Develop list of conditions and descriptions

• Part 2: Case study lecture no. 1 – Case study will focus on approaches to conducting a condition assessment.  Lecture will provide an overview of different type of suggested close-up access methods to observe and document conditions of varied building types, building plans, and their configurations.  Different approaches to recording of conditions will be covered as part of this lecture.
• Part 3: Site visit no. 1 and walkthrough

(*) First Written Assignment (Due Feb 5, 2023):  Draft a 2–3 page document with the following:

• Draft Report Outline
• Background description of building.
• Aim of building assessment and scope of work.
• List of reference documents to be used for assessment as well as prior drawings and reports.
• List and describe initial observed types of conditions based on preliminary visit to building site – include photographic documentation of representative observations and conditions of the select building. Include draft plans and elevations for review as part of mid-course assignment.

 

Class 3:  February 5, 2024           Next steps? 

This lecture will review the building condition assessment process in greater detail. In New York City, the assessment often includes masonry elements, different types of metal and stone cladding, glazing systems and related exposed joinery transitioning between these primary facade elements. In most cases, visual conditions assessments are carried out to observe the facades from grade, roofs, and often close-up access via a personnel lift or suspended scaffolding. The main objective is to observed distress conditions that are documented via field notes and select conditions that are digitally photographed and keyed to building plans and elevations.

This lecture will cover the following:

• Gathering condition assessment information and documenting conditions.
• Review of drawing formats and specifications.
• Documentation of conditions by building types and materials: deterioration and decay mechanisms.
• Overview of Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) divisions

 

• Part 1: Case study lecture no. 2 will focus on an array of building masonry conditions, deterioration and view of distress as well as documentation: development of legends, quantities, and interpretation of conditions in descriptions

• Part 2: Site visit no. 2 and walkthrough

Instructor in person meetings with students by appointment.

 

Class 4:  February 12, 2024         Interim Review of Selected Building Condition Assessment Projects

• Part 1: Building Condition Assessment Interim Assignment

Students will present mid-course in class 3 for selected building assessment projects.

PowerPoint presentations will detail list of conditions, descriptions, digital documentation and discuss preliminary findings.  Students are expected to present building plans and elevations drawings as part of the PowerPoint presentation.

• Part 2: Case study lecture no. 3

Note: Instructor to meet with students to review projects in person after class.

 

Class 5:  February 19, 2024         NYC DOB FISP Program, Historic Structures and the Built Environment

In New York City, in order to keep buildings safe, the Department of Buildings has enacted a local law that requires owners of properties higher than six stories to have exterior walls and appurtenances inspected by a professional engineer or architect every five years. As part of this process, owners must file a technical facade report with the Department of Buildings, which must be reviewed and approved [See NYC Construction Codes §28-302.1 and RCNY §103-04].

This lecture will not only provide an overview of the NYC DOB FISP program but will also discuss how this ordinance applies to all buildings in NYC over six stories that make up the built environment.  The course will focus on how the facade inspection safety program also applies to historic structures, the challenges that this approach presents, and how to balance safety with maximum retention of historic materials whenever possible.

The lecture will be in two parts: the first part will focus on an overview of the FISP program, and the second part will focus on the balance between the inspection program and how the program applies to historic buildings. The lecture will also explain how to utilize the ordinance to help owners maintain and repair building assets on a regular basis.

• Part 1: NYC Department of Buildings Facade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP)

Overview of FISP program and NYC DOB requirements for periodic inspection of buildings of six stories or more.  Review periodic inspection requirements, required period reporting, and condition cataloging.

• Part 2: Case study lecture No. 4 –The FISP Program and Historic Preservation

• Part 3: Site Visit no. 3 and Walkthrough

 

Class 6: February 26, 2024          Final Student Project Presentations

• Student Building Condition Assessment Project Presentations

Student Topic PowerPoint Presentations

• Student Presentations: Part 1 and Part 2
  • Student will present a 15–20 minutes presentation on their selected building condition assessment project. Please note that there is a limit of up to two persons for each team.  Q&A after each presentation (5-10 min).