Concrete and masonry structures Concrete masonry units: Innovation design strategies through architecture and building technology integration

As part of a strategy to expand industry and professional support for teaching and research, our architecture program has expanded its 48-year sponsored design competition using concrete masonry units (CMU) to engage in funded research. The objective is to improve the quality of our courses and student learning outcomes related to the integration of building materials, structures and environmental issues in the context of architectural design using CMU. As a result of this enhanced sponsorship, we have developed a methodology assessing cause and effect relationships of integrated architectural and building technology design decisions in case examples that demonstrate creative, expressive and knowledgeable use of CMU. This paper presents our findings on how tracking these relationships has allowed us to expand our understanding of opportunities for developing creative and responsible approaches for using CMU as a building material, and to identify pedagogical approaches and tools to improve student learning outcomes.