One of the more brutal classes here at the UO school of architecture is a two-term series of classes called "structures". I'm half way though the series (and now that I think about it... half way though the program... cool). Anyhow, this class was not for the feint-of-heart. We met three times a week and usualy had 1 to 3 hours of homework due every class period. I know that doesn't sound so bad, but combining it with 9-12 additional grad-level credits, student teaching and/or working and you're looking at a very burnt out group of students. I haven't heard the details on what next term (the 2nd half of structures) is going to be like but I know that most cringe when you even mention the class.
The final project (pictured above) was the Coup de grâce. We were instructued to construct a 2' tall tower with a 6" base and 12" platform at the top. The platform was loaded with a 16' bag of sand and then a lateral (sideways) load is applied and the weight is increased until it breaks. The entire structure must be comstructed of only wood and cotton-fiber string and mustn't be made of any wooden members longer than 12" long and 1/4" thick. After 12+ hours of work ours was complete... and ended up looking like a funky-chunky oil tower. All our work paid off... we scored 1st place securing myself a passing grade despite a couple of horribly botched quizzes.
If anyone comes across this who hasn't taken structures yet... here's some tips.
