One
of the salient features of architectural education in TVB is the emphasis
on learning through the process of doing - the hands-on experience. This paradigm
of teaching-learning method is supported by faculty in all the courses, and
especially so in subjects like materials, construction and model workshop.
The students design and implement solutions to problems in various media and
at varying levels of complexity with the assistance of the subject coordinators
and skilled workshop personnel.
The workshop supports activities such as
Surveying
& Soil Testing
Soil testing comprises of sieve analysis, hydrometry, determining plastic
limits and liquid limits. This also involves cone testing, testing soil density,
and conducting brick or mould cressing test. Students also undertake land
surveying and topographical analysis. Supporting equipments such as level
machines, theodolites, plane tables, prismatic compass, chains, ranging rods,
plainimeter and pentagraph are available.
Full
scale demonstration structures
The workshop supports building of street furniture using brick and stone,
temporary structures out of mud mud bricks, cane and jute, and small-scale
permanent structures. The students have imbibed the process of construction
by attempting brick bonding, laying a wall, making brick jails, casting concrete
and by testing the structural feasibility of various structures
Architectural
models
Facilities are available in the workshop to make design concept models, which
form an important part of the initial stages of exploration of various ideas.
Students often make architectural models and thesis models in the place. Analog
models for 'structural systems' class, explaining various concepts of structural
systems of buildings are also made in the workshop.
Samples
The workshop also has samples of building materials and components (conventional,
alternative and innovative) that function as important demonstration material.
Woodwork
For woodwork, all the hand-working tools are available in the workshop and
all kinds of joinery work are possible. The students, over the years, have
built bamboo space frames and usable lightweight furniture, demonstrating
the workings of various types of joinery.
Metal
work 
The workshop also supports the making of lightweight metal frames and it has
facilities for gas welding, electric welding, grinding and drilling.
