Using design - build projects to promote interdisciplinary design

The activity of real world design is a collaboration of individuals from more than one discipline. To address this important future work environment, student disciplinary design projects were created. For the past seven years, teams of students from the first year engineering design graphics course in the College of Engineering and the second year industrial design studio in the College of Architecture and urban studies have been teamed together to pursue design - build projects. In the initial years, push-pull toys were designed and constructed. Then LEGO programmable RCX bricks were chosen as a medium for the interdisciplinary design projects. Last year, the students were charged with designing and building a "walkmobile" walking device using a rechargeable electric screwdriver as the power source. The paper describes the project evolution over the years and serves as a record of an exciting and creative foundation design effort that promotes true collaborative interdisciplinary design.