Tectonics I introduces students to fundamental structural principles and systems, emphasizing their integration with architectural form and spatial organization. Students explore forces, equilibrium, and load paths through analytical exercises and design experiments, developing an understanding of how structure informs and enables architectural expression. The course fosters a conceptual and iterative approach, where structural thinking becomes an active component of design exploration. Prerequisite: ARCH 5690 Corequisite: ARCH 5692.