Academy of Architecture and Construction (AoAC)

The AoAC offers courses in the following trades:

• Drafting  I, II, III (Honors Courses)
• Masonry I, II, III (Honors Courses)
• Electrical I, II, III (Honors Courses)
• Interior Design Fundamentals and Interior Design Studio
• Business Entrepreneurship I & II and Marketing I & II

Rising Freshman (first year) should select:

Construction Core (a prerequisite for Electrical Trades)   OR

Drafting I         OR

Masonry I

plus either

Marketing I OR Entrepreneurship I as their academy courses.

During the second year:

Select the pathway:

• Drafting 
• Masonry 
• Electrical Trades 
• Interior Design Fundamentals

PLUS Marketing II or Entrepreneurship II Honors

Academy of Architecture and Construction (5 classes required - 1 career pathway + 2 business classes)

Students have the opportunity to complete more than one trade pathway.

Course Descriptions:

Drafting 1 Honors 

Students will get some amazing practice with geometry and technical drawing. The class starts with sketching methods, designing objects, and learning about how three dimensional shapes can be represented by two dimensional drawings. Midway through the class, we work in AutoCAD, a technical drawing software. All students take a certification at the end of the class which shows mastery of this program! The certificate is Internationally recognized and can lead to the exemption of some college drafting courses!

Drafting II Honors 

Students must complete Drafting I before taking Drafting II. At Mt. Pleasant, the Drafting II course is Architecturally centered. Students learn about styles of homes, architectural features and scaled blueprints. Halfway through the semester, student work in a 3D modeling software called Revit. Like AutoCAD, students can earn a certificate through AutoDesk in this software to help them in career or college planning.

Drafting III Honors

Students must complete Drafting I and II to be eligible for this course. Drafting III continues working with Revit skills earned in Architecture II. Emphasis switches from editing drawings to creating floor plans and exploring specific details of residential and commercial buildings.

Interior Design Fundamentals

This class is the perfect mix of art and architecture! The class explores elements and principles of design through numerous hands-on projects and drawings. The class is very self-paced and allows students to display their own creativity while working through the design process and learning about the psychological needs of all people. This class is great for all students because it allows the student to anchor their projects to careers they are interested in, not just design. Aspects of construction, carpentry, real-estate, and graphic arts are incorporated throughout the semester.

Interior Design Studio

Students enrolling in Interior Design Studio must complete Fundamentals of Interior Design. This class develops student knowledge of principles and elements of design through the exploration of mock clients, large-scale projects, and real-world scenarios. Students will use drawing and computer skills to create presentations and are required to have a portfolio at the end of the semester.

Core Construction

Students are taught the basics of classroom and shop safety. Each module builds on the skills from the previous module. Students are exposed to the proper use of hand tools, power tools, and measuring instruments.

Electrical I, II, and III Honors

In these courses, you will learn about electrical circuits, how electricity works, and the basics of electrical installations. Students will learn about residential and commercial electrical wiring and how to read and interpret blueprints.

Masonry I, II, and III Honors

We learn basic bricklaying techniques, and how to use a drawing to build simple masonry projects.
Students are encouraged to push themselves to improve their skills.

Entrepreneurship I and II

Entrepreneurship class offers financial literacy, marketing, leadership, product management, negotiation, strategic thinking and reinforces soft skills. Students also get to explore different types of business ownership and how each type of business operates.

Marketing I and II

Marketing class offers lessons in sales techniques, branding, advertising, product development and soft skills for interaction with customers. Students also get to explore how branding affects them personally and the psychological tricks that all companies use to get us to buy their products.

****Many tradesmen or tradeswomen own their businesses; therefore, the Academy of Architecture and Construction is pairing a trade pathway with a business pathway. These courses can lead to a career, community college, and/or a four-year college or university.****