Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

This module provides a general introduction to architecture as an academic discipline, a profession, and as a design-based practice. It is intended specifically for students who are studying in related fields who wish to build their awareness and understanding of the constructed environment from an architectural perspective.

Aims
• To enable students to understand the principles and theories of architecture, and the influences of the history of architectural ideas on both past and present environments and societies, from the scale of the landscape and settlement, the city and urban design, to individual buildings and their making and materiality.
• To introduce students to architectural perspectives on the issues of sustainability, human wellbeing, participatory design, and vernacular buildings.

Outline Of Syllabus

The course consists of a series of themed lectures that cover selected topics of the principles and theories of architecture including; architectural history, design pedagogy, sustainability, building performance, digital design, urban design, design principles and representation, tectonics, and materiality.

The syllabus and therefore the subject and scope of the assessments will consist of material covered in the lectures supplemented by directed and personal reading and building studies.

Students will be assessed through the production of a reflective essay (1500 words approximately) and a diary/sketch book. The reflective journal essay and logbook provide evidence of critical active engagement with architectural design thinking.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

By the end of the module students should have gained:

• An introductory understanding of Architecture as an academic discipline, a profession, and as a design practice.

• An initial understanding of how principles and theories of architecture influence building design.

• An awareness of a broad range of architectural design issues.

• An ability to form considered judgements about the built environment at an urban and building scale.

Intended Skill Outcomes

By the end of the module students should demonstrate the ability to:

• Critically interpret, analyse, and integrate the principles and theories of architecture into a written piece of work and a design proposal.

• Produce a clearly argued, written, and illustrated poster using appropriate media and graphic techniques, and academic research and referencing methods.

• Use the relevant transferable skills in planning, organising, and communicating complex concepts and ideas.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

A mixture of scheduled and structured activities, including recorded mini lectures, reading and skills based tasks to be carried out individually and in small student groups replace a chronological lecture based module, in order for students to build their knowledge of urban energy and develop the skills to locate and evaluate information independently.

Due to uncertainties around room ventilation provision, cluster access etc, the expectation is that the delivery of the module will be blended, with workshops and larger-group teaching taking place online. If the provision allows, we will timetable some opportunities for ‘attendance’ – mainly to provide opportunities for student peer-learning.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

A reflective journal of 1500 words and illustrated logbook submitted at the end of the semester which allows students to demonstrate:

• Knowledge and understanding of the topics.
• Critical skills in responding to the specific and exploratory contexts of the questions.
• Ability to construct coherent arguments.
• Clarity and effectiveness of the design in communicating ideas.

General Notes

N/A