Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

• To help students develop advanced design skills and apply them to a range of urban design projects
• To introduce students to urban transformation and the complex processes this entails.
• To enhance the critical understanding of the needs and motivations of the various factors and stakeholders that influence urban processes.

Outline Of Syllabus

This module offers opportunities to develop essential conceptual and methodological skills in urban design and development. It adopts a critical approach, emphasizing the importance of addressing contemporary urban challenges through collaborative processes. The module consists of two key components:

1. A design studio focusing on a specific site and its urban challenges aiming to cultivate a critical awareness of contemporary issues in urban design. Through this project, students will explore the complex processes of urban transformation, considering a diverse range of factors and stakeholders. They will be encouraged to research, develop, test, and express their unique perspectives while fostering an imaginative approach to both design and its representation.
2. A skills and techniques building component including skill-building lectures and workshops designed to enhance students’ ability to communicate graphically and convey ideas effectively.

The studio combines group and individual work, fostering a creative dialogue among students, staff, and peers. Both components are supported by short lectures and talks on topics relevant to the specific project brief.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

At the end of the module students should be able to demonstrate:
• A broad understanding of the social, historical, theoretical, and technical factors that inform urban design.
• An evolving personal ethical framework for decision making.
• An appropriate level of technical understanding to conceptualise, develop and resolve urban design proposals.
• An understanding of the roles which appropriate representation and a critical dialogue play in developing and communicating design ideas.
• A broad understanding of practice-based and collaborative methodologies that can be used to produce urban design projects.
• An evolving capacity to experiment with holistic responses to the challenges of urban change at multiple scales.

Intended Skill Outcomes

By the end of the module students should be able to:
• Research, analyse, interpret, and assimilate a wide range of different types of information to produce design solutions that integrate social, environmental, aesthetic, and technical factors.
• Formulate and respond imaginatively and appropriately to programmes or briefs in varying contexts and circumstances.
• Conceptualise, critically evaluate and develop design solutions to satisfy a range of criteria by selecting and using a range of appropriate skills and bodies of knowledge.
• Conceive and develop proposals for the design of a moderately complex site or area in
• Develop creative strategies and design proposals informed by considered social, physical, and economic sustainability criteria.
• Communicate effectively on the inception, design and construction of spaces and places through oral presentation, graphics, and models, in the context of urban design practice.
• Develop and articulate a reasoned argument to support a particular design proposal.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The design studio is an integrative environment where students can synthesise knowledge from other modules and develop their understanding and skills in the context of a design problem set by tutors. Students are supported in their learning through briefings, lectures, group tutorials and critical reviews. Tutorials and reviews are also the principal means through which students receive feedback on their progress.

For the skills and techniques building component of this module, teaching and learning include short lectures, seminars and workshops. Based mainly on experiential learning, these will demonstrate various drawing/presentation techniques and cater for varied learning styles.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The development of design skills is assessed through the traditional method of critical review, where students give a visual and oral presentation of their work to an audience of tutors and peers. The work is discussed, and the tutors assess the work against the criteria set out in the project brief. These marks are moderated by another tutor or tutors. Feedback is given orally during the review and as a set of written comments later.

For the skills and techniques building component of this module, assessment is one piece of coursework. This will demonstrate that the student has developed a range of qualitative representational skills important to the design process. This work is assessed by the tutors against the criteria set out in the component brief. These marks are moderated by another tutor or tutors. Feedback is a set of written comments.

General Notes

N/A