APL8012 : Design Thesis MLA
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Dr Usue Ruiz Arana
- Lecturer: Ms Stef Leach
- Owning School: Architecture, Planning & Landscape
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 60 |
| ECTS Credits: | 30.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
Design thesis module for Master of Landscape Architecture.
To develop advanced research and design skills.
To address a well- defined design issue or question through design.
To experiment (art and science).
To showcase student's design positionality – what are the principles that they stand
for and that will guide their future professional lives
Outline Of Syllabus
This is a thesis module. The students will work on a selected theme and area through an individual major research by design project. There is no formal syllabus as such as this is self-directed independent research. Group tutorials, individual supervision and formal reviews will be conducted to support and monitor progress.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | PIP Briefing |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 2 | 8:00 | 16:00 | Formative and final review. PIP in studio |
| Guided Independent Study | Project work | 1 | 510:00 | 510:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Dissertation/project related supervision | 9 | 8:00 | 72:00 | PIP in studio individual and group tutorials. |
| Total | 600:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The final project of APL 8006 (a prerequisite module) is used to prepare students for their design thesis. Further refinement of their approach takes place during ARC8120 Design Research Methods. Students are then supported through their Thesis Design by regular tutorials and critical reviews.
The design studio pedagogy is centred on a dialogic and responsive approach to students’ own creative work and research. Landscape Architecture pedagogy is reliant on a high proportion of independent learning to support the design thesis. The MOF hours are consistent with this approach.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design/Creative proj | 2 | M | 100 | Design Thesis (drawings and written statement) |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Students to produce: concept exploration and scenario planning, action plan, planting strategy, detailed area, indicative construction details, representations of proposals and thesis statement.
The second project in APL8010 involves selecting a site, producing a brief and undertaking some initial survey work for a thesis design undertaken over the second semester of Stage 2. ARC8120, taught during Stage 2, Semester 1, allows students the opportunity to deepen their thinking about their sites and projects and the sorts of issues and challenges they embody.
In the Design Thesis module they are required to produce a concept, a site proposal, a plan of a detailed area, indicative construction details, a planting strategy and visualisations (or other forms of representation) of the proposed design (which may include virtual or analogue models). Students also write a written statement of between 2,000-3,000 words exploring the theoretical basis and site response for the proposed design. An interim critical review will occur at a key point in the design process, prior to the final assessment review. Feedback is provided at interim reviews on a formative basis.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- APL8012's Timetable