Unit Outline

Architecture Theory: Built Environments explores political, cultural, environmental and historical contexts and their relation to the production and inhabitation of the built environment. A series of thematic discussions introduces you to ideas and precedents in spatial design disciplines across a range of scales and a breadth of historical and cultural contexts. Presentations on strategies for analysing the built environment will give you tools to investigate precedents of your own choosing throughout the semester. At the end of the unit, you will be familiar with both visual and textual means of communicating about how the built environment relates to its varied contexts. This unit is part of a suite of Bachelor of Architecture and Built Environments Architecture Theory units, which focus on establishing and enhancing students’ capacity to think with clarity and rigour to ensure solid bases for research inquiry and design practice. At Intermediate level, these units provide foundational understandings of the history and lived spaces of architecture and built environments. This unit is part of a suite of four units in the degree core of B.ABE and the Spatial Design practice specialisation in the Bachelor of Design.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1.	Describe the relationships between historical contexts and the built environments to inform precedent investigations
2.	Visualise the ‘use of space’ by applying design analysis methods to built environments
3.	Explain the interactions between historical context, built form and building uses to inform ongoing design practice

Alterations as a result of student feedback

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	AT1: Case study	Week 5	35 %	LO1, LO2
Assessment Task 2:	AT2: Presentation	Week 9	35 %	LO1, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	AT3: Precedent studies	Refer to Assessment Description	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: AT1: Case study

Task Description:

Students will select a single object from the built environment to learn about deeply in terms of how it functions and the context it is situated within, using library, internet, and textbook resources. You will describe their findings in a short report using both text and visual means. You will also prepare a single slide summarising the most relevant information to contribute to a class timeline.

Task Length:

1200-word report (including reference list) plus summary slide.

Due Date:

Week 5

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify the political, cultural, environmental and historical contexts for the case study	LO1
2	Explain how the context(s) impacts the case study	LO1
3	Create diagrams to visualise the use of space	LO2
4	Interpret the diagrams to explain the case study in terms of the context	LO2

Assessment Task 2: AT2: Presentation

Task Description:

For AT2, you will present a compare/contrast analysis of a pair of buildings in a video presentation to your peers, and then provide feedback for selected peers on their presentation. First, select a pair of precedents from different historical/cultural contexts that share a common trait (and are different from any previous precedent you have used). Using diagrams and text, identify key similarities and differences between the two precedents, using that to construct an argument about how context matters to the built environment. Present this information using 3-5 slides in a 5-minute recorded presentation uploaded to MyLO. Finally, there will be a formalized mechanism for providing feedback to your peers and reflection on learning.

Task Length:

5-minute presentation, 3-5 slides, and a written script with proper citations; 5 feedback surveys and reflection discussion post

Due Date:

Week 9

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify the political, cultural, environmental and historical contexts for precedents	LO1
2	Explain how the context(s) impacts the two precedents	LO1
3	Interpret relationships between historical context, built form and use in these two cases	LO3
4	Discuss the interrelationships between contexts and built environments	LO3

Assessment Task 3: AT3: Precedent studies

Task Description:

Every week throughout the semester, students will be asked to analyse an object, building, site, or idea using drawings and diagrams and post their analysis in a discussion post. These discussion posts will respond to the concepts and building types presented that week, and most weeks there will be up to three different options for students to choose from. Each post should be 100-150 words and include at least one reference to an outside source and one diagram created by the student. Twelve posts are available for marking; the AT3 grade will be the average of the top eight of the student’s scores.

Task Length:

8 posts of 150 words and 1 diagram each

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Create diagrams to visualise the meaning and use of space.	LO2
2	Interpret the diagram to explain the objects, buildings, or spaces in terms of the context	LO2
3	Discuss the interrelationships between contexts and built environments to inform future design practice	LO3
4	Identify one or more political, cultural, environmental, or historical contexts related to the post	LO1
5	Explain how the context impacts an aspect of the built environment	LO1

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.