Unit Outline

In this unit, students will grapple with contemporary theories and contexts, and how Architecture as a profession and as a product responds to those ideas. Students will begin by interrogating Critical Architecture theories, developing an understanding of where architecture theory has been and where it is now, and how theory relates to discipline and practice. From that foundation, students will use Tasmania as a case study and lens through which to investigate social, political, cultural, and ecological contexts in this post-colonial era. Throughout, students will gain awareness of how to work effectively with colleagues through in-class work, assessment tasks, and reflection exercises. At the end of the unit, students will have a toolkit for understanding how architecture as a discipline can interrogate, reify, dismantle, and respond to the social, political, and ecological contexts of the 21st century. This is one of a stream 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 Advanced level, the units concentrate on building understandings of and attitudes towards the present and forecasted futures of Architecture and your role in the field and profession.

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	Evaluate critical architecture theories that inform professional practices
2	Appraise post-colonial ideas and ecological conditions as a context for design interventions
3	Create varied artefacts using a balance of words and images to communicate critical issues’ impact on design

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	KDA235 and KDA241

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:	Debate and Reflection	Week 5	35 %	LO1, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Portfolio	Week 9	30 %	LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	Design Brief	Week 12	35 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Debate and Reflection

Task Description:

Working in groups, students will represent a single theory in a debate. All debaters will answer the question, “what is the best theoretical approach to a redesign of [the site]?” from the perspective of an assigned theoretical stance. The debates will consist of a 3-minute opening statement, a 3-minute rebuttal of the opponent team’s statement, and a closing statement. Students should prepare 2-3 slides (up to one for each portion of the debate): one which overviews your assigned theory, one of which offers a sketch proposal of the redesign of the site of the associated studio class as if your assigned theory is true, and one other slide of your choice. Students will upload the slides, the opening statement script, and prepared notes to a group dropbox on MyLO.

Task Length:

Group: 20 minutes of debating (9 presenting, plus 9-10 listening); 2-3 slides; Individual: 1-2 page critical reflection

Due Date:

Week 5

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Explain the theory assigned to your group	LO1
2	Compare theory to opponent’s theory	LO1
3	Infer how a theory might influence the understanding and production of a design	LO1
4	Explain design approaches to critical issues in a clear verbal presentation	LO3
5	Communicate using a balance of words and images on slides	LO3

Assessment Task 2: Portfolio

Task Description:

Individual, small-group, and whole-class activities provide the basis for this assessment task. Students will identity the 2-3 activities that provided them with the most insight into contemporary contexts for architecture and collate them into a portfolio with commentary. Each activity presented should be introduced with a 1-page reflection that engages with post-colonial ideas and ecological conditions and reflect on how architecture can productively engage with these. Reflections should include in-text citations and draw on a variety of source types.

Task Length:

2-3 activities collated, each introduced by a 1-page reflection with in-text citations

Due Date:

Week 9

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify most relevant class activities	LO2
2	Explain relevant post-colonial ideas and/or ecological conditions	LO2
3	Critically reflect on lessons learned about contemporary ideas and conditions from class activities	LO2
4	Present activities and reflections in a legible and professional portfolio	LO3
5	Document engagement with appropriate literatures using academic conventions	LO3

Assessment Task 3: Design Brief

Task Description:

AT3 asks students to create a design brief for a memorial in Tasmania that acknowledges an aspect of the Island’s history and is respectful of Country. These memorials may in some way be connected to the studio site but need not be physically located there (although they may be). Students will propose a site, a topic, and a theoretical approach to create a memorial. The brief should include enough relevant history, theory, and site information to provide potential designers with a strong basis for creating a sensitive, respectful, emplaced memorial, and one that will be responsive to a landscape of changed climate. Drawings and diagrams should illustrate and explain concepts articulated in the brief, but the emphasis is on written communication. The brief should include an annotated list of sources for the imagined designers to learn more about the topics, in addition to being properly cited in-text using APA7 referencing.

Task Length:

4-6 A4 pages of design brief plus ~2 pages of annotated bibliography

Due Date:

Week 12

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Explain an appropriate theory and how it connects to the project	LO1
2	Infer how theory might influence the understanding and production of a design	LO1
3	Describe relevant social, cultural, historical, and ecological contexts for the project	LO2
4	Explain the connection between environmental and social conditions and design outcomes	LO2
5	Explain design approaches to critical issues using a balance of words and images	LO3

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.

Academic progress review

The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.

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.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

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.