Architecture Design Studio: Air (ABPL30048)
Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
Contact information
Semester 1
Semester 2
Overview
| Availability | Semester 1 Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
Underlying the undergraduate design course is the development of both design thinking and dexterity with tools and techniques. The focus of this design subject will be on generating design ideas, translating them into architectural forms, spaces, materials and programs. Students will learn how to refine architecture through consideration of spatial organisation, environmental context and structural necessity. Students will also learn how to communicate comprehensive architectural propositions through 2D- and 3D-modelling (physical and digital), visual and written media and oral presentations.
The focus in the design studio will be on issues of organisational sophistication and the consequence of planning. A critical understanding of how architectural design, planning and spatial order deal with the social, political and civic relationships that define a community, and how architecture transforms or assists (or resists) the transformations of these communities. Particular emphasis will be placed on awareness and critical appreciation of the consequential nature of architectural production, that is, how the control and use of architectural effects are a means of architectural production. The design studio focuses on complex buildings on sites with a development scope of up to 3,000m2. The designated site will be located within the urban or inner suburban area of Melbourne.
Layout software (e.g. Affinity Publisher)
Intended learning outcomes
Having completed this subject it is expected that the student be able to:
- Develop and refine architectural design strategies;
- Use three-dimensional spatial ordering to develop complex planning and organisational arrangements;
- Design a large building with an appreciation of the social, historical, environmental and cultural contexts of the site;
- Understand the complex interrelationship between designed civic spaces and community, including the ways in which architectural design, spatial order and planning can be used to offer positive outcomes for communities;
- Demonstrate a high-level of representational and compositional skill, and generate and present ideas in digital, analogue and other formats;
- Apply critical thinking to the assessment of design proposals, and make changes and improvements based on that assessment through iterative design processes;
- Design to a level of resolution that demonstrates knowledge of structure, materials and architectural technology;
- Present, substantiate and advocate for design proposals in a public setting, and accept critique in a constructive manner; and,
- Engage with and contribute to studio culture.
Generic skills
Students completing this subject will have developed the following generic skills:
- Ability to generate and iteratively test design ideas;
- Ability to work with design precedents;
- Ability to work with different design methodologies;
- Physical and digital model-making and its translation process;
- Ability to integrate digital tools into the design generation and design development processes;
- Graphic communication (including orthographic projections: plans, sections, elevations, axonometric and other projections);
- Verbal presentation and appropriate use of design terminology;
- Time management and project management; and,
- Constructive acceptance of feedback and criticism.
Last updated: 15 January 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Completion of 162.5 points of Bachelor of Environments subject including either:
| Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABPL20027 | Architecture Design Studio: Earth | No longer available |
OR
| Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABPL20028 | Architecture Design Studio: Water | No longer available |
(both recommended)
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
It is strongly recommended that students complete a minimum of 162.5 points of Bachelor of Environments subjects before undertaking this subject.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 15 January 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Assignment 1: Preliminary Design Submission Individual review (critique) and oral presentation, demonstrating design output that may include physical or digital models, drawings, written assignments, site analyses, journals and sketches;
| Week 4 | 20% |
Assignment 2: Major Project Interim Submission Individual review (critique) and oral presentation, demonstrating design output that may include physical or digital models, drawings, written assignments, site analyses, journals and sketches;
| Week 9 | 20% |
Assignment 3: Major Project Final Submission An individual oral presentation of final designs, which will be reviewed by a jury of academic staff/industry practitioners, building on skills and themes developed throughout the semester, demonstrating design output that may include physical or digital models, drawings, written assignments, site analyses, journals and sketches;
| Week 14 | 45% |
Design Journal: Completed throughout semester based on design process, reference material, and themes developed in lectures and studios.
| Week 14 | 15% |
Last updated: 15 January 2025
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator Dennis Prior Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 1x1 hour lecture per week; 1x3 hour studio per week Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 26 February 2024 to 26 May 2024 Last self-enrol date 8 March 2024 Census date 3 April 2024 Last date to withdraw without fail 3 May 2024 Assessment period ends 21 June 2024 Semester 1 contact information
- Semester 2
Coordinator Dennis Prior Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 1x1 hour lecture per week; 1x3 hour studio per week Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 22 July 2024 to 20 October 2024 Last self-enrol date 2 August 2024 Census date 2 September 2024 Last date to withdraw without fail 20 September 2024 Assessment period ends 15 November 2024 Semester 2 contact information
Time commitment details
170 hours
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 15 January 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Informal specialisation Non-allowed Breadth Subjects within the Bachelor of Design - relating to specific majors Major Urban Design and Planning Major Architecture Informal specialisation Environments Discipline subjects Major Landscape Architecture - Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 15 January 2025