Handbook home
Design History & Theory in the Making (ARCH10004)
Undergraduate level 1Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
Contact information
Semester 1
Semester 2
Overview
| Availability | Semester 1 Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
The subject is an introduction to history and theory in architecture and landscape architecture within the Bachelor of Design. To understand the making of built places, from the scale of the house to that of the city, the subject is built around three questions:
- What is the built environment and how is it formed and transformed?
- How do we analyse built places?
- How might we imagine and create better social and environmental outcomes in our built places through design?
Using a contemporary city as its key case study, location for student fieldwork and the mapping of places, the subject is organised into four parts, addressing in turn: infrastructures, housing, health, and knowledge institutions.
Intended learning outcomes
Through accessing subject information from four modules: infrastructure, housing, health, and knowledge institutions and through discussions, written, drawn and visual analysis, readings and on-line interaction, students will be able to:
- Describe, discuss and analyse major social drivers and ideas structuring the design and urban formation of a contemporary city;
- Describe and explore the role of historic precedent, critical theory, and observational analysis as investigative tools for understanding the built environment and its transformations;
- Demonstrate the application of history and theory knowledge to analyse specific design case studies;
- Describe, recognise, and evaluate the diverse views and interpretative frameworks that structure knowledge of the built environment.
Generic skills
Students who successfully complete this subject will demonstrate:
- An ability to relate historic precedent to the contemporary city
- An ability to apply critical thinking and analysis
- An ability to apply design concepts to the study of the built environment
- Communications skills in written and graphic formats
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
| Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABPL10004 | Global Foundations of Design | No longer available |
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: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
10 weekly assignments each equivalent to 200 Words , 2000 words in total
| From Week 2 to Week 11 | 50% |
Mapping Exercise
| Week 7 | 25% |
Fieldwork Exercise
| Week 14 | 25% |
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Coordinator Karen Burns Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 12 x 1 hour lectures 12 x 30 minutes talks on LMS 12 x 1.5 hour tutorials 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
Principal coordinator Anoma Pieris Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 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
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: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Bachelor of Design - Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Bachelor of Biomedicine
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art)
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Science
- 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
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 4 March 2025