Asian Built Environments Design Legacies (ABPL90418)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2025
About this subject
Overview
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The subject offers an overview of the issues facing design professionals in Asia from the mid- to late twentieth century when modernism had the greatest impact. Asian cities and lifestyles were transformed by design cultures of western origin, and architects became mediators of aesthetic influences, which they encouraged, adapted or resisted to varying degrees. In doing so, they engaged with questions of related to urbanisation and cultural change such as tradition, colonisation, nationalism, contested or dissonant heritage, war memory, and environmental consciousness that most impacted their societies. They responded through architecture to key concerns of their time.
Focusing on the lives and careers of the first generation of modern practitioners in South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, this subject provides a critical historical understanding of their design foci and inspirations, many of which continue to be relevant for architecture, urban design and planning and heritage practice. Students are asked to follow individual careers as they evolved in response to political and cultural changes such as decolonisation, nation building, consumerism and multiculturalism, and associated conflicts. How did design professionals like, architects, planners and urban and landscape designers negotiate their westernised professional education, the demands of specific localities, the pressure to maintain traditional forms of cultural heritage and their more personal approaches and perspectives? How did they apply visual, textual and pedagogical methods in disseminating their world views? What can we learn from their design strategies?
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of the subject, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of key issues that impact the built environment in the Asian region.
- Examine how selected design professionals develop approaches that engage with regional specificity.
- Analyse how design practice is translated across cultures and over time .
- Reflect on key factors that shape professional design careers in Asia, and its application for their own future practice
Generic skills
- Reading comprehension of conceptually complex material on heterogeneous environments
- Descriptive, interpretive and analytical academic writing, including referencing
- Creative structuring of research content using case study methods
- oral and visual presentation skills
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
ABPL90117 Twenty-first Century Architecture
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 |
---|---|---|
Assigned reading presentation and weekly discussion board responses
| From Week 3 to Week 10 | 20% |
Abstract and bibliography
| Before the semester break | 10% |
Mini conference presentation (5-slides, 2 questions)
| From Week 11 to Week 12 | 20% |
Conference paper including 5 references
| Week 14 | 50% |
Hurdle requirement: 75% attendance of lecture/seminar and tutorials | Throughout the semester | N/A |
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Dates & times
Not available in 2025
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
- 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.
Last updated: 4 March 2025