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Designing Living Systems (LARC20001)
Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable (login required)(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 2
Overview
Availability | Semester 2 |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
Designing Living Systems examines the contemporary use of plants, soils and animals as biological materials and ecological systems for construction. Designing habitats for people and wildlife requires learning and applying a variety of ecological principles across scales. It requires learning about what makes up living systems including soil ecosystems, plants and their interactions, animals, food webs, water, and sunlight. Students will develop their own design language emphasizing form, aesthetics, and ecological function to shape spaces for plants and animals as living material. Students will learn about organisms, habitats and ecosystem structure and function across a range of natural to anthropogenic environments. You will also land uses, building types and occupancy, as well as to consider the history and development of urban areas and their social structure.
The interdisciplinary course includes experts from allied disciplines providing lectures and seminars alongside practitioners running tutorials guiding students in planting and ecological design. The subject builds on theories, principles and practices introduced in Natural History and focuses on design applications through assignments
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Build knowledge around urban biodiversity and habitat creation focusing on Australian species and biodiversity, soils, wildlife, communities and ecosystems, micro-climates, and water systems;
- Study the interactions across animal, plant, soil, hydrological and climatic conditions and the associated spatial patterns and aesthetic considerations of planting design to inform the construction of contemporary and future urban living systems;
- Understand designed and built landscapes ranging from green walls and green roofs to bioretention systems, waterways and remnant ecological communities;
- Develop the ability to select plant material palettes and prepare planting plans for a selected urban greenspace in Melbourne;
- Develop skills in landscape documentation techniques and in preparing habitat and planting plans for an urban project in Melbourne;.
Generic skills
- Ability to evaluate ecological design projects to understand their attributes and shortcomings.
- Learn about the design of specific habitat types across the built environment.
- Spatial thinking informing the composition, form, and aesthetics of multiscale and multifunctional ecological landscape designs.
- Ability to represent concepts through graphic representations, written and oral presentations.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LARC10001 | Natural History | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Corequisites
Non-allowed subjects
Recommended background knowledge
Knowledge of the following subject is strongly recommended:
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
ARCH10003 | Design Studio Alpha |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
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: 31 January 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Assignment 1: plant Database
| Week 3 | 15% |
Assignment 2: Ecological Research
| Week 5 | 15% |
Assignment 3: Site Analysis
| Week 7 | 20% |
Assignment 4: A design exercise
| Week 12 | 50% |
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 2
Principal coordinator Alex Felson Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 1X2 hour lecture and 1X2 hour tutorial 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
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: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- 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.
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: 31 January 2024