Design Studio 3.1 (Architecture) (8399.5)

Required texts

Students are expected to undertake self-directed research and sourcing of reference material as required for each project. In addition, the proposed four lecturers will be the main source of students' learning as far as historical and typological aspects of residential complex is concerned. Students are expected to attend these lectures and demonstrate in their weekly crit how the ideas/concepts presented in each lecture have influenced their design process.

Some readings or other media resources will be placed on short term loan and others suggested during the course of the studio.

Suggested reading

Peter Eisenman, "Diagram: An Original Scene of Writing," & "Diagrams of Anteriority," both in Diagram Diaries, Universe Publishers, 1999, pp. 26-35, 36-43.

Gevork Hartoonian, "Architecture and the Question of Technology: Two Positions and the Other," in Ontology of Construction, Cambridge University Press, 1994, pp. 29-42.

Rosalind Krauss, "Grids," The Originality of the Avant-Garde and Other Modernist Myths, 1989, pp. 8-22.

In addition,

For lectures associated with the introduction to architecture practice and project management in particular, the primary source of information for this unit is:

acumen: Practice Advice for Architects, Australian Institute of Architects, available from the UC Library catalogue electronically:  http://webpac.canberra.edu.au/search
Under Search, use key word: Acumen  and this will provide access to the online Acumen site.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Minimum Pass Requirement

In order to Pass the Unit students are required to pass the Architectural Practice component in addition to passing the Studio component.

Late Submissions

Late submissions, received after the published due date for assignments (or later than any approved extension due date), will be penalised. Students are responsible for ensuring that late submissions are received by the Unit Convener. Students should discuss the date, time and location of the late submission with the Unit Convener.

Unless otherwise agreed with the Unit Convener, all late submissions must be submitted to the Design Discipline Administrative Office, Monday to Friday (except public holidays) between 9.30 am and 3.00 pm. Each item (eg., drawings, model, documentation) should be individually date stamped, then stored as directed until grading.

Special Consideration

If circumstances beyond your control prevent your submitting an assignment, notify your Unit Convener at the time they occur.  You can apply for an extension due to illness or other unavoidable and verifiable personal circumstances. Supporting documentation is normally required. Doctor's or Counsellor's Certificates, dated at the time of the difficulty, will be accepted as grounds for Special Consideration.

Special assessment requirements

Professional Behaviours:

Level of collaborative and professional behaviours, including participation in class, working within a team, and at all times adhering to the code of professional conduct for Architects

Participation

It is a requirement for the successful completion of the learning outcomes, and for professional accreditation of this unit, that students come on-campus and participate in all studio classes.  On-campus participation in scheduled studio classes is an essential part of the learning process. Engaging in academic discourse with other students and with your tutor/unit convenor will provide a greater connection to learning, garner a range of opinions and knowledge in addition to providing the opportunity for greater clarity and assistance in achieving unit outcomes. It is expected that students maintain a minimum overall on-campus participation level of 80% or above, assessed as professional behaviour. It is the student's responsibility to contact the unit convenor and tutor prior to class to let them know they are not coming to class and why. It is the student's responsibility to make up all missed information and learning from the class time.

Students are in particular required to come on-campus and participate in all Studio Reviews. Where a student is not able to come to such a session they will have to negotiate a new time with the unit convenor at a time convenient to both. External work duties, assignments for other units and holidays do not constitute relevant reasons for missing class or Studio Reviews.

Clean Up

Studios are to be cleared of work at the end of each class. Students are responsible for removing their materials and equipment. Students that fail to remove their materials and equipment will be penalised through a reduction in marks.

3 dimensional physical models

Scale modelling is a primary medium of environmental design, essential to an understanding of form, materials and structure.  Modelling need not be concerned entirely with realism or authenticity – some level of abstraction of site features or materials may be more effective.  You will need to provide most of your own purchased, recycled or salvaged materials. 

Drawings and other graphics

Presentations will usually require site plans, floor plans, sections and details, elevations and perspective drawings. These can be hand drawn or digital, depending on the particular assignment. Design technical drawings should generally be to scale and labelled as such.  Presentation of earlier concept and site sketching can also be useful. Always ensure the scale of graphics is suitable for the presentation, usually viewed at a distance of around 2–3 metres.

‘Stand up' presentations

An ability to present, explain and justify your work is an essential task of any design professional. Students will be required to stand up, pin up, and ‘talk to your work,' presenting your ideas and explaining your design to a group. You will be given time slots with time for questions.  You should be able to discuss your aims, design process and how you have approached the design. It's often a good idea to jot down some key points for presentation and discussion.  If it is a research presentation, it may be beneficial to include some visual materials, rather than purely verbal narrations.

Often presentations will be to a panel of visiting critics.  This requires special consideration.  You will need to design your presentation assuming the guest has no prior knowledge of the project site, program or your previous design work.

Students should sit in on all other student's presentations and ask questions. Final presentations should provide an opportunity for group learning, and a satisfying conclusion to each project. It makes sense to have this experience before entering the workplace.

Feedback

Feedback will also be provided primarily in the form of verbal comments and critique during studio classes each week and at juries.

In architectural education and practice a fundamental vehicle for receiving feedback is the verbal response or critique. Architects are expected to listen carefully and dispassionately to what is said and respond accordingly.  It is therefore important that you develop the facility for recording what is said - this may include enlisting a fellow student to take notes of what is said during your presentation and then you do the same in return. 

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Inclusion and engagement

It is strongly recommended that students who need assistance in undertaking the unit because of disability or an ongoing health condition register with the Inclusion and Engagement Office as soon as possible so that reasonable adjustment arrangements can be made.

Participation requirements

Attendance at scheduled studio hours, lecture classes and contribution over the semester is expected. Presentation and discussion of your work in progress is essential for the development of your design skills in meeting the learning outcomes of the subject and for your architectural education. Participation in studio sessions and reviews provides important opportunities for feedback and demonstrates that the submitted work is your own.

In order to receive a grade of Pass or better, students must bring their work in progress to studio sessions, reviews and juries as detailed in the unit outline. Assessment items that have not been presented for review during the semester as required may not be submitted for final assessment.

Please advise the Unit Convener in advance if you are unable to attend a particular class or studio.

Required IT skills

As necessary to facilitate architectural studio submission and presentation, and use the unit learn on line ‘moodle' site.
 

In-unit costs

Materials and equipment needed to undertake the projects, such as drawing and model making materials, and costs associated with any site visits, are generally the responsibility of each individual student.  This could be in the order of $300-$500 per semester.

Work placement, internships or practicums

None

Additional information

Additional information, including assignment and submission requirements will be provided in separate handouts (all in Moodle), if needed. Reading and complying with this information and instruction is a requirement for students enrolled in this unit. Information in the form of a project brief will also be available on the unit Moodle site. Compliance with the project brief forms part of the Assessment tasks of the unit outline

Announcements

Announcements made during studios, seminars, lectures, or posted on to the  unit moodle site and/or sent to your University of Canberra student email address, will be deemed to have been made to the whole group. Students are responsible for regularly checking the unit Canvas site and their UC student email.

Consultation with Staff

Contact with teaching staff should generally be within the allocated class times.  Consultation outside of these hours shall be by prior appointment, and in addition to, not in lieu of, the scheduled class time. Students who fail to attend classes, and who do not have a medical or Counsellor's certificate or other genuine reason for missing classes, should not expect additional tutorial or consultation time.

Please note: staff are not able to return calls to long distance or mobile telephone numbers after normal hours or on weekends or holidays. Emails are normally not checked or answered at nights, on weekends or on public holidays.

Teaching staff  (and particularly part-time staff) may not be able to attend to phone calls or reply to emails immediately. Please ensure any urgent matters are brought to their attention within the studio session or request assistance in notifying the Convener through the Administrative Assistant for the Course.

Retained Work

Due to the requirements of professional accreditation samples of student work will be retained and stored at the School for periods of up to three years. Where possible, each student should make a copy of any assignment (prior to submission) as that work may be retained and inaccessible thereafter.

Late Collection of Assignments

Architects, and architecture students, are expected to take responsibility for their work. In the context of the design studios, this is considered to include both submitting the work on time, and collecting it following assessment.

Collection times will be advised for submissions where appropriate. Where a project/assignment is not collected by that time, the project is subject to a 5% grade penalty. The project may be discarded without further notice.   This penalty will not apply when prior arrangements have been made with the Unit Convener, or when the work is being retained, such as for accreditation.

            End of Semester Clean Up

Studios are to be cleared of work and generally cleaned up at the end of each semester. Projects not removed by the advertised date may be discarded without further notice.

• Semester 1, 2018, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (176357)
• Semester 1, 2017, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (165222)