ARCH 7029 Architecture Project M Arch Course Outline
LECTURER Name: Ian McDougall Location: Room West Gallery & 5th Year Studio, G8 Architecture Building Telephone: 8303 4590 (uni) email: imcdougall @ a-r-m. com. au Course Website: www.myuni.adelaide.edu.au Faculty of the Professions ARCH 7029 Architecture Project M Arch Course Outline page 2 of 8 COURSE OBJECTIVES
Aim The primary aim of this course is to facilitate students to develop and demonstrate competence and confidence in the architectural process, through the progress of a design of a complex architectural and/or urban design project. Part of the process is for students to discover their own direction within the discipline.
Process The course focuses on the definition, development and description of a major culminating architectural design project that both challenges and demonstrates students' skills and knowledge of architecture. The project is offered in 2009 in two options; one for a project of the students own choice, alternatively the second, for a set project and/or site (refer to the attachment A for criteria for individual choice or for descriptions of the set project). The students must negotiate with academic staff for approval of the choice of their own choice project. Design responses must demonstrate phases of architectural design incorporating theoretical, strategic and technical aspects of architecture, through a high level of communication; sketches, digital presentations and developed design drawings, leading to a designed final presentation which should show an integration of all major aspects of the academic program. The objective is for students to develop their own approach to design and holistically demonstrate that approach through the design, the design justification and the presentation.
Time Management Students will need to develop skills in time programming and in making judgements about the appropriateness of design concepts and, where pertinent to their scheme, structure, energy use, construction materials and/or techniques.
Studio Stages There are 3 specific stages: Concept, Development, and Presentation. Concept refers to the testing of design strategies that emerge from a theoretical approach to the program and/or the site, and the eventual establishment of a design direction. Students will settle on broad conceptual framework for their architectural project after experimenting with an array of opportunities. Development refers to the testing of more detailed design work on the established strategy, testing it for function and technological fit, as well as urban design criteria. Presentation refers to the preparation of high quality drawings, models and animations or other methods that clearly and evocatively present the ideas of the design. The process is to be presented as well as the final resolution. Communications skills are important in this phase, but will be practiced throughout the semester, culminating in this final stage.
Course Structure The format for the Architecture Project as a Design Studio. This structure parallels industry processes for design development and resolution, and for multi-disciplinary design activity. Students are required to present their work each week in the Studio workshop environment, subjecting it to analysis, critique and response by staff and students. Students must maintain a written diary of these sessions, recording the responses to their presentations. The weekly work presented is “work in progress”, but is nonetheless to be articulate and referenced to theoretical and practical issues being pursued by the student. Students should maintain examples of their work, at the Semester proceeds for their final presentation.
Graduate Attributes
In addition to the Universities general Graduate attributes, it is expected that the successful completion of the course will demonstrate a capacity for the following attributes as a Masters Graduate in Architecture:
1. an understanding of contemporary architectural processes at an international level
2. an ability to analyse, critique and develop design one’s own outcomes generated through the progress of a project
3. development of an approach to architecture that commits to continuous research and self education
4. knowledge of architectural milestones and exemplars and an ability to reach an personal affinity with selected ones
5. skills in communicating one’s ideas and concepts
6. a personal mission within the discipline.
STUDIO SESSIONS, LECTURES AND TUTORIALS
The University expects full-time students (ie those taking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studies. Students in this course are expected to attend all lectures and studios throughout the semester. Students must advise of and have legitimate reasons for any inability to attend. Please refer to Access Adelaide for your timetable and enrolment details.
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/access/
Classes will be held weekly commencing the week beginning (Monday 27 July). Membership of classes is to be finalised by the end of the second week of semester. Students wishing to swap between classes after this time are required to present their case to the lecturer-in-charge, but should be aware that such a request may not be approved.
Sessions are the key component of your learning in this course. The communication skills developed in studio by regularly and actively participating in discussions are considered to be most important by the School and are highly regarded by employers and professional bodies.
CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION
Please check your course MyUni account regularly as all important Course-related announcements will be communicated via this means.
Individual e-mail communication with students on course issues will NOT be responded to by teaching staff as a matter of course. Some responses may be made, dependent on time availability outside of authorised hours. Students with any questions regarding the course may post these on the Course Discussion Board. This will be monitored by teaching staff and queries responded to I will be available for consultation at the following times:
Tuesday Morning 9.30 am to 1.00pm
Wednesday 10.am to 6.00pm
Within the Studio. These times may change, but notification will be given.
Part-time tutors will also be available for consultation (on a roster basis) in Studio, Architecture Building
ASSESSMENT
For information on the University’s Good Practice Guidelines for assessment, refer to:
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/700/
The assessment is based on the following, with the proportionate weighting of each part;
1.participation (10%)
2.early semester exercises and presentation of Concept (15%)
3.mid semester review by tutor panel (20%)
4.final oratory and final presentation material (35%)
5.quality of the design itself. (20%)
Assessment is also based on progress of the design, innovation and knowledge of like projects.
The percentage indicated above for the assessment is a guide only. Marks will be given and published for the Concept Presentation and Mid Semester Review. Written feedback on progress will be provided at the Mid Semester review. Progress reviews may be made through the Semester. These marks are considered as part of the final assessment. But can be upgraded through improvement and out-performance. Final Assessment is based on the years work and the quality of the oration, presentation and design. Marks through the semester are not necessarily aggregated.
Component 1 Participation
Students must attend the weekly reviews and are advised to participate with the groups in discussion of key topics.
Component 2 General semester presentations inc Concept presentation
Students will be credited for good presentation of ideas, drawings and experiments in design strategy, clear and confident articulation of their work in hand, and regular self criticism of their direction. There will be a number of incremental esquisse set that relate to the student’s selected project through the first part of the semester. These are assessed and reported under this component of the total assessment. The Concept Presentation must be a Power Point or pdf display emphasising site and context responses, brief summary particularly space schedules, and ideational and schematic design drawings.
Component 3 Mid semester Review by tutor panel
Students will be credited for clear and articulate presentation of their design proposal. The Presentation will be Power Point or other Digital format, with supporting models and/drawings the student wishes to present. Students should structure their display to cover site responses, design concepts, attitudes to materiality and status of their scheme. Students should note that the journey to get to this mid semester position should be a key part of their presentation.
There is a student panel assessment in the second half of the semester, which must be attended. Student panels will review the ideas and developments of individual students as a seminar session, and as a trial presentation, prior to the final submission.
Component 4 Final oratory and final presentation material
Students will be credited for the clarity and organisation of their presentation, demonstrating confidence, innovation, courage and knowledge. The material can be in a format at the students’ discretion, however a Power Point summarizing the display must be lodged at the due time. Students will be required to speak to their display and answer questions from the assessment panel. Students should note that the process of developing the final design should be presented, as well as any technical aspects which are pertinent to their scheme.
Component 5 Quality of the Design itself
Students who have demonstrated an understanding of design strategies, innovation, and integration of functional and technical aspects as well as addressing cultural and urban design issues will be credited.
In order to pass this course, students must achieve 50% (P) or above for the components in the overall mark, and the Course leader may allow balancing across the components. The School’s late submission policy will apply. You must be present during a workshop in order to receive a mark for that workshop unless there are medical or compassionate reasons.
Students who wish to choose their own project
For those who do not want to undertake the set project, the following guidelines should assist in the selection/creation of a project. Following these guidelines will most likely lead to a speedy approval of the project.
1. Project complexity – the project should contain enough program to challenge the student. Most contemporary buildings have mixed functions; a library has a meeting rooms and coffee shops, computer centres and community information centres in them. As well complex programs can challenge the architectural agenda for the project; e.g a theatre building is in itself not a very complicated function (albeit technically complex). But a building with more than one theatre type (proscenium, black-box etc), plus offices, in an urban setting will raise more architectural possibilities. Likewise a health building that has hotel, retail and office allied. The issue here is that we want students to explore the possibilities for the design as a project of innovation and speculation, not just competence in solving functional issues.
2. Project Size – the project should be of sufficient size to allow complexity and provide enough scope for the student to deal with a range of architectural issues. Students should consider projects greater than 3000 sqm as appropriate. Smaller projects may be considered but the student will need to convince us that there is enough scope to demonstrate skill, and to challenge the student. It is easier for students if there are contradictions of function and symbolism embedded in the program. The student can use those as a springboard to explore the architectural issues. It is not about size, but it is also not about mere provision of a design – Final project is about exploring ideas and the politic of the issues. Projects which are too big should also be avoided. Architecturally, designing a whole city results in schemes which are too generalized to challenge the student. As a guide projects bigger than 100,000 sqm are likely to be unacceptable, or will be required to be dealt with in a detailed segment.
3.Project Brief – a brief which outlines the key area allocations should be presented as part of the request for approval of the proposed project. Briefs from other examples of the project are acceptable. The intention is to get into the design early, using pre-existing briefs as a guide and discussion point, should students wish to have a “representative client” as part of the project program. This method means it is best not to attempt to create a brief from scratch
