Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2012

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

This intermediate level unit will augment your developing knowledge of architecture through its focus on what architecture means for culture and society and reciprocally how architecture serves culture. Understanding the relationship of architecture to culture is integral to designing in a responsive, responsible and culturally effective way.

Aims

Through studying in this unit you will learn how to interpret buildings as cultural artefacts and decipher the insights into culture that they reveal. You will learn how to interpret and analyse architecture through socio-cultural frameworks and understand how this analysis can be applied to the process of designing buildings that support rather than degrade the culture for which they are produced.

Objectives

On completion of this unit you should be able to:
Explain with reference to key theories, practices, and examples, how architecture and socio-cultural conditions are connected.
Examine examples of architecture in the context of relevant socio-cultural setting/s and assess and explain the influence and impact of architecture on those conditions
Utilise appropriate forms of technology to research, compile, process, and present information
Write/speak/graphically communicate clearly and logically as required for reviews, workbooks, and presentations
Demonstrate scholarly values, individual initiative, cooperative effort and team leadership as relevant in the process of responding to the set activities and assessment tasks

Content

In this unit, we explore the social and cultural relationships between people, institutions, and the production and experience of architectural environments. We pay particular attention to appreciating indigenous perspectives, and the diverse ways architectural environments are experienced by different socio-cultural groups. Topics include: housing and culture, indigeneity and ethnicity in the contemporary built environment, gender and architecture, cultural identity and architectural morphology/typology, architecture in the context of global consumer cultures.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Teaching Mode: Hours per week: 3

Lecture: 1 hr/week
Tutorial/Seminars: 2 hrs/week

This unit will involve lectures, student-facilitated class discussions, and structured tutorials and online activities. You will work both individually and also in groups throughout the semester. Your individual work will focus on researching and understanding concepts and theories. Your collaborative work will focus on developing a detailed understanding of a selected architectural example and culminate in the presentation of this case study research, analysis and critique.

Assessment

Overview of Assessment:
Assessment tasks are designed so that you can demonstrate:
- Your developing understanding of the relationships between architecture and culture in a reflective mode
- Mastery of a discrete segment of disciplinary knowledge
- Skills in communication and teamworkFormative Assessment:
Formative assessment is all about letting you know how you are progressing with your work in the unit and how your work can be improved. In DAB420, formative feedback will be offered by the unit coordinator and unit tutors during the semester. You will receive progressive verbal feedback on your active contributuion in weekly tutorials. These will assist in the development of your understanding and the completion of your assessment tasks.

Summative Assessment:
Summative assessment is about grading you. When we assess your work summatively, we are focusing on outcome, standard and comparison with criteria. For each of your assessment items, you will have a 'map' of criteria and described standards to work with. Assessment includes written critiques, a log/workbook and a final group presentation.

Assessment name: Critique (written)
Description: Critical analysis of published papers and book chapters, assessed three times during the teaching period.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2 & 4
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Throughout Semester

Assessment name: Log/Workbook
Description: Research log of your contribution/explorations for the small poster project.
Relates to objectives: 3, 4 & 5
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End of Semester

Assessment name: Poster Presentation
Description: Small group poster of combined research efforts on chosen theme/architects for final exhibition.
Relates to objectives: 2, 3, 4 & 5
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group
Due date: End of Semester

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Specific papers and other resources will be available from the Course Materials Database (CMD) and the DAB420 Blackboard site.


Costs are associated with downloading and printing resource materials, and also with preparing assignments for assessment.

Risk assessment statement

You will attend classes in traditional classrooms. As such, there are no extraordinary workplace health and safety issues associated with these components of the unit.

Your assignment work may require you to partake in field research of a self-guided nature (e.g. visiting architectural exemplars or urban sites for the purposes of recording, analysis, illustration). A risk assessment for this identified only low impact risks, but you should always be aware of your own personal safety, and also consider sun protection if spending long periods of daytime study outdoors.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 09-Jul-2012