Units
Human Environment
Unit code: DTB403
Contact hours: 3 per week
Credit points: 12
Information about fees and unit costs
This unit addresses political and social theories related to interior design and development within the built environment. Students are introduced to contemporary theories of post-industrialism, post-colonialism and multiculturalism. Topics covered in this unit include: Requirements of special needs groups; Psychosocial issues and privacy, perception, personal space, territoriality and way finding; The roles and responsibilities of design professionals, historically and in contemporary society; Cultural diversity.
Availability
| Semester | Available |
|---|---|
| 2013 Semester 2 | Yes |
Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2012
Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.
Rationale
Professional designers require a deep understanding of the ways the built environment facilitates the psychosocial practices of the people who interact with it daily. In this unit, attention is given to the exploration of selected interior environments and instances in order to explain and comprehend the human environment and the potential for design to contribute in meaningful ways.
Aims
The aim of this unit is to provide you with relevant analytical skills and knowledge so that you can examine everyday scenarios and understand the role of the built environment in these settings. In order to do this, different aspects of urban life will be examined. This will provide an opportunity to critique the construction of everyday life and the role of space in this process. Discussions will encourage you to question the relationship between the built environment and daily interaction particularly at the individual psychosocial level.
Objectives
On completion of this unit you should be able to:
- Participate in discussions about the way the built environment facilitates everyday action and describe its role in the construction of meaningful experience.
- Understand and apply a variety of different person-environment methods in order to explain the role of space in a variety of scenarios.
- Employ different person-environment theories to illustrate 'what is going on' in any given scenario and point out the relevance of the built environment in these settings.
- Employ selected data collection and analytical skills to understand person-environment behaviour through the experience of others.
Content
The unit content is arranged around the following format:
- A discussion of different environments that act as cases to discuss psycho-social issues of environment and behaviour;;
- An examination of a number of interdisciplinary theories that provide a way to explain 'what is going on in the world' and relate this to psycho-social issues of environment and behaviour such as; perception, , privacy, personal space and territoriality [the theories];
- An exploration of selected interdisciplinary methods used to deconstruct space and comprehend what is going on and how we come to understand human relationships with the physical environment.
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
Teaching Mode: Hours per week - 3 hours
- Formal and Participative Lectures: 1hr per week as scheduled
- Tutorials: 2hrs per week as scheduled
- Tutorials: Appointment Based: Weeks Eleven & Twelve
Learning Approaches
- Lectures
- Participative Observation
- Directed Reading
- Self-directed Learning
- Presentations
Assessment
Assessment name:
Oral & Visual Presentation
Description:
A presentation of observational studies that highlight the role of the built environment in areas such as territoriality, privacy, identity.
Relates to objectives:
1, 2, 3, 4
Weight:
40%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Early - Mid Semester
Assessment name:
Project Report (written)
Description:
A written report that presents the outcome of collecting and anaylsing first-hand data of person-environment interaction and the role of the environment from another's perspective in supporting the interaction.
Relates to objectives:
1, 2, 3, 4
Weight:
60%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
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
A range of resource materials appropriate for the specific project including a list of readings and texts will be provided. It is strongly recommended that reference materials from a range of sources be used to further an understanding of the unit content.
Additional Costs:
Costs for this unit relate to the normal costs incurred in the generation and presentation of a design project.
Risk assessment statement
You will undertake lectures and/or tutorials in the traditional classrooms and lecture theatres. As such, there are no extraordinary workplace health and safety issues associated with these components of the unit.
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: 30-May-2012
