11209 Architectural Design: Making

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2023 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building: Architecture
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 11173 Landscape Architecture Studio 2: Making AND 11215 Architectural Design: Making

Description

This subject focuses on the framework and essential techniques covered in the first-year architectural and landscape subjects: 11211, 11171 and 11173. It looks at the production of spaces and strategies which are important for critical and analytical thinking. The themes of body, organisation and context are integrated as ways of constructing spatial sequence and formal responses to a given design brief. This subject focuses on the design potentials of diverse structural, material and organisational approaches in architecture. A constraint-based, iterative process is used to inform a series of both two-dimensional and three-dimensional exercises. Students gain an understanding of the design process; develop an understanding of our relationships to space, form, sequence and the environment; undergo rigorous research and iterative design; and develop strategies for translating concepts into spatial solutions. The use of various representation techniques and media is expected as well as the integration of theoretical and precedent analysis in order to support the design solutions.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

1.	Apply an understanding of structure, material and form to an architectural design project
2.	Apply an iterative physical and digital drawing and modelling design process
3.	Apply multi-scalar two and three-dimensions iterative material investigations to a well defined architectural brief
4.	Apply knowledge and skills obtained in Construction and Architectural Communications
5.	Work independently to produce iterative outcomes showing knowledge of design thinking
6.	Ability to organize, edit and present work as an annotated Design Folio

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Communicate ideas professionally and effectively through a variety of mediums: oral, written, visual, physical and digital (C.2)
• Creatively use architectural media, technologies and materials (I.2)
• Understand and challenge disciplinary conventions through an engagement with emergent forms of architectural practice, technologies and modes of production (P.1)
• Evidence a three-dimensional understanding of spatial sequence and organisation (P.4)
• Integrate an understanding of a relationship between form, materiality, structure and construction within design thinking (P.5)
• Position work within an extended and critically reasoned context through the identification, evaluation and application of relevant academic references and architectural case studies (R.1)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate attribute categories where:

C = communication and groupwork

A = attitudes and values

P = practical and professional

R = research and critique

I = innovation and creativity

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories using codes (e.g. C-!, A-3, P-4, etc).

Teaching and learning strategies

One weekly 3 hr Studio workshop on campus.

The subject is structured with successive project-based design exercises. There will be regular group discussions that introduce design theory and examples to extend the themes of the subject, followed by active studio sessions. These working sessions include participatory group activities and discussion, using individual work to learn collaboratively. Students must attend all studio sessions, and to follow the progress patterns for each design project. Students should actively participate in group discussions during the studio teaching.

Online resources

There are a number of online resources used to support the learning objectives of this subject. A detailed overview of the pedagogy and associated tasks and assessment items are included in the Subject Outline. All documents are accessible from UTS Online

Feedback

The subject provides a range of formative and summative feedback strategies.

1. All assessments will be graded in ReView.
2. The subject is designed around the progressive development of a final design project. It is vital you complete the work outlined in the Subject Outline to receive useful formative Feedback. All documents can be accessed via UTS Online. Refer to the DAB Generic Subject Outline document for attendance requirements.

Content (topics)

The content of this subject includes a series of experimental project-based design exercises. The projects and themes are focused on:

• structure and material as it pertains to architectural design,
• performance and function at a range of scales.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Design development

Intent:	This task is a collation of the design workshop exercises focused on understanding structure, space and scale that comprise the first 5 weeks of studio. These exercises are built around an ability to analyse, rethink and demonstrate spatial logic using hand and digitally produced modelled forms. The intention of this task is to provide a clear set of design led spatial exercises that build confidence in describing, developing and documenting architectural space. These exercises will be supported with precedent examples of real architectural space and exploration in material and structural logic. This task will demonstrate an ability to develop work progressively, to analyse clearly and to accurately represent the design proposal in drawn and modelled format.
Objective(s):	This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 3 and 4 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): C.2, P.1 and P.4
Type:	Design/drawing/plan/sketch
Groupwork:	Individual
Weight:	35%
Criteria linkages:	Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs Demonstrate studio participation, communication of ideas through generation of models, drawings and discussion in workshops 25 4 C.2 Ability to generate structure and formal logic through iterative development 25 1 P.1 Demonstrate an understanding of scale, spatial sequence and organisation in modelled form and orthographic drawings 25 4 P.4 Ability to synthesise workshop outcomes (thresholds, circulation, concepts) to demonstrate an understanding of theory and precedent within the proposed design. 25 3 P.1 SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Design synthesis

Intent:	This task combines the workshop investigations completed for Assessment task 1 with a synthesized design proposal for a space to accommodate an extended group of people. The intention of this task is to develop a series of design strategies which involve the integration of structure, cladding and spatial sequence. The task will demonstrate an ability to work progressively through workshop investigations, to integrate structure and cladding and to understand spatial inhabitation. This assessment task will involve the production of a conceptual story board, a modelled proposal and a series of orthogrpahic drawings.
Objective(s):	This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 2, 4 and 5 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): I.2, P.5 and R.1
Type:	Project
Groupwork:	Individual
Weight:	50%
Criteria linkages:	Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs Evidence of iterative conceptual development and clarify of proposed design brief 25 2 I.2 Ability to integrate structure, materials and spatial sequence 25 2 P.5 Synthesis of program, site context and structural or material understanding of the proposal 25 5 R.1 Quality, precision and richness in presentation of scheme as a design project 25 4 I.2 SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Design Folio

Intent:	The intention of the portfolio task is to provide an opportunity to summarises and refine the work of Assessment tasks 1 and 2. The production of a portfolio requires careful editing and organization to demonstrate a logic behind the design projects it presents. This document will provide evidence of an ability to represent and think through design and to present a finished work which highlights lessons learned during the subject.
Objective(s):	This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 5 and 6 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): I.2 and P.5
Type:	Portfolio
Groupwork:	Individual
Weight:	15%
Criteria linkages:	Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs Demonstrate an ability to work independently using design thinking techniques to develop outcomes which show an understanding of form, materiality and structure. 50 5 P.5 Ability to synthesise ideas in a folio format, demonstrating social, technical and environmental practices 50 6 I.2 SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Minimum requirements

Students are required to attend both the lecture and tutorial session each week to contribute to their overall attendance.

As per the DAB Generic Subject Outline document: The Faculty of DAB expects students to attend 80% of all classes for all enrolled subjects. Further, pursuant to UTS rule 3.8.2, students who do not satisfy attendance requirements may be refused permission by the Responsible Academic Officer to be considered for assessment for this subject. Where assessment tasks are to be presented personally in class, attendance is mandatory. Place note that this expectation on attendance stands irrespective of the reason for an absence.

Required texts

THE FOLLOWING TEXTS ARE AVAILABLE ON UTS ONLINE UNDER 'SUBJECT DOCUMENTS', IN THE 'READINGS' FOLDER.

Allen, S. 1999. Excerpt from Points + Lines. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press.

Tschumi, Bernard, Excerpt from Event Cities 2: Intro Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press, 2000

Tschumi, Bernard , Excerpt from Event Cities 3: Intro Cambridge, MA : MIT Press, 2005

Wigley, M, Excerpt from Cutting Matta-Clark The Anarchitecture Investigation, Lars Muller Publishers, 2018

NOTE: These are expected reading BEFORE class, on the dates noted in the program for the course within this document. Students are expected to be prepared for the exercises and discussions that will be conducted in class.

Recommended texts

The following offer useful introductions to a range of issues addressed in studio.

Allen, Stan, Points + Lines: Diagrams and Projects for the City, Princeton Architectural Press, 1999

Atelier Bow Wow, Graphic Anatomy – Atelier Bow Wow, Toto, 2007

Bru, Eduard + various authors, The Metapolis Dictionary of Advanced Architecture, Actar, 2003

Moussavi, Farshid. The Function of Form, Actar and the Hardvard Graduate School of Design, 2009

Rakatansky, Mark, Tectonic Acts of Desire and Doubt London : Architectural Association Publications 2012