University of Technology Sydney

11276 Architectural Studio 4

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 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building: Architecture
Credit points: 12 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 11275 Architectural Studio 3
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

The architectural design studio provides the creative framework for students to explore how a diverse set of performative criteria and constraints inform a design inquiry. Through the project brief, students learn to balance urban, environmental, social and programmatic strategies with the technical and material parameters of an architectural project.

This subject introduces students to the concepts of type, typology, spatial organisation and scale. Abstract and analytical thinking processes are essential in order to engage in a critical and iterative design process. Students apply both qualitative and quantitative design methods in the formation of an architectural project. There is a strong emphasis on the formation of an architectural position or claim within this process. Students develop a theoretical positioning and use it as a catalyst to design a speculative architectural project for a specific spatial typology and site. Students are required to address the best means of representation to communicate the translation between concept, theory and design.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. Develop a typological study and extract spatial organisational concepts to incorporate into an architectural project.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of scalar relationships, in particular the relation between organisational and contextual strategies, and their influence on a spatial proposition.
3. Formulate a sophisticated and critical position that is situated and is in response to both historical and contemporary framings around the subject matter.
4. Develop translation skills that negotiate concept, theory and design.
5. Apply relevant representation strategies as part of an iterative design process and to communicate architectural project.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

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

  • Recognise and appreciate local and global cultural diversities and values (A.2)
  • Work cooperatively and professionally as part of a team (C.1)
  • 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)
  • Thoughtfully apply disciplinary learning in work, with a continuing commitment to personal professional development (P.2)
  • 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)
  • Independently analyse, synthesise and formulate complex ideas, arguments and rationales and use initiative to explore alternatives (R.3)

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-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).

Teaching and learning strategies

This course is designed as an interactive, discursive and creative design studio environment. The subject will include lectures, exhibitions, debate sessions and time constraint project-based collaborative and individual workshops. Students are expected to attend all lectures and studio sessions, and to follow the suggested progress patterns for each design project.

Studio Sessions
Two three hours sessions per week are structured as guided working sessions in the studios for drawing and making. These working sessions include participatory group discussion, using both group and individual work as a means for learning through discussion and critique. The course is designed as a continuous, intense and participatory exercise. Assessment components function as an additive process in which it is expected that students work on the progressive improvement of the different deliverables. Students must present work in progress to receive feedback during the tutorials.

Lectures
There will be regular one-hour lectures that introduce design theory and examples pertinent to the overarching themes and activities of the subject. Regular readings will be assigned and may be discussed in this forum. Students should prepare for the lecture by ensuring they are up to date with the content and deliverables of the studio as they will be discussed in lectures.

Collaborative Learning
UTS staff believe that collaborative peer learning enhances learning. The studio project focuses on working groups and encourages participation, debate and collaboration. The work of each tutorial will be presented multiple times during the semester. All tutorials will generate together a collective intelligence about the studied topics of research related to the project’s brief.

Online Coursework
Online resources will be used to support the learning objectives of this subject. This includes multimedia documentation, essential and recommended readings, videos, information about the site and programmatic requirements. All documents will be accessible via Canvas.

Feedback
Formative feedback strategies include peer workshops, weekly tutorials, assessment milestones and formal critique panels. Formal assessment and specified formative feedback will be provided in ReView. Staff can only provide meaningful feedback if students can demonstrate weekly design development through drawings and physical or digital models.

Content (topics)

The content, projects and lectures are focused on the following themes:

  • Housing
  • Contemporary approaches to domesticity
  • Type and Typology
  • Spatial Organization
  • Site and Context
  • Adaptive Re-Use Strategies
  • Scale

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Preliminary Review

Intent:

This first task will introduce students to analytical thinking, formats and methodologies through a typological study. Students will select a student housing precedent from the prescribed list and prepare an in-depth typological study. The study will be multi-scalar – ranging from the unit to the block. Students will analyse the spatial, programmatic and contextual strategies deployed in the precedents and explore their socio-political effects. Drawings will be complemented with a short text that will reflect this critical analysis. The precedent studies, conducted individually, will be shared among peers in order for them to act as a studio resource for the remainder of semester.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2, 3 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.):

P.2, P.4, R.1 and R.3

Type: Presentation
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 15%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Ability to analyse prescribed precedent through a multi-scalar typological study, understanding the relationship between the unit, block and its immediate context 35 2 P.2
Capacity to precisely analyse and communicate the spatial, programmatic and contextual strategies through the study 35 1 P.4
Developed a critical reading of the precedent through multiple mediums (architectural drawings, documents, text and verbal presentation) 20 3 R.1
Ability to present adequate research skills in the process of collating information on the precedent and re-presenting it in an accurate and cohesive manner 10 5 R.3
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Interim Review

Intent:

Students will begin to develop their architectural proposition in response to the studio brief of student housing. Learning from the analysis and research in Assessment 1, spatial, programmatic and contextual strategies will be translated into propositions within the given site. Students are to develop appropriate adaptive-reuse responses as well as nuanced planning approaches to housing. These spatial responses, to program and site, will be presented through an interim review predominantly through the means of an architectural drawing set. A strong positioning statement in relation to the studio brief will be developed in parallel to the design. The interim review, therefore, becomes an important working milestone for students to test the most ambitious ideas and designs exploring contemporary student housing. Alongside the student housing deisgn projects, each tutorial will work collaboratively on a common studio deliverable that will contribute to the final review.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

2, 3, 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.):

A.2, C.1, C.2, I.2 and P.2

Type: Presentation
Groupwork: Group, individually assessed
Weight: 35%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Ability to propose an appropriate housing typology and develop a clear mutli-scalar spatial/organizational strategy and architectural response to the brief 30 4 P.2
Developed a site-specific proposition that both presents relevant adaptive re-use strategies and responds to the physical site and its wider context 25 2 I.2
A refined positioning statement that incorporates the intent of the project in relation to the material discussed in specific tutorial, studio and lectures 15 3 A.2
Application and use of relevant means of representation as both a generative and communication tool 20 5 C.2
Ability to work collaboratively by contributing to tutorial discussion and production of common deliverables 10 5 C.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Final Review

Intent:

In this task students will continue to resolve their architectural student housing projects at a range of scales, in response to the requirements of the brief. Students will develop their spatial, organizational and site strategies and apply detail to resolve the project. Technical resolution should balance conceptual and theoretical logic. The culmination of the project will take form through a final review of proposed projects and through a 'Housing Students' Domestic Fair. The fair, or exhibition, competent is produced at the tutorial scale, that is, all students will work collaboratively (with the assistance of their tutor) to curate, design and build a display for the presentation of their final architectural proposals.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

2, 3, 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.):

C.1, C.2, P.1, P.5 and R.1

Type: Presentation
Groupwork: Group, individually assessed
Weight: 50%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Develop a design proposal that demonstrates a clear spatial, organizational and site response (including relevant adaptive-reuse strategies) to the student housing brief 30 2 R.1
Depth of design and technical resolution which demonstrates clear understanding of building logic and operation 30 4 P.5
Formulate verbally and graphically a critical position that drives a pertinent, cohesive architectural response across multiple scales 20 3 P.1
Present a cohesive presentation in a range of media that communicates an architectural proposal anchored within an articulated position statement 10 5 C.2
Ability to work collaboratively by contributing to tutorial discussion and production of common deliverables 10 5 C.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Minimum requirements

The DAB attendance policy requires students to attend no less than 80% of formal teaching sessions (lectures and tutorials) for each class they are enrolled in to remain eligible for assessment.

Required texts

A list of essential texts and reference will be included for each assignment with be included in the Assessment Task Documents.

References

Domesticity

Abalos, In?aki. The Good Life: a Guided Visit to the Houses of Modernity. New, revised and updated edition. Zurich: Park Books, 2017.

Ambasz, Emilio. Italy?: the New Domestic Landscape; Achievements and Problems of Italian Design. New York: MoMA, 1972.

Briganti, Chiara, and Kathy Mezei, eds. The Domestic Space Reader. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2012.

Colomina, Beatriz. Domesticity at War. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2007.

Heynen, Hilde, and Gülsüm Baydar. Negotiating Domesticity: Spatial Productions of Gender in Modern Architecture. Florence: Routledge, 2005.

Martella, Flavio, and Marco Enia. “Towards an Urban Domesticity. Contemporary Architecture and the Blurring Boundaries Between the House and the City.” Housing, theory, and society 38, no. 4 (2021): 402–418.

Rice, Charles. The Emergence of the Interior: Architecture, Modernity, Domesticity. Florence: Routledge, 2007.

Schuldenfrei, Robin. Atomic Dwelling?: Anxiety, Domesticity, and Postwar Architecture. Abingdon: Routledge, 2012.

Wigley, Mark. “Untitled: The housing of Gender.” In Sexuality & Space, edited by Beatriz Colomina, 327-389. Princeton: Princeton Architectural Press, 1993.

Housing

Burns, Jenna Reed. Apartment Living?: Australian Style. South Yarra: Hardie Grant Books, 2004.

Butler-Bowdon, Caroline., Charles Pickett, Max Dupain, and Eric. Sierins. Homes in the Sky?: Apartment Living in Australia. Carlton: Miegunyah Press in association with Historic Houses Trust, 2007.

Chey, Katy. Multi-Unit Housing in Urban Cities: from 1800 to Present Day. New York: Routledge, 2018.

Cleaver, Naomi., and Amy Frearson. All Together Now: The Co-Working and Co-Living Revolution. London: RIBA Publications, 2021.

Costa Duran, Sergi. High Density Housing Architecture. Barcelona: Loft Publications, 2009.

Ferna?ndez Per, Aurora., Javier. Mozas, and Javier. Arpa. Density Is Home. Vitoria-Gasteiz: a+t, 2011.

Ferre, Albert., and Tihamer. Salij. Total Housing: Alternatives to Urban Sprawl. Barcelona: Actar, 2010.

French, Hilary. Key Urban Housing of the Twentieth Century: Plans, Sections and Elevations. London: Laurence King Pub., 2008.

Gili Galfetti, Gustau. Pisos piloto?: ce?lulas dome?sticas experimentales = Model apartments: experimental domestic cells. Barcelona: Gustavo Gili, 1997.

Heckmann, Oliver, Friederike Schneider, and Eric Zapel. Floor Plan Manual Housing. Basel, Birkha?user, 2018.

Leupen, Bernard., Harald Mooij, and Rudy Uytenhaak. Housing Design: a Manual. [2nd rev. English language ed.]. Rotterdam: NAi Publishers, 2011.

Levitt, David, and Jo McCafferty. The Housing Design Handbook: a Guide to Good Practice. 2nd edition. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2019.

Pfeifer, Gu?nter, and Per Brauneck. Residential Buildings: a Typology. Basel, Switzerland: Birkha?user Verlag, 2015.

Schmid, Susanne, Dietmar Eberle, and Margrit Hugentobler. A History of Collective Living: Models of Shared Living. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2019.

Sudjic, Deyan. and Beyerle, Tulga. Home: The twentieth-century house. London: Laurence King Publishing, 1999.

Student Housing

Case, F. Duncan. “Dormitory Architecture Influences: Patterns of Student Social-Relations Over Time.” Environment and behavior 13, no. 1 (1981): 23–41.

Devlin, Ann Sloan, Sarah Donovan, Arianne Nicolov, Olivia Nold, and Gabrielle Zandan. “Residence Hall Architecture and Sense of Community: Everything Old Is New Again.” Environment and behavior 40, no. 4 (2008): 487–521.

Friedman, Avi, and John Wybor. Innovative Student Residences?: New Directions in Sustainable Design. Mulgrave: Images Publishing, 2016.

Gameren, Dick van, Gerda ten Cate Cate, D’Laine. Camp, and Maria van. Tol. Studentenhuisvesting = Housing the student. Edited by Dick van Gameren. Translated by Maria van. Tol. Rotterdam: Nai010, 2014.

Garton, Robert., Hilary Schofield, D. G. Beswick, and D. G. (David George) Beswick. Students in Australian University Residential Colleges and Halls: a National Survey 1983. Parkville, Vic: Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne, 1984.

McCartney, Shelagh, and Ximena Rosenvasser. “New Student Residence Unit Typologies: Introducing Housing Unit Classification (HUC), a Framework for Understanding Student Socialization.” Journal of housing and the built environment 38, no. 1 (2023): 443–465.

Mullins, William., and Phyllis. Allen. Student Housing: Architectural and Social Aspects. London: Crosby Lockwood, 1971.

Yanni, Carla. “Housing Lunatics and Students: Nineteenth-Century Asylums and Dormitories.” Change over time 6, no. 2 (2016): 154–172.

Yanni, Carla. Living on Campus: an Architectural History of the American Dormitory. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2019.

Type + Typology

Barth, Lawrence. “The Complication of Type.” In Typological Formations?: Renewable Building Types and the City, edited by Christopher C.M Lee and Sam Jacoby, 158-64. London: Architectural Association, 2007.

Borsi, Katharina, Tarsha Finney, and Pavlos Philippou. “Conversations on Type, Architecture and Urbanism: (from the ‘Architectural Type and the Discourse of Urbanism’ Symposium, Royal College of Art, London, 14 December, 2015).” Journal of architecture 23, no. 7-8 (2018): 1301–1315.

Colquhoun, Alan. “Typology and Design Method.” Perspecta 12 (1969): 71–74.

Grover, Robert, Stephen Emmitt, and Alex Copping. “The Language of Typology.” Arq 23, no. 2 (2019): 149–156.

Giudici, Maria S. “Counter-Planning from the Kitchen: For a Feminist Critique of Type.” Journal of architecture 23, no. 7-8 (2018): 1203–1229.

Jacoby, Sam., and Christopher C.M. Lee. Typological Formations?: Renewable Building Types and the City. London: Architectural Association, 2007.

Jacoby, Sam. “Type Versus Typology Introduction.” Journal of architecture 20, no. 6 (2015): 931–937.

Lee, Christopher C.M. “The Fourth Typology: Dominant Type and the Idea of the City.” TU Delft, 2012.

Meninato, Pablo. “Typology Reconsidered.” In Unexpected Affinities, 87–108. Routledge, 2018.

Moneo, Raphael. “On Typology.” Oppositions 13 (1978): 23-45.

Rowe, Colin. The Mathematics of the Ideal Villa, and Other Essays. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1976.

Rowe, Peter G., and Har Ye Kan. Urban Intensities: Contemporary Housing Types and Territories. Basel: Birkha?user, 2014.

Shane, David Grahame. “Transcending Type: Designing for Urban Complexity.” Architectural design 81, no. 1 (2011): 128–134.

Vidler, Anthony. “The Third Typology.” Oppositions 7 (1977): 13-16.

Adaptive Re-Use / Conversion

Bouchard, Nikole. Waste Matters: Adaptive Reuse for Productive Landscapes. United Kingdom: Routledge, 2020.

Giddings, Joe. "Demolish nothing." The Architectural Review, no. 1503 (2023): 6-13.

Giebeler, Georg. Refurbishment Manual: Maintenance, Conversions, Extensions. Basel?;: Birkhauser, 2009.

Harnack, Maren, Natalie Heger, and Matthias Brunner. Adaptive Re-Use: Strategies for Post-War Modernist Housing. Germany: JOVIS, 2021.

Ja?ger, Frank Peter. Old & New: Design Manual for Revitalizing Existing Buildings. Basel: Birkha?user, 2010.

Lang, Ruth (Writer on architecture), Robert Klanten, Rosie Flanagan, and Andrea Servert. Building for Change: The Architecture of Creative Reuse. Berlin: Die Gestalten Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 2022.

Lanz, Francesca, and John Pendlebury. “Adaptive Reuse: a Critical Review.” Journal of architecture 27, no. 2-3 (2022): 441–462.

Littlefield, David., and Saskia. Lewis. Architectural Voices: Listening to Old Buildings. Chichester, England?;, 2007.

Louw, Michael, and Stella Papanicolaou. Buildings Reimagined: a Dialogue Between Old and New. Mulgrave, Victoria: Images Publishing Group, 2019.

Mostaedi, Arian. New Habitats in Converted Buildings. Barcelona: Carles Broto, 2001.

Niesewand, Nonie. Converted Spaces. London: Conran Octopus, 1998.

Powell, Ken. Architecture Reborn?: the Conversion and Reconstruction of Old Buildings. London: Laurence King, 1999.

Schleifer, Simone. Converted spaces = Convertir l’espace = Verwandelte ra?ume. Ko?ln: Evergreen, 2006.

Stone, Sally. UnDoing Buildings: Adaptive Reuse and Cultural Memory. 1st ed. Vol. 1. Milton: Routledge, 2020.

Wong, Liliane. Adaptive Reuse?: Extending the Lives of Buildings. Boston: Birkhauser, 2017.

Wong, Liliane, and Markus Berger. Interventions and Adaptive Reuse: a Decade of Responsible Practice. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2021.

Wong, Liliane. Adaptive Reuse in Architecture: A Typological Index. 1st ed. Switzerland: Birkhäuser, 2023.