University of Technology Sydney

11504 Practice: Research Cultures

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: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

Research produces knowledge. This subject examines the myriad of ways in which architects perform research, from examining archives, to visiting a site, to exploring environments, to deploying artificial intelligence. Architecture firms have initiated research departments to understand climate dynamics, or energy systems, or modes for community engagement – as a means, that is, to both refine their design practice and to prepare for the future.

Research produces the future. It clarifies a project – not just what is being studied, explored, or examined, but why, to what end, with what stakes, with what possible costs and benefits. The architectural project emerges not just from client needs and refined design sensibility, but also through targeted research and the development of expertise.

The focus of the course is three-fold: First, to develop specific research skills that prepare students to perform research in a range of professional, scholarly, and cultural contexts. Students are expected to excel in this skill development and use these skills to not only understand how research produces the future, but also what future we want to produce. As a second focus, students are also expected to use the subject to explore possible career trajectories – to identify a realm of research and a project that allows them to move forward in the articulation of their own disciplinary trajectory.

Does research produce equality? It can – as a project and a process, research frames the ethical and speculative ambitions of architectural practice. Who is a practice for? Who benefits from architectural research and design intervention? A third focus of the course is refining collective research strategies towards building an architectural discipline that strives for a more equitable world.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

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

1. Articulate a knowledge of the role and context of research in design practice.
2. Understand how research is used in their profession and links to broader discourses of research and innovation.
3. Assess the varying quality of research outputs, and can synthesise different kinds of research towards a new research topic and/or their own design interrogations and propositions.
4. Formulate their own research agenda and methodological position towards their practice, and the capacity to use this skill to make strategic and informed educational and professional choices in their future careers.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

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

  • Establish and develop an informed and ethical position towards social, technical and environmental issues and practices (A.1)
  • Work cooperatively and professionally as part of a team, initiate partnerships with others, take a leadership role when required, and constructively contribute to peer learning (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)
  • Thoughtfully apply disciplinary learning in work, with a continuing commitment to personal professional development (P.2)
  • 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)
  • Define, develop and apply an appropriate design method in the execution of an architectural project (R.2)
  • 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 above CILOs relate to Masters of Architecture students, however, this subject also contributes to the following graduate attribute categories for Masters of Landscape Architecture students through the following M L Arch Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

  • Ability to communicate ideas effectively in a variety of ways including oral, visual physical and digital, including advanced skills in written report and documentation (C.2)
  • Ability to independently select and apply appropriate research methodologies to carry out investigative and projective/speculative study (R.2)
  • Ability to analyse, synthesise and formulate complex ideas, arguments and rationales in the exploration of alternative solutions (R.3)
  • Ability to demonstrate advanced knowledge of precedent and situate Landscape Architecture practice within a broad professional framework (R.4)
  • Ability to reflect and engage in a professional level of self-critique and high level critical thinking (R.5)
  • Ability to engage with the global context and disciplinary issues of Landscape Architecture (P.4)
  • Ability to position work within an extended disciplinary and multi-disciplinary contexts (A.3)
  • Ability to engage in, and contribute to, debate at an advanced professional level (C.4)

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

Weekly on Campus: 2 hours of class comprise of a mixture of lectures and skills sessions; these are generally followed by a 1 hour tutorial.

ONLINE LEARNING

All subject documents, assessment descriptions, and supplementary resources and readings relevant to the subject will be made available on the UTS Online portal.

FEEDBACK

The subject provides a range of formative feedback strategies.

1. All assessments will be graded in Canvas. Canvas will be used as a formative feedback mechanism for Assessments.

2. The subject is designed around two progressive tasks and one session-long task:

  • Assessment 1 is crafted to assist the development of ideas to be incorporated into Assessment 2,
  • Assessment 2 is designed to demonstrate an understanding of what constitutes a research proposition.
  • Assessment 3 is a session-long task involving active participation in the subject and is designed to assist the development of critical-thinking skills, the forming of habits around consistent and progressive thinking around a topic, and to develop students’ capacity to adopt and/or respond to feedback.

3. Each tutorial serves as a continuous feedback mechanism for students, as well as a chance to practice their research skills with the help of their tutor's guidance.

OPELA and Language Development Tutorials

An aim of this subject is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills in order to succeed at university and in the workplace. To determine your current academic language proficiency, you are required to complete an online language screening task, OPELA (information available at https://www.edu.au/research-and-teaching/learning-and-teaching/enhancing/language-and-learning/about-opela-students). If you receive a Basic grade for OPELA [or the written diagnostic task], you must attend additional Language Development Tutorials (each week from week [3/4] to week [11/12] in order to pass the subject. These tutorials are designed to support you to develop your language and communication skills. Students who do not complete the OPELA and/or do not attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials will receive a Fail X grade.

Content (topics)

The subject will cover the following topics:

  • practices, protocols and methods of research in architecture and landscape architecture;
  • the different contexts for research;
  • the creative components of research and the research components of design creativity;
  • research in design education;
  • research as an expanded form of practice;
  • higher-degree research in the university context;
  • the publishing and dissemination of research;
  • funding and accounting for research and the cultural impacts of design practice.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Midterm

Intent:

Students will present a project for a magazine, a school book, an exhibition or a symposium. Please refer to the assessment handout for further details.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2, 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, I.2, R.1 and R.3

Type: Project
Groupwork: Group, individually assessed
Weight: 25%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Ability to communicate ideas effectively in written form 20 1 C.2
Ability to summarise and articulate an existing body of knowledge about a particular topic and to identify and thoroughly analyse precedents relevant to the chosen topic 20 2 R.3
Ability to identify a gap in knowledge based on a thorough understanding of a chosen topic 20 3 R.3
Ability to critically reflect upon their work and that of others. 20 4 I.2
Ability to adhere to academic conventions of referencing, citations and respect for others' work 20 3 R.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Final

Intent:

Students will create, present and implement a project for a magazine, a school book, an exhibition or a symposium. Please refer to the assessment handout for further details.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2, 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.):

A.1, C.2, R.1, R.2 and R.3

Type: Demonstration
Groupwork: Group, individually assessed
Weight: 65%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Ability to communicate ideas effectively in written form 20 1 C.2
Ability to summarise and articulate an existing body of knowledge about a particular topic and identify gaps in knowledge 20 2 R.3
Ability to define a problem and construct a series of research questions around that problem by employing a particular methodology 20 4 A.1
Ability to identify and design appropriate research methods to answer an identified research question consistent with the methodological approach 20 3 R.2
Ability to adhere to academic conventions of referencing, citations and respect for others' work 20 2 R.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Participation

Intent:

Students will write a self-assessment of their performance in the subject. Please refer to the assessment handout for further details.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

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

Type: Demonstration
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 10%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Quality of overall engagement with the development of the research agenda 30 4 P.2
Participation in tutorial and lecture discussions and 20 1 R.3
Ability to incorporate feedback given in assessment review and tutorial forums 35 3 P.2
Ability to work in a group and incorporate feedback from work in progress presentation 15 2 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.

It is a requirement of this subject that all students complete OPELA. Students who received a Basic grade in the OPELA [or the written diagnostic task] are required to attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials in order to pass the subject. Students who do not complete the OPELA and/or do not attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials will receive a Fail X grade.

Required texts

Required reading is listed in the weekly schedule. This reading must be completed prior to the class each week.

Recommended texts

Relevant texts will be issued with assignments