Course Title: Architecture Design and Communication

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Architecture Design and Communication

Credit Points: 24.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

ARCH1000

City Campus

Undergraduate

315H Architecture & Design

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2006,
Sem 2 2006,
Sem 1 2007,
Sem 1 2009,
Sem 1 2010,
Sem 1 2011,
Sem 1 2012,
Sem 1 2013

ARCH1000

City Campus

Undergraduate

320H Architecture & Urban Design

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2014,
Sem 1 2015,
Sem 1 2016,
Spring2016,
Sem 1 2017,
Sem 2 2017,
Sem 1 2018,
Sem 1 2019,
Sem 1 2020,
Sem 1 2022,
Sem 1 2023,
Sem 1 2024

Course Coordinator: Michael Spooner

Course Coordinator Phone: +61400 648 845

Course Coordinator Email: michael.spooner@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 08.12.27

Course Coordinator Availability: Email for appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None


Course Description

Architecture Design and Communications (ARCH 1000) includes two components: COMPONENT A (Design 1) and COMPONENT B (Communications 1).

COMPONENT A: Design 1 is undertaken in the context of Design Studio programs. You are introduced to architecture as the spatial construction of relationships through the act of proposing and revising design. Through this process, an understanding of spatial relationships is formed, challenging you to realize not only formal relationships, but also architectural ones. Design Studios aim to develop, apply and test your architectural design skills.


This entails:
developing an introductory understanding of a selected range of technical, theoretical, historical and professional issues.
the ability to integrate this understanding into your design proposals.
the application of the communication techniques necessary to demonstrate this.

COMPONENT B: Communications 1 introduces you to a range of skills and techniques commonly used by designers to gather, explore & represent architectural ideas through a variety of communication techniques.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

In this course you will develop the following program learning outcomes:

  • Apply design knowledge to solve a range of architectural problems in diverse contexts.
  • Critically analyse, evaluate and make informed judgment on a wide range of architectural problems and situations.
  • Demonstrate and articulate design skills from concept formation through to design development.
  • Integrate a body of practical and theoretical knowledge into your design process.
  • Comprehend key architectural works, cultural movements and ideas, their theoretical and cultural context and relevance to design.
  • Communicate complex design ideas through verbal, visual and written media.
  • Reflect upon your learning achievements in design, taking responsibility for your future design direction and continued learning.
  • Develop an awareness of environmental factors affecting the built environment.


 

COMPONENT A: Design 1
You are asked to develop drawings and models that are consistent with the design aspirations of their work and provide a verbal presentation of those aspirations.

Upon successful completion of this course you will be able to:

Apply design knowledge to an architectural problem at an introductory level.
Evaluate and apply the relationship of a selected range of technical, programmatic, theoretical, historical and professional issues and their implications for building design.
Synthesise a body of practical and theoretical knowledge into the design process.
Comprehend architecture and its relationship with location, program, form and representation.
Demonstrate design skills through an iterative and considered design process, to resolve ideas from concept formation through to design development at an introductory level.
Communicate design ideas at an introductory level, demonstrating through the building design & its representation, the aims & claims that are made for the building design.

COMPONENT B: Communications 1
This course is primarily concerned with introducing a range of skills and techniques commonly used by designers to gather, explore & represent architectural ideas.

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Apply and understand conventional architectural techniques, such as orthographic and axonometric projections, perspective construction and freehand sketching.
Understand how communication techniques can investigate and demonstrate key architectural concepts, and how this activity differs between each technique employed.
Reflect critically on modes of representation that have been introduced, their historical uses, possibilities and limitations, potential relationship to the design process and their relationship to the other modes of representation previously covered.


Overview of Learning Activities

COMPONENT A: Design 1
You will be exposed to a wide range of learning experiences. The mode of learning in the architectural design studio is primarily through ‘practicing and doing’, the core of which is the design studio project. Characteristic of this mode of teaching will be the experience of regularly verbally presenting, discussing and explaining your project work in a formal critique process communicated through different types of drawings and models. Your projects will undergo a continuous cycle of reviewing, verbal feedback and reflection between staff, peers and students. At the end of each cycle, your work will be presented verbally. At the end of semester, your work will be critiqued and then you will submit a portfolio of drawings and images that capture the semester’s work.

COMPONENT B: Communications 1
You will be provided with a range of communication skills necessary for the development and communication of your design work. This will be delivered through a lecture series and developed within tutorials.

Lectures: The purpose of the lectures is to give a general overview of the topic and illustrate the possibilities, limitations and basic instruction on the topic covered.

Tutorials: The majority of work will be done in tutorials. Exercises will be introduced, performed and reviewed in tutorials. The exercises will develop your skills in various communication techniques and explore aspects of those techniques by extending on material covered in lectures.
 


Overview of Learning Resources

The studio leaders will provide you with specific semester syllabus in class and related texts or reference material. 

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems. 

The University Library has extensive resources for architecture students. The library has produced a subject guide that includes quality online and print resources for your studies: http://rmit.libguides.com/architecture 

The library provides guides on academic referencing http://www.rmit.edu.au/library/referencing 

 


Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program capabilities. Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks. 

A single final assessment grade is determined for this subject by consolidating the provisional grades for below assessment tasks. The final grade is based on holistic assessment of how well you meet all the course learning outcomes. 

Assessment Tasks 

Assessment Task 1: Cycle 1 Design Presentation, 13%, CLO1, CLO2, CLO3, CLO4, CLO5, & CLO6. 

Assessment Task 2: Cycle 1 Folio, 7%, CLO7, CLO8 and CLO9. 

Assessment Task 3: Cycle 2 Design Presentation, 23%, CLO1, CLO2, CLO3, CLO4, CLO5, & CLO6. 

Assessment Task 4: Cycle 2 Folio, 12%, CLO7, CLO8 and CLO9. 

Assessment Task 5: Cycle 3 Design Presentation, 30%, CLO1, CLO2, CLO3, CLO4, CLO5, & CLO6. 

Assessment Task 6: End of Semester Folio, 15%, CLO7, CLO8 and CLO9. 

 

Equitable Learning Services: If you have a long-term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or the Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more. 

Assessment Policy: Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies and procedures: http://www1.rmit.edu.au/policies/assessment-policy 

Student Charter: The Student Charter provides an overview of key responsibilities of RMIT Staff and Students to ensure a successful experience of university life. www.rmit.edu.au/about/our-education/supporting-learning-and-teaching/student-charter/