1. Programme Title

designpadAI and Robotics

Dec 1, 2013 (3 years and 9 months ago)

79 views

Unit Specification

Undergraduat
e Framework


External

Validation
May
2013

-

1
-

1.

Programme Title

BA (Hons) Interior Design Environment
Architectures


BA (Hons) Architecture

2
.

Unit Title

Urban Environment: Theory, Practice and
Computation

3
.

HE Level

2

4
.

Unit Code

IDA1
3
20
6

5.

Credit Value of Unit

15

6.

Unit Type

Mandatory

7.

Unit Tutor

Greg Epps



8.
Breakdown of Notional Learning Hours

Staff
–

Student Contact

Independent Study Hours

Classes

(e.g. lectures, seminars and
supervised group activity)

20

Independent Study

(e.g. project development, reading,
research and work on
online
forums
)

46

Supervised Access to
Resources

14

Preparation for Assessment

40

Unsupervised Access to
Resources

30

Total

3
4

Total

116



9
. Total notional hours for unit

150


10
.
Unit
Introduction


The unit looks at t
he development of cities’ stru
cture, organisation and

likely future
development. Students g
ain understanding
of urb
an
-
decay,
the need for
regener
ation and renewal, a
sense
of the importance of balanced socio
-
historical
continuity in urban
redevelopment.
It builds upon and develops
prev
ious

computational skills gained
.


11. Aims of the Unit


1.

Students reflect upon the practical, historical, theoretical and ethical factors
which impact on the design of the urban environment.

The unit increases
students’ awareness of the uses of and applica
tion of computation in design.

2.

They consider the current critical issues surrounding the aesthetics of city life
(order, scale, design, architecture, literature, theatre and the ‘derive’).

The unit
increases students’ awareness of the uses of and applicat
ion of computation
in design.

3.

The unit also explores the nature of virtual cities (maps, models, utopias and
computer simulations) and their relationship to the real thing.

The basic
concepts of shape grammar in Level 1 are reinforced and elaborated upon
and students further explore the creative potential of the digital visualisation
software.

Unit Specification

Undergraduat
e Framework


External

Validation
May
2013

-

2
-

4.

The unit revolves around a study of a particular area of city, and a specific site
within that area, and looks at the relationship between interventions on this
sit
e and regeneration and renewal of the area. Students work in groups to
survey the site and analyse the area and to propose design interventions for
renewal.

In particular, the unit provides opportunities for the investigation of
cellular automata and fract
als utilising computer software.

The unit is based
around a project in which students create a mesh structure with
predetermined parameters using a variety of model forms.


12
. Indicative Content


Topics covered in this unit may include:




Urban planning in
frastructure and design;



Sustainability in communities;



The history and context of urban development;



Conservation;



User groups and the regulatory requirements of urban planning;



The rehabilitation and renewal of communities;



Technological change and its i
mpact on human interaction and the
environment;



Urban utopias and their socio
-
political impact on future projected
development;



The city as metaphor and a vehicle for polemic, as viewed through related
disciplines (film, art philosophy, psychology literatu
re and computer generated
form);



The city as state and as a provider of services;



The city as monument and a receptacle of memory;



Urban morphology;



Contemporary Nomadic lifestyles.



Web based interactive structures;



Object orientated programming and organi
sation;



Fractals and Chaos theory;



Appropriate software programs;



Abstract form;



Design by numbers;



Formation and evaluation of prototypical computer generated models.

Unit Specification

Undergraduat
e Framework


External

Validation
May
2013

-

3
-

13
. Unit Learning Outcomes


In
order to pass this unit
, students must demonstrate the f
ollowing learning outcomes
have been achieved:


Knowledge and
Understanding


Learning and teaching methods

(
A
)

Understand the history
and development of the
urban built environment;

u
nderstand
ing

the creative
potential of object orientated
programming and

its
application in the design
process;

This unit will make use of the following:



Initial briefing;



Introductory workshop and precedent
study;



Site visits;



Lectures and group seminars;



Individual tutorials;



Interim presentations;



Final presentation and cr
itique;



Exhibition.




Assessment

Practical Projects and Presentation


Formative Assessment

Initial presentation of site research incorporating
an element of social infrastructure and a specific
polemic.

Summative Assessment

The assessment will consi
st of three
components which will all be assessed as group
work with an element of peer assessment:



Presentation of conceptual design
strategy with supporting evidence;



Final presentation;



Report and demonstration.


Values and Attitudes


Learning and teac
hing methods

(
B
)

Understanding of the
inter
-
relationship between
design proposals and their
broader urban context
;

generating

virtual self
generating forms and employ
these creatively in the design
process;

This unit will make use of the following:



䥮楴i
a氠l物ef楮i;



䥮瑲tdu捴c特⁷o牫獨rp⁡nd p牥捥den琠
獴sdy;



S楴i⁶楳i瑳t



Le捴c牥r⁡nd⁧牯rp⁳em楮i牳r



䥮d楶楤ia氠瑵to物a汳l



䥮瑥物m⁰牥獥n瑡瑩tn猻



䙩na氠l牥獥n瑡瑩on and 捲c瑩tue;



Eh楢楴楯n.




Unit Specification

Undergraduat
e Framework


External

Validation
May
2013

-

4
-

Assessment

Practical Projects and Presentation


Formative A
ssessment

Initial presentation of site research incorporating
an element of social infrastructure and a specific
polemic.

Summative Assessment

The assessment will consist of three
components which will all be assessed as group
work with an element of peer
assessment:



Presentation of conceptual design
strategy with supporting evidence;



Final presentation;



Report and demonstration.


Skills (Cognitive and
Intellectual)


Learning and teaching methods

(
C
)

Propose design
interventions for a specific
site in the

context of wider
urban renewal;

making
critical judgements in the
application of computational
processes to the
development of design ideas
;

This unit will make use of the following:



䥮楴楡氠i物ef楮i;



䥮瑲tdu捴c特⁷o牫獨rp⁡nd p牥捥den琠
獴sdy;



S楴i⁶楳it
猻



Le捴c牥r⁡nd⁧牯rp⁳em楮i牳r



䥮d楶楤ia氠瑵to物a汳l



䥮瑥物m⁰牥獥n瑡瑩tn猻



䙩na氠l牥獥n瑡瑩on and 捲c瑩tue;



Eh楢楴楯n.

Assessment

Practical Projects and Presentation


Formative Assessment

Initial presentation of site research incorporating
an elem
ent of social infrastructure and a specific
polemic.

Summative Assessment

The assessment will consist of three
components which will all be assessed as group
work with an element of peer assessment:



P牥獥nta瑩tn映捯ncep瑵a氠le獩sn
獴牡瑥gy w楴i⁳ ppo牴rn
g⁥v楤in捥;



䙩na氠l牥獥n瑡瑩on;



剥Ro牴⁡nd demon獴牡t楯i.

Unit Specification

Undergraduat
e Framework


External

Validation
May
2013

-

5
-


Skills (Subject
Specific/Professional)


Learning and teaching methods

(
D
)

Organise a presentation
which links multiple design
interventions at different
scales;

d
eploy
ing

computer
visualisatio
n software to
represent complex 3D form
and structure effectively
;

This unit will make use of the following:



䥮楴楡氠i物ef楮i;



䥮瑲tdu捴c特⁷o牫獨rp⁡nd p牥捥den琠
獴sdy;



S楴i⁶楳i瑳t



Le捴c牥r⁡nd⁧牯rp⁳em楮i牳r



䥮d楶楤ia氠瑵to物a汳l



䥮瑥物m⁰牥獥n瑡瑩tns
;



䙩na氠l牥獥n瑡瑩on and 捲c瑩tue;



Eh楢楴楯n
.

Assessment

Practical Projects and Presentation


Formative Assessment

Initial presentation of site research incorporating
an element of social infrastructure and a specific
polemic.

Summative Assessment

T
he assessment will consist of three
components which will all be assessed as group
work with an element of peer assessment:



P牥獥nta瑩tn映捯ncep瑵a氠le獩sn
獴牡瑥gy w楴i⁳ ppo牴rng⁥v楤in捥;



䙩na氠l牥獥n瑡瑩on;



剥Ro牴⁡nd demon獴牡t楯i.

Unit Specification

Undergraduat
e Framework


External

Validation
May
2013

-

6
-


Skills (Transf
erable)


Learning and teaching methods

(E)

Work collaboratively in
the production of a design
proposal for a specific site in
an urban context.

This unit will make use of the following:



䥮楴楡氠i物ef楮i;



䥮瑲tdu捴c特⁷o牫獨rp⁡nd p牥捥den琠
獴sdy;



S楴i⁶
楳i瑳t



Le捴c牥r⁡nd⁧牯rp⁳em楮i牳r



䥮d楶楤ia氠瑵to物a汳l



䥮瑥物m⁰牥獥n瑡瑩tn猻



䙩na氠l牥獥n瑡瑩on and 捲c瑩tue;



Eh楢楴楯n.

Assessment


Practical Projects and Presentation


Formative Assessment

Initial presentation of site research incorporating
an

element of social infrastructure and a specific
polemic.

Summative Assessment

The assessment will consist of three
components which will all be assessed as group
work with an element of peer assessment:



P牥獥nta瑩tn映捯ncep瑵a氠le獩sn
獴牡瑥gy w楴i⁳ pp
o牴rng⁥v楤in捥;



䙩na氠l牥獥n瑡瑩on;



剥Ro牴⁡nd demon獴牡t楯i.


14. Assessable Elements


Assessment Component

Weighting %
within unit

Pass Mark

Notional Hours

(final
preparation)

Initial
and final
group presentation

6
0%

40%

24

Individual report
, journal

and
supporting sketchbook/ research

4
0%

40%

16


15
. Assessment Criteria

(mapped against Learning Outcomes)


Students are assessed on:


Initial
group presentation



Appropriateness of presentation and use of media for proposal and audience;
(
D
,
E
)



Knowledge

of the broader urban context and arguments germane to the site
proposal; (
A
,
B
)



Appropriateness of development model (at an appropriate scale) in relation to
the information to be conveyed. (
C
)

Unit Specification

Undergraduat
e Framework


External

Validation
May
2013

-

7
-

Final group presentation



Comprehensiveness of proposal for t
he rehabilitation and redevelopment of
site; (
A
,
C
,
E
)



Effectiveness of response to site specific contexts; (
B
)



Level of understanding of the socio
-
economic imperatives attached to the
development; (
A
)



Arguments fully and logically developed and supported
by evidence; (
D
)



Express an understanding of construction and materiality in the final model(s)
of the proposal; (
A
,
B
,
C
)



Coherence of presentation for a public audience of non specialists. (
D
,
E
)


Individual report



Level of articulation of historical, co
ntextual and theoreti
cal dimensions of the
problems.

(
C
)


Journal and supporting sketchbook/research



Evidence of appropriate research underpinning the development of design
proposals. (
A
)


Final computer presentation



The extent to which they have demonstra
ted inventiveness in the
manipulation of the form; (
B
)



The extent to which the form generated is scaleable and applicable for use in
a number of identified usable artefacts; (
A
)



The extent to which object orientated programming has been applied
appropriate
ly in the production of the computer generated model; (
D
)



The extent to which there is an understanding of the concepts and ideas in
computation as they apply to creation of objects, artefacts and environments;
(
C
)



Creative use of virtual self organising s
tructures in the design process. (
D
)


16
. Indicative Delivery Pattern


Week 1

–

Introduction to the project


Interim
–

Inductions, seminars, presentations, tutorials, lectures, workshops


In or about the mid point of the project
–

Formative Assessment


In
terim
–

Tutorials, crits, seminars, reviews


Final week
–

Summative Assessment


17
. Indicative Reading and Resources


Essential Texts


Berman, M

(1983) All That Is Solid Melts into Air: Experience of Modernity
.

Verso
Books

Unit Specification

Undergraduat
e Framework


External

Validation
May
2013

-

8
-

Le Gates, R.
&

Stout, F. (1996)
T
he city reader
.
Routledge.

Jacobs, J.

(1992)
The death and life of Great American cities
.

Vintage

Nesbitt, K
.
(1996) Theorizing a new agenda for architecture: an anthology of
architectural theory 1965
-
1995
.

Princeton Architectural Press

Powell, K. (2004)
T
he city reborn
.

Merrell
Publishers Ltd

Reed, P (2005) Groundswell: construct
ing the contemporary landscape. The
Museum of Modern Art, New York.



Recommended Readings


Amoroso, N
.

(2012) Digital Landscape Architecture Now
. Thames & Hudson

Bacon
,

E
.N
. (197
8
)
The Design of Cities
.
2
nd
Edition
.
Thames and Hudson.

Frampton, K. (2006)
Modern Architecture: A critical history
, Penguin.

Koolhaas, R. (1997)
Delirious New York
:

A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan
.

Monacelli.

Morris, A. E. J. (199
4
)
History of Urban

Form: Before the Industrial Revolution
.

3
rd

Edition. Longman
.

Zimmermann, A. (2011) Constructing Landscapes: Matreials, Techniques, Structural
Components. 2
nd

Edition. Birkhauser GmbH