| Course Code | LADES4139 | Discipline | Art and Design |
| UK Credit | 25 | US Credit | 6 |
| FHEQ Level | 4 | Date Approved | July 2023 |
| Core Attributes | EI; ND subject to approval by NU Committee | ||
| Pre-Requisites | None | ||
| Co-Requisites | LADES4140 Fundamental Architectural Representation | ||
Course Overview
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of architectural design. Through a series of exercises, students learn to design design itself – to consciously frame an architectural project, before engaging it. These exercises will introduce students to this new mode of thinking and working, one that requires an iterative process of inquiry. Students will learn to develop architectural concepts and design proposals through the investigation of spatial and formal concepts culminating in the fundamental understanding of key architectural principles and design methodologies.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
Knowledge and Understanding
| K1a | Demonstrate an understanding of iterative design and its importance in architectural design. |
| K2a | Identify and analyse fundamental tectonic and spatial ordering skills. |
| K3a | Demonstrate the ability to communicate a spatial and structural architectural concept through the development of a visual presentation comprised of: Orthographic drawings, Architectural Models, Diagrams and reductive analytical drawings. |
Subject Specific Skills
| S1a | Conduct structural and spatial analysis of successful architectural projects through the implementation of drawings and reductive diagrammes. |
| S2a | Develop an iterative design methodology through a series of exercises that build on one another in an effort to understand the evolution, complexity, and process of architectural design. |
Transferable and Professional Skills
| T1a | Develop their critical thinking skills through the iterative design process and the analysis of built environments. |
Teaching and Learning
Teaching and learning strategies for this course will include:
A minimum of 60 contact hours, typically to include interactive group teaching, co-curriculars, individual meetings, in-class presentations and exams.
Course information and supplementary materials are available on the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
Students will receive individualised developmental feedback on their work for this course.
Students are required to attend and participate in all the formal and timetabled sessions for this course. Students are also expected to manage their directed learning and independent study in support of the course.
Assessment
Formative
Students will be formatively assessed in class through class activities, and during office hours. Formative assessments are ones that do not count towards the final grade but will provide students with developmental feedback.
Summative
| AE | Assessment Activity | Weighting (%) | Duration | Length |
| 1 | Artefact | 20 | 1-2 days | |
| 2 | Artefact | 30 | 2-3 days | |
| 3 | Artefact | 50 | 5-7 days |
Further information on the structure of summative assessment elements can be found in the Summative Assessment Briefs.
Feedback
Students will receive feedback in a variety of ways: written (including via email correspondence); oral (within office hours or on an ad hoc basis) and indirectly through class discussion.
Feedback on examinations is provided through generic internal examiners’ reports and are made available to the student on the VLE. For all other summative assessment methods, feedback is made available to the student either via email, the VLE or another appropriate method.
Indicative Reading
Note: Comprehensive and current reading lists for courses are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to students; the indicative reading list provided below is used as part of the approval/modification process only.
Books
- Koolhaas, Rem. Elements of Architecture. taschen, 2014.
- Bo Bardi, Lina. Stones Against Diamonds. AA Publications, 2013
- Venturi, Robert. Complexity and Contradiction. Museum of Modern Art, 1966
- Goldsmith, Selwyn. Universal Design. Routledge, 2000.
- Le Corbusier. Towards a New Architecture. John Rodker, 1927. Originally “Vers une architecture”, published 1921.
- Cullen, Gordon. The Concise Townscape. Taylor and Francis, 1961
- Ching, Francis. Form, Space, and Order. John Wiley & Sons Inc. 2014
- White, Edward. Site Analysis: Diagramming Information for Architectural Design
- Clark, Roger and Pause, Michael. Precedents in Architecture: Analytic Diagrams, Formative Ideas, and Partis. John Wiley & Sons, 2004.
- Andrea Simitch, The Language of Architecture: 26 Principles Every Architect Should Know. Rockport Publishers. 2014
Indicative Topics
Students will typically study the following topics:
- Iterative Design: Understanding and Importance
- Tectonic and Spatial Ordering in Architectural Design
- Precedent Analysis in Architecture: Methods and Applications
- Documenting, Analysing, and Critiquing the Built Environment
- Architectural presentation including drawings, models, and diagrammes
| Title: LADES4139 Fundamental Architectural Design Course Descriptor
Approved by: Academic Board Location: Academic Handbook/Programme Specifications and Handbooks/Mobility Courses |
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| Version number | Date approved | Date published | Owner | Proposed next review date | Modification (As per AQF4) & category number |
| 1.0 | July 2023 | September 2023 | Dr Marianna Koli | July 2028 | |