AA PROGRAMME GUIDE BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ARCHITECTURE … · 2020. 10. 7. · AA Programme Guide –...

AA Programme Guide – Bachelor of Arts – BA(Hons) – Academic Year 2020/2021

Architectural Association School of Architecture

AA PROGRAMME GUIDE BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ARCHITECTURE – BA(HONS)

EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMME 2020/2021

BACH

ELO

R O

F AR

TS –

BA(

HON

S)


2

CONTENTS

PAGE

SECTION 1: THE SCHOOL

1.1 THIS GUIDE / WHERE WE ARE 3

1.2 ACADEMIC ORGANISATION & MANAGEMENT

• Overall Academic Organisation • Enhancing Quality of Learning: Reviews and Monitoring • Academic Management and Governance

4

SECTION 2: THE PROGRAMME 6

2.1 PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION Programme Specification Summary Aims & Leaning Outcomes

7

2.2 PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

16

SECTION 3: CORE COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAMME

24

3.1 FIRST YEAR DESIGN STUDIO 24

3.2 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN UNITS 32

3.3 EXPERIMENTAL CORE STUDIES 72

3.3.1 EXPERIMENTAL CORE STUDIES: HISTORY & THEORY STUDIES Course summaries + Unit Staff

Course Descriptors

73

3.3.2 EXPERIMENTAL CORE STUDIES: ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNICAL STUDIES Course summaries + Unit Staff

Course Descriptors

86

3.3.3 EXPERIMENTAL CORE STUDIES: COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES

Course summaries + Unit Staff Course Descriptors

119

3.3.4 EXPERIMENTAL CORE STUDIES: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Course summaries + Unit Staff Course Descriptors

185


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SECTION 1: THE SCHOOL

1.1 THIS GUIDE/WHERE WE ARE

The purpose of this Programme Guide is to provide information regarding the way in which the School and its programmes are organised. It also provides an introduction to terms and definitions, common principles of content and assessment, the way that the programmes are structured, how each unit and course is organised, credited and regulated, and what you will be expected to do. Other documents you will find essential in orienting yourself within the School include the following:

• The AA School Academic Regulations • The AA School Quality Manual • The Core Studies Course Handbook

Our principal buildings are at 32-39 Bedford Square and 4 and 16 Morwell Street in Bloomsbury central London. Additional teaching and learning centres are located at Hooke Park in Dorset. Address AA School of Architecture 36 Bedford Square London WC1B 3ES Telephone Telephone: +44 (0)20 7887 4000 Contact Details

Role

Location Telephone

Reception Reception 36 Bedford Square +44 (0)20 7887 4000

Belinda Flaherty School Registrar 36 Bedford Square +44 (0)20 7887 4092

Rachel Sim Coordinator 36 Bedford Square +44 (0)20 7887 4009


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1.2 ACADEMIC ORGANISATION & MANAGEMENT Overall Academic Organisation The AA School of Architecture is an independent school governed by the Architectural Association (Inc.). It consists of c. 800 full-time students, who study in the Foundation, Experimental, Diploma and Postgraduate programmes. The AA School is made-up of four distinct parts: • A one-year Foundation Course for students contemplating a career in architecture or

related arts subjects. The Foundation Award in Architecture is separate to and does not form part of the 5-Year ARB/RIBA Course but offers a place in the First Year of the five-year course upon successful completion of Foundation studies.

• The Experimental and Diploma Programmes offering the five-year ARB prescribed and

RIBA validated full-time course in architecture: o The AA Experimental Programme leading to the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and providing

exemption from ARB/RIBA Part 1 after 3 years of full-time study; o The AA Diploma Programme leading to the Master of Architecture (MArch) and providing

exemption from ARB/RIBA Part 2 after 2 years of full-time study. • The postgraduate programmes comprising 10 distinct programmes of advanced full-time

studies: o 9 taught Master level programmes (MA/MSc/MArch/MFA/Taught MPhil) o A PhD degree. The AA is an Affiliated Research Centre (ARC) of the OU for the delivery and

validation of the PhD degree. • The AA Professional Practice and Practical Experience Examination leading to exemption

from the ARB/RIBA Part 3 Examination, the entry requirement to professional registration as an architect. The course and examination are open to anyone who has successfully obtained their Part 1 and Part 2 qualifications (or equivalency from overseas schools of architecture) and also to qualified practitioners for the purpose of Continuing Professional Development.

Enhancing Quality of Learning: Reviews and Monitoring

At the core of how we study architecture strong emphasis is placed on enhancing and assuring high standards and qualities of learning experience. All programmes and courses in the AA School are subject to systematic internal and external review on a regular basis. This includes review by the School’s academic committees and board (see details below), annual monitoring and periodic review for each programme, annual feedback from the External Examiners, student feedback as. Annual and periodic reviews from external regulatory bodies the Office for Students and the Quality Assurance Agency, annual and periodic review from the School’s professional bodies and validation partners the Open University, ARB and RIBA.


5

Academic Management and Governance The Academic Board (AB) is the sovereign academic body charged with responsibility for the academic governance of the AA School and its programmes of study. It is chaired by the Director of the AA School. The Academic Board delegates responsibilities to, and monitors the progress, effectiveness and recommendations of the AA School’s academic committees: The Academic Committee, Teaching & Learning Committee, PhD Committee and Ethics Committee. The Academic Board demonstrates its accountability to the AA Council by submission of quarterly reports and an annual report. The Senior Management Team (SMT) is responsible for the management and operations of the AA School undertaking such delegated duties as are defined in the AA Scheme of Delegation.


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SECTION 2: THE PROGRAMME EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMME: YEARS 1-3 Programme Structure Bachelor of Arts – BA(Hons): AA Experimental Programme. Years 1, 2 and 3 Each year of study consists of a year-long design unit/studio resulting in the production of a design portfolio plus the completion of required core studies courses; all the required course submissions must be passed in order to successfully complete a year of study. Year One Year one of study (equivalent to FHEQ level 5) is a studio-based teaching environment. It offers a broad introduction to the study of architecture and develops the conceptual abilities, knowledge base, and skills for students in preparation for entering the unit-based Second and Third-Year study. Integral to the First-Year design studio are the Core Studies courses: History & Theory Studies, Environmental and Technical Studies, and Communications and Media Studies. Years Two and Three Years two and three of study (equivalent to FHEQ level 6) provides the basis for experimentation and project development within the structure of the unit system. There are 18 units at this level, each of which emphasises specific architectural issues. Integral to the Experimental Design unit are the Core Studies courses: History & Theory Studies, Environmental and Technical Studies, Communications and Media Studies, and Professional Practice (3rd Year only). Design projects form the core of all studio and unit-based work, supported by lectures, seminars, juries, presentations, workshops and reviews arranged within the studio or unit. All learning is documented in the form of individual portfolios compiled by students throughout the year based upon tutorials and guidance by Unit Masters/Tutors.


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2.1 PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION – AA EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMME – BA(HONS)

2.1A PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION SUMMARY INFORMATION

Awarding body Architectural Association School of Architecture Partner institution(s) N/A Location of Study/campus 36 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3ES Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies

Architects Registration Board Royal Institute of British Architects Office for Students Quality Assurance Agency

Award and Titles Award Title Final award BA (Hons)

BA (Hons) in Architecture AA Intermediate Examination (ARB/RIBA Part 1)

Credits 120 at Level 5 (First Year) 240 at Level 6 (120 for Second Year and 120 for Third Year)

Intermediate award Non-Honours Degree Non-Honours Degree Credits 300+ at Level 5 & 6 Intermediate award Higher Education Certificate Higher Education Certificate Credits 120+ at Level 5 & 6 Duration of study (standard) Maximum registration period Full-time 3 years 6 years Sandwich N/A N/A Part Time N/A N/A Distance N/A N/A Start date for programme September 2019 Course codes/categories UCAS code N/A CATS points for course N/A QAA Subject Benchmark Architecture, 2020 Admissions agency UCAS N/A Direct to School ü Admissions criteria Requirements Refer to AA School Academic Regulations for entry criteria and

AA School Quality Manual for recognition of prior learning Language Refer to AA School Academic Regulations Contacts School Registrar Belinda Flaherty Coordinator Rachel Sim Examination and Assessment External Examiners 2020/21 To be confirmed at February 2021 Academic Board


8

Examination Board(s) All External Examiners + School Director (Chair), Head of Teaching and Learning and School Registrar (Administrator)

Approval/review dates Approval date Review date Programme Specification Validation

October 2019 Revalidation October 2024 Annual July Review of Programme Guide

ARB Prescription November 2019

RIBA Validation 10 June 2015 October 2020

Office for Students Registered on 18 March 2019

2.1B AIMS & LEARNING OUTCOMES

AIMS AND GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES

The Programme aims to produce graduates with the following attributes:

• Ability to generate design proposals using understanding of a body of knowledge, some at current boundaries of professional practice and the academic discipline of architecture

• Ability to apply a range of communication methods and media to present design proposals clearly and effectively

• Understanding of the alternative materials, processes and techniques that apply to architectural design and building construction

• Ability to evaluate evidence, arguments and assumptions in order to make and present sound judgements within a structured discourse relating to architectural culture, theory and design

• Knowledge of the context of the architect and the construction industry, and the professional qualities needed for decision making in complex and unpredictable circumstances

• Ability to identify individual learning needs and understand the personal responsibility required for further professional education


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INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES – FIRST YEAR: FHEQ LEVEL 5

ARB/RIBA GENERAL CRITERIA

First Year Learning

Outcomes 'FY'

On completion of the first year of the Experimental Programme, and in conjunction with the aims of the programme at this award level, students will have:

Design Studio

Core Studies

The ability to create architectural design that satisfies aesthetic and technical requirements

GC1.1 FY1.1 The ability to prepare and present a range of building design projects in a variety of contexts, using a range of media, and in response to a brief

U

GC1.2 FY1.2 The ability to understand key constructional and structural systems, environmental strategies and regulatory requirements that apply to the design and construction of a comprehensive design project

T

GC1.3 FY1.3 The ability to develop a conceptual and critical approach to architectural design that integrates and satisfies the aesthetic aspects of a building and the technical requirements of its construction and the needs of the user

U

Knowledge of the key histories and theories of architecture and the related arts, technologies and human sciences

GC2.1 FY2.1 Knowledge of the key cultural, social and intellectual histories, theories and technologies that influence the design of buildings

H

GC2.2 FY2.2 Knowledge of the key influences of history and theory on the spatial, social and technological aspects of architecture

H

GC2.3 FY2.3 Knowledge of the application of key theoretical concepts to studio design projects, demonstrating a reflective and critical approach

U

Adequate knowledge of the fine arts as an influence on the quality of architectural design

GC3.1 FY3.1 Knowledge of how the principle theories, practices and technologies of the arts influence architectural design

H

GC3.2 FY3.2 Adequate knowledge of the creative application of the fine arts and their relevance and impact on architecture

H, M

GC3.3 FY3.3 Adequate knowledge of the creative application of such work to studio design projects, in terms of their conceptualisation and representation

U M

Adequate knowledge of urban design, planning and the skills involved in the planning process

GC4.1 FY4.1 Adequate knowledge of principle theories of urban design and the planning of communities

H

GC4.2 FY4.2 Adequate knowledge of the influence of design and development of cities, past and present on the contemporary built environment

H

GC4.3 FY4.3 Awareness of the principles of current planning policy and development control legislation, including social, environmental and economic aspects, and the relevance of these to design development


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Understanding of the relationship between people and buildings, and the buildings and their environment, and the need to relate buildings and the spaces between them to human needs and scale

GC5.1 FY5.1 Understanding of the needs and aspirations of building users U T

GC5.2 FY5.2 Understanding of the impact of buildings on the environment, and the precepts of sustainable design

T

GC5.3 FY5.3 Understanding of the way in which buildings fit into their local context U T

Understanding of the principle aspects of the profession of architecture and the role of the architect in society, in particular in preparing briefs that take account of social factors

GC6.1 FY6.1 Understanding of the principle aspects of the nature of professionalism and the duties and responsibilities architects to clients, building users, constructors, co-professional and the wider society

GC6.2 FY6.2 Understanding the principle aspects of the role of the architect within the design team and construction industry, recognising the importance of current methods and trends in the construction of the built environment

T

GC6.3 FY6.3 Understanding of the potential impact of building projects on existing and proposed communities

U

Understanding of the main methods of investigation and preparation of the brief for a design project

GC7.1 FY7.1 Understanding of the need to critically review precedents relevant to the function, organisation and technological strategy of design proposals

U

GC7.2 FY7.2 Understanding of the need to appraise and prepare building briefs of diverse scales and types, to define client and use requirements and their appropriateness to site and context

U

GC7.3 FY7.3 Understanding of the contribution of architects and co-professionals to the formulation of the brief, and the methods of investigation used in its preparation

Awareness of the principles of structural design and of constructional and engineering problems associated with a range of building designs

GC8.1 FY8.1 Awareness of the investigation, critical appraisal and selection of alternative structural, constructional and material systems relevant to a range of architectural designs

U T

GC8.2 FY8.2 Awareness of the main strategies for building construction, and ability to integrate knowledge of structural principles and construction techniques

T

GC8.3 FY8.3 Awareness of the physical properties and characteristics of a range of building materials, components and systems, and the environmental impact of specification choices

T

Adequate knowledge of physical problems and technologies and the function of buildings so as to provide them with internal conditions of comfort and protection against the climate

GC9.1 FY9.1 Adequate knowledge of the principles associated with designing optimum visual, thermal and acoustic environments

T


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GC9.2 FY9.2 Adequate knowledge of systems for environmental comfort realised within relevant precepts of sustainable design

T

GC9.3 FY9.3 Adequate knowledge of the strategies for building services, and ability to integrate these into a design project

T

Awareness of the necessary design skills to meet building users’ requirements within the constraints imposed by cost factors and building regulations

GC10.1 FY10.1 Awareness of the skills to critically examine the financial factors implied in varying building types, construction systems, and specification choices, and the impact of these on architectural design

GC10.2 FY10.2 Awareness of the skills to understand the cost control mechanisms which operate during the development of a project

GC10.3 FY10.3 Awareness of the skills to prepare designs that will meet building users’ requirements and comply with UK legislation, appropriate performance standards and health and safety requirements

Awareness of the main industries, organisations, regulations and procedures involved in translating a range of design concepts into buildings and integrating plans into overall planning

GC11.1 FY11.1 Awareness of the fundamental legal, professional and statutory responsibilities of the architects, and the organisations, regulations and procedures involved in the negotiation and approval of architectural designs, including land law, development control, building regulations and health and safety legislation

GC11.2 FY11.2 Awareness of the professional inter-relationships of individuals and organisation involved in procuring and delivering architectural projects, and how these are defined through contractual and organisational structures

GC11.3 FY11.3 Awareness of the basic management theories and business principles related to running both an architect’s practice and architectural projects, recognising current and emerging trends in the construction industry

U = Design Studio T = Environmental and Technical Studies M = Communications and Media Studies H = History and Theory Studies


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INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES: Years 2 & 3: FHEQ LEVEL 6

ARB/ RIBA

GENERAL CRITERIA

2nd & 3rd Yr

Learning Outcomes

'EX'

On completion of the 2nd year and 3rd year of this programme, and in conjunction with the Aims of the programme at this award level, graduates will have:

2nd Yr Design Studio

2nd Yr Core

Studies

3rd Yr Design Studio

3rd Yr Core

Studies

The ability to create architectural design that questions and satisfies both aesthetic and technical requirements

GC1.1 EX1.1 The ability to prepare and present building design projects of diverse scale, complexity and type in a variety of contexts, using a range of media, and in response to a brief

U U

GC1.2 EX1.2 The ability to understand and deploy relevant constructional and structural systems, the environmental strategies and the regulatory requirements that apply to the design and construction of a comprehensive design project

U T U T

GC1.3 EX1.3 The ability to develop a systematic conceptual and critical approach to architectural design that integrates and satisfies the aesthetic aspects of a building and the technical requirements of its construction and the needs of the user

U U T

A general knowledge of the histories and theories of architecture and the related arts, technologies and human sciences

GC2.1 EX2.1 A general knowledge of the cultural, social and intellectual histories, theories and technologies that influence the design of buildings

U H U H

GC2.2 EX2.2 A general knowledge of the influence of history and theory on the spatial, social and technological aspects of architecture

H H

GC2.3 EX2.3 A knowledge and systematic understanding of the application of appropriate theoretical concepts to studio design projects, demonstrating a reflective and critical approach

U U

Knowledge of the fine arts as an influence on the quality of architectural design

GC3.1 EX3.1 Knowledge of how the theories, practices and technologies of the arts influence architectural design

H H

GC3.2 EX3.2 Knowledge of the creative application of the fine arts and their relevance and impact on architecture

U M, H U H


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GC3.3 EX3.3 Knowledge of the creative application of such work to studio design projects, in terms of their conceptualisation and representation

U M U

Knowledge of urban design, planning and the skills involved in the planning process

GC4.1 EX4.1 Knowledge of theories of urban design and the planning of communities

U U P

GC4.2 EX4.2 Knowledge of the influence of design and development of cities, past and present on the contemporary built environment

H H

GC4.3 EX4.3 Awareness of current planning policy and development control legislation, including social, environmental and economic aspects, and the relevance of these to design development

P

Understanding and analysis of the relationship between people and buildings, and the buildings and their environment, and the need to relate buildings and the spaces between them to human needs and scale

GC5.1 EX5.1 Understanding and analysis of the needs and aspirations of building users

U T U T

GC5.2 EX5.2 Understanding and analysis of the impact of buildings on the environment, and the precepts of sustainable design

U T U T

GC5.3 EX5.3 Understanding and analysis of the way in which buildings fit into their local context

U T U T

Understanding of the profession of architecture and the role of the architect in society, in particular in preparing briefs that take account of social factors

GC6.1 EX6.1 Understanding of the nature of professionalism and the duties and responsibilities architects to clients, building users, constructors, co-professional and the wider society

P

GC6.2 EX6.2 Understanding of the role of the architect within the design team and construction industry, recognising the importance of current methods and trends in the construction of the built environment

T T P

GC6.3 EX6.3 Understanding and exploration of the potential impact of building projects on existing and proposed communities

U U P

Understanding and critically applying chosen methods of investigation and preparation of the brief for a design project

GC7.1 EX7.1 Understanding of the need to critically review and test precedents relevant to the function, organisation and technological strategy of design proposals

U U P


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GC7.2 EX7.2 Understanding of the need to critically appraise and prepare building briefs of diverse scales and types, to define client and use requirements and their appropriateness to site and context

U U P

GC7.3 EX7.3 Understanding of the critical contribution of architects and co-professionals to the formulation of the brief, and the methods of investigation used in its preparation

P

Systematic understanding of the structural design, constructional and engineering problems associated with a range of building designs

GC8.1 EX8.1 Systematic understanding of the investigation, critical appraisal and selection of alternative structural, constructional and material systems relevant to a range of architectural designs

U T U T

GC8.2 EX8.2 Systematic understanding of the strategies for building construction, and ability to integrate knowledge of structural principles and construction techniques

T T

GC8.3 EX8.3 Systematic understanding of the physical properties and characteristics of building materials, components and systems, and the environmental impact of specification choices

T T

Knowledge and understanding of physical problems and technologies and the function of buildings so as provide them with internal conditions of comfort and protection against the climate

GC9.1 EX9.1 Knowledge and testing of the principles associated with designing optimum visual, thermal and acoustic environments

T T

GC9.2 EX9.2 Knowledge and testing of systems for environmental comfort realised within relevant precepts of sustainable design

T T

GC9.3 EX9.3 Knowledge and testing of the strategies for building services, and ability to integrate these into a design project

T T

Acquire coherent design skills to meet building users’ requirements within the constraints imposed by cost factors and building regulations

GC10.1 EX10.1 Acquire coherent skills to critically examine the financial factors implied in varying building types, construction systems, and specification choices, and the impact of these on architectural design

T P


15

GC10.2 EX10.2 Acquire coherent skills to understand the cost control mechanisms which operate during the development of a project

P

GC10.3 EX10.3 Acquire coherent skills to prepare designs that will meet building users’ requirements and comply with UK legislation, appropriate performance standards and health and safety requirements

P

Knowledge of the industries, organisations, regulations and procedures involved in translating a range of design concepts into buildings and integrating plans into overall planning

GC11.1 EX11.1 Knowledge of the fundamental legal, professional and statutory responsibilities of the architects, and the organisations, regulations and procedures involved in the negotiation and approval of architectural designs, including land law, development control, building regulations and health and safety legislation

P

GC11.2 EX11.2 Knowledge of the professional inter-relationships of individuals and organisation involved in procuring and delivering architectural projects, and how these are defined through contractual and organisational structures

P

GC11.3 EX11.3 Knowledge of a range of management theories and business principles related to running both an architect’s practice and architectural projects, recognising current and emerging trends in the construction industry

P

T= Environmental and Technical Studies M = Communications and Media Studies H = History and Theory Studies P = Professional Practice

Green Box = Assessment of General Criteria for ARB/RIBA Part 1


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2.2 PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

The programme structure consists of study over three academic years, First, Second and Third Years, leading to the award of the AA Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part 1).

In First Year, students undertake compulsory courses covering Design Studio, History and Theory Studies, Environmental and Technical Studies, and Communications and Media Studies.

Second- and Third-Year students join one design unit and remain in that Unit for one year. Not all Design Units are offered each year. The programme is structured so that a minimum of 60% of the students’ time is focussed on design activity through the Unit. The study of architecture and design is supported by Core Studies comprising History and Theory, Communications and Media Studies, Environmental and Technical Studies, and Professional Practice.

In Second Year, students undertake a compulsory one year-long Design Unit. In addition, all students undertake two compulsory History and Theory Studies courses, three compulsory Environmental and Technical Studies courses, two compulsory Communication and Media Studies courses – eight courses in total.

In Third Year, students undertake a compulsory one year-long Design Unit; In addition, all students undertake two compulsory History and Theory Studies course, one compulsory Environmental and Technical Studies course, one summative Technical Design Project and one compulsory Professional Practice course – six courses in total.

Students must pass all units and courses to progress into the next academic year. Only students who achieve a pass in the design unit and in all compulsory courses in Third Year are awarded the Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part 1).


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ACADEMIC CREDIT FRAMEWORK 1st Year FHEQ Level 5

STU

DIO

/DES

IGN

HTS

CMS

ETS

2nd Year FHEQ Level 6

UN

IT/D

ESIG

N

HTS

CMS

ETS

3rd Year FHEQ Level 6 BA(Hons)

UN

IT/D

ESIG

N

HTS

ETS

PP1

Introduction Week Introduction Week

Introduction Week

Term 1 Week 1 Term 1 Week 1 Term 1 Week 1











Term 1 Week 12 Term 1 Week 12 Term 1 Week 12 Credit accumulation 10 10 10 30 Credit

accumulation 10 10 10 30 Credit

accumulation 10 10 10 30

(Christmas Vacation)














Credit accumulation 10 10 10 30 Credit accumulation

10 10 10 30 Credit accumulation

10 10 20

(Easter Vacation)

(Easter Vacation)

(Easter Vacation)










Summer Week 1 Summer Week 3

Credit accumulation 60 60 Credit accumulation

60 60 Credit accumulation

70 70

Credit TOTAL 60 20 20 20 120 Credit TOTAL 60 20 20 20 120 Credit TOTAL 70 20 20 10 120


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FIRST YEAR COURSE TITLES

Status Unit/Subject Title Credits Term

Compulsory Design Studio 60 1, 2, 3 Compulsory History and Theory Studies: A Survey of

Architecture and Urban History 20 1, 2

Compulsory Environmental and Technical Studies: Technical Synthesis: Introduction to Integrated Design

10 1

Compulsory Environmental and Technical Studies: First Applications

10 1

Compulsory – Choose 2 (1 in term 1 and 1 in term 2)

Communication and Media Studies: The Drawn Mistake

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Projection & Speculation

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Seeing Your Way to Draw

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Translation through Drawing

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Productive Drawing

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Experimental Film

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Tactile Technology

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Data Scape 10 1


Communication and Media Studies: Abstract Nature

10 1or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Rendering Architecture

10 1 or 2


Communication Media Studies: Seeing Slowly 10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Suspense on a Green Screen

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Film Home/Film Studio

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Point Reality 10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Shapes of Fiction

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Consequential Spaces

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: CNC for Designers

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Fixing Stars 10 2


Communication and Media Studies: Inhabitants of Exclusion Zones

10 1 or 2


19


Communication and Media Studies: Inhabiting the Virtual

10 2


Communication and Media Studies: Politics of Colour

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Fluids, Fabrics, Form

10 2


Communication and Media Studies: Alternative Endings

10 1


Communication and Media Studies: Future Craft 10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Pixel, Point, Plane

10 1 or 2

SECOND YEAR COURSE TITLES

Status Unit/Subject Title Credits Terms

Compulsory (choose 1 of 18)

Experimental Design Unit 1 60 1, 2, 3






























20







Compulsory History and Theory Studies: Architectural Knowledge

20 1, 2

Compulsory Environmental and Technical Studies: Environment and Energy

5 1

Compulsory Environmental and Technical Studies: Structures: Typologies and Design

10 2

Compulsory Environmental and Technical Studies: Materials and Technologies

5 1


Communication and Media Studies: The Drawn Mistake

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Projection & Speculation

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Seeing Your Way to Draw

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Translation through Drawing

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Productive Drawing

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Experimental Film

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Tactile Technology

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Data Scape 10 1


Communication and Media Studies: Abstract Nature

10 1or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Rendering Architecture

10 1 or 2


Communication Media Studies: Seeing Slowly 10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Suspense on a Green Screen

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Film Home/Film Studio

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Point Reality 10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Shapes of Fiction

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Consequential Spaces

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: CNC for Designers

10 1 or 2


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Communication and Media Studies: Fixing Stars 10 2


Communication and Media Studies: Inhabitants of Exclusion Zones

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Inhabiting the Virtual

10 2


Communication and Media Studies: Politics of Colour

10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Fluids, Fabrics, Form

10 2


Communication and Media Studies: Alternative Endings

10 1


Communication and Media Studies: Future Craft 10 1 or 2


Communication and Media Studies: Pixel Point Plane

10 1 or 2

THIRD YEAR COURSE TITLES

Status Unit/Subject Title Credits Terms



























Compulsory (choose 1 of 18) Experimental Design Unit 14 70 1, 2, 3


22









Compulsory History and Theory Studies: The Pasts of Architecture

20 1, 2

Compulsory Environmental and Technical Studies: Structures – Masterclass in Structural Behaviour

20 1

Compulsory Environmental and Technical Studies: TS3 Technical Design Project

20 1,2

Compulsory

Professional Studies: Professional Practice 10 1

TEACHING AND LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT

This programme is undertaken in full-time mode only. In the first year, students are taught design in a studio-based environment and at second- and third-year students are taught in small, highly focussed design units, both via one-to-one tutorials, workshops, seminars and group discussions that encourage independent intellectual and practical design development. The focus of the programme is to provide an appropriate foundation for design, research and professional activity in architecture and related areas. In year one, Studio programme detail, teaching schedules, events and assignments are set by the Programme Head in conjunction with the Studio Masters in order to ensure parity between briefs and exercises. In year two and three, unit programme details, teaching schedules, unit events and assignments are set by Unit Masters in conjunction with the School Director and Head of Teaching & Learning in order to ensure parity between units. In parallel to the yearlong design work explored in the studio (y 1) or unit (y2 and 3), students are exposes to a series of courses (Core Studies) that expand their learning. The integration of Core Studies courses of History & Theory Studies, Environmental and Technical Studies, Communication and Media Studies (2nd year only) and Professional Practice (3rd Year only) ensures critical contextualisation. In addition, the School offers a wide Public Programme of lectures, symposia, book launches, exhibitions and other events that collectively push the boundaries of architectural education and culture today and enable students to have an inquisitive mind.


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Detailed information on individual programmes and courses such as references, bibliography, teaching schedules and events are described in the extended brief. School-wide facilities and resources are described in more details on the AA Website.

Assessment The Assessment regulations are set out in the AA School Academic Regulations. A range of assessment methods is adopted to test the learning outcomes within each unit and course. Formative and summative assessments for Design Studio/Units are through presentation of a portfolio of design work. The criteria for assessment are set out in the Design Studio/Unit Descriptors and students are given written feedback following the final presentation of individual portfolio. Assessments for Core Studies courses are through specific submission or presentation of design work, written assignments, seminar presentations, some of which may be individually or in groups.

Award Classification

• The award of the AA Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (Honours) is classified only as Pass.

• The award of the AA Intermediate Examination (ARB/RIBA Part 1) is classified only as Pass.

Accreditation The AA Intermediate Examination (ARB/RIBA Part 1) is designed to maintain

prescription by the Architects Registration Board (ARB), validation by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), and to provide exemption from the ARB/RIBA Part 1 examination in architecture.

REGULATIONS

Refer to AA School Academic Regulations.

In addition, the following course-specific regulations apply: - All units or courses identified as compulsory must be passed. - Learning Outcomes specified by the professional and statutory bodies must all be achieved to pass. - All graduate attributes specified by the professional and statutory bodies must all be achieved to

pass.

EVALUATING AND IMPROVING QUALITY, QUALITY INDICATORS

AA Teaching and Learning Committee / Academic Board

Annual Monitoring for each programme

Periodic Review every 5 years for each programme

QAA Subject Review Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)

Professional Accreditation Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Architects Registration Board (ARB)


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SECTION 3 – CORE COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAMME

3.1 FIRST YEAR DESIGN STUDIO

FIRST YEAR AT THE AA First Year at the AA is the initial exposure to the five-year study of architecture, ending with the AA Diploma. The main focus of the First-Year Programme is not an introduction to architecture as a discipline with fundamental themes and skills to master. Instead our focus is learning how to inquiry and perceive theories, projects, and built work in relation to external forces. We engage with the architecture discipline as a way of thinking that both affects and is affected by the wider context: we learn how to pay attention to the constant orchestration between the intention of a project to trigger changes and the reality of how unexpected forces take over. The makers of projects (not limited to the figure of the architect) have the ability to question and see beyond what exists, they possess a distinct way of thinking visually by translating complex synergies into something new. During the year, we will constantly refine and refresh this particular mode of questioning projectively. LEARNING HOW TO INQUIRY The First Year is characterised by a studio-based environment defined by an approach of learning by doing. The year is planned around a series of briefs-exercises with emphasis on specific questions which will be unfold actively through making. We learn by observing the timeless quality of a project with its level of abstraction in relation to the actualisations in the built environment: the multiplicity of stories from different times and contexts start to overlap and construct new possibilities for the project. In a cyclical manner, authorship shifts toward open ownerships where a context reshapes the relevance (or lack) of the work continuously. We question how projects can be active prototypes, speculations, strategies and not simply commentaries. The aim is to learn how to question with the intention to apply actively what we learn: than the connection between a brief and the tools used are essential for mastering effective processes. In a way in the First Year we suspend momentarily the focus toward works that are critiques or depictions of a theory and we instead learn techniques that can shake our assumptions and open up unexpected territories. The present already encapsulates futures. How do we embrace the present and pay attention to what is yet to come? What are the symptoms of our present moment that enable alternative spatial conditions? Do we know how to capture the future? Are new spatial constructs really emerging too fast (without the input of architects) or are we simply too slow to imaginatively reframe our role? Skills: how to pay attention and forecast. Direct experience. What is our perception of space? How space, form, matter trigger sensations? How do we develop our own sensitivity toward the built environment? Why to see, to experience, to engage directly with a territory matter? Skills: hand on fieldwork. Transforming matter. Which transformations occurs when moving from project to building? What are the resources used during different phases? What is the actual physical context of the design

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phase? And what is the context(s) of the fabrication phase? What are the economies in place in the lifecycle of a built space? Skills: gathering and visualizing data. Regulations and habits. Are regulations and technologies enabling modes of life or are they just flattening differences? How architecture manuals have being used to shape how we live? What are the differences around the world? What do we learn from ad-hoc and vernacular examples? Skills: architecture drawings. Landing or shifting. How do we occupy a territory? What are the different attitudes with the landscape for a nomadic existence or for an established settlement? What temporality of occupations means? What can we learn from built and unbuilt works of thinkers and makers that question and challenge how we live? Skills: time-based scenarios. FIRST YEAR PORTFOLIO These are some possible briefs-exercises that we will explore throughout the year. The exposure to multiple modes of questioning will give strength on imagining the possibilities of architecture. Each student will capture its endeavours in an individual year-long Portfolio. The Portfolio is a project in itself, it acts as an open collection, in which each student can synthesise processes and discoveries. The Portfolio discloses a personal way of inquiring, and sometimes we may get some glimpse on what the roles of the architect could be. FIRST YEAR STUDIO STAFF

Head of First Year Programme and Studio Master Monia De Marchi is an architect and Head of the First Year Programme at the AA from 2011. Monia completed her studies at Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia and holds the DRL MArch from the AA. She has been teaching and collaborating with different architecture institutions since 2005. From 2005 to 2011, Monia was involved in architectural practice, both with her own office, and prior to that, with the office of Zaha Hadid Architects. She has a broad interest in the design fields generally and has collaborated with a range of practices and clients. Studio Tutors Delfina Bocca worked as a Senior Architect for Zaha Hadid Architects, specialising on design concepts and international projects. Her previous experience includes work with practices in UK, Italy and Buenos Aires, where she is currently a registered architect. She completed the DRL programme at the Architectural Association. She founded Mother Studio which focuses on digital and critical narratives as tools for architectural design. She is currently a Studio Tutor at the AA and an Associate Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University. Pol Esteve Castelló is an architect, researcher and teacher. They graduated from the ETSA Barcelona and holds a Master in History and Critical Thinking from the AA. They have previously taught as assistant in History & Theory in the AA and visiting lecturer in the Royal College of Art and Central Saint Martins. They are a PhD thesis candidate in the Bartlett. They are co-founder of the


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architecture office GOIG based in London and Barcelona. Esteve’s research work has been widely published and exhibited. Giulia Furlan is a practicing architect based in London, Milan and Zürich. She studied architecture at the Academy of Architecture of Mendrisio and ETH Zürich. After working in London, Zürich and Balsthal, she co-founded the architectural firm Furlan Beeli et al. Between 2011 and 2019 Giulia has taught at the Academy of Architecture of Mendrisio as part of the chair of Professor Valerio Olgiati. In 2019-20 she was a studio master at the London School of Architecture and at Kingston University London. Nacho Marti is a graduate of the Elisava School of Design in Barcelona and the AA. He founded his design studio in 2004 and since then his projects have been exhibited, published and awarded internationally. In addition to teaching in the First Year he is a Technical Studies lecturer and director of the AA Visiting School Amazon. Patricia Mato-Mora studied architecture at the Architectural Association, and materials at the Royal College of Art. She teaches Core Studies at the AA, specialising in Ceramics and Fabrication. She works alongside artists and architects to realise large-scale projects employing various craftsmanship methods, while practicing independently as an artist; directs the AA Visiting School in the Sonora desert and has also taught in the AA Experimental Programme and the AA Summer School. Anna Muzychak is an AA graduate currently working on private commissions in Eastern Europe. Past teaching experience includes co-lead of a vertical studio at Cardiff University, teacher at AA Summer School and unit tutor in the Experimental and Diploma School. Anna's work and research is focused on the intersections between material systems, construction technology and the role of colour in architecture. John Ng studied architecture at the University of Bath and the AA, where he has taught since 2011. He is also a visiting lecturer at the RCA. He founded ELSEWHERE and practises architecture in London. His work has been shortlisted for, and has won, a number of international competitions. Sara Saleh obtained her degree in architecture at the American University of Sharjah and holds a MArch from the AA DRL. Previously she worked for Zaha Hadid Architects (2010–17) on projects in the Middle East including Kapsarc in Saudi Arabia and on furniture/product collections such as the liquid glacial and varied Citco marble collections. Erika Suzuki is an architect and the founding partner of Office Ten Architecture. She holds a BEng and MEng in architecture from Tokyo Metropolitan University and a DipArch and MArch (distinction) from the Bartlett. She has designed and delivered a variety of projects including, residential, offices and cultural buildings while working in Tokyo, Paris and London Alexandra Vougia studied architecture in Thessaloniki, Greece, holds an MS in Advanced Architectural Design from GSAPP, Columbia University, and a PhD from the Architectural Association. Since 2009, together with Platon Issaias and Theodossis Issaias, Alexandra works at Fatura


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Collaborative, an architecture and research collective. She has practiced as an architect in New York and Athens and has been teaching at the Architectural Association since 2012. Simon Withers has a background in fashion, experimental film and architecture having been Vivienne Westwood's design assistant, a partner in an architectural practice and holds a degree in fine art/experimental film from St Martin's. He teaches at the AA in First Year and as thesis supervisor for Design + Make; and he is a founder of and the Principal Investigator for Captivate: Spatial Modelling Research Group.


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Title

FIRST YEAR DESIGN STUDIO

Level First Year (FHEQ Level 5 equivalent)

Status Compulsory

Studio Head Studio tutors

Monia De Marchi, Monia De Marchi, Pol Castello Esteve, Nacho Marti, John Ng, Erika Suzuki, Alexandra Vougia, Simon Whiters, Delfina Bocca, Giulia Furlan, Patricia Mato-Mora, Anna Muzychak, Sara Saleh

Terms 1, 2, 3

Credits 60 / 120

Professional body requirements

Architects Registration Board Royal Institute of British Architects

Learning methods Lectures, seminars, tutorials, juries, visits, studio trips. Self-directed learning

SYNOPSIS During the academic year, students address specific architectural topics in a series of briefs-exercises. In each brief, students question architectural themes by engaging with the discipline (looking at historical figure, projects and works) and by being exposed to the contemporary world. Each brief is explored from the points of view of theory, design, and visualization, acquiring an understanding of theoretical and practical knowledge and the interdependence of these. TERM 1 THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT Term 1 is focused on learning how to study the built environment. We will first explore the translation from project to building by studying multiple case studies through the medium of architecture drawings. We will then move to explore how unpredictable forces, unplanned shifts, and emerging behaviors shape our world. Term 1 Brief 1: Architecture Language. Space, aesthetic, technologies. How do you study a building? How is a space defined, contained, limited? How processes of making, fabrication methods, and technologies construct specific agendas? What is the relation between physical matter and void? The aim here is learning how to understand space by studying multiple references trough the medium of architecture drawings. Term 1 Brief 2: Other Typologies. Spatial organization, context, present. What is shaping and enabling alternative typologies? How do we inhabit the world? How is the present triggering spatial conditions? Where do we look for shift and changes of modes of life? How do we search and then capture our discoveries? The aim here is to learn how to study conditions that have not yet been overly studied. We will master how to search by addressing digital information literacy and direct search.


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TERM 2 MODES OF LIFE The second part of the year is focused on questioning how we inhabit space. We look at how regulations, coding, laws can enable (or constrain) how a space is designed but also used. Iterations of time-based scenarios, prototypes, and performative models will be used as active tools for exploration. Term 2 Brief 1: Modes of life. Parameters, regulations, behaviors Are regulations and technologies enabling modes of life or are they just flattening differences? How architecture manuals have being used to shape how we live? What are the differences around the world? What do we learn from ad-hoc and vernacular examples? The focus here is to explore uncharted and actual modes of life that move beyond the generalization of a project with a series of comparative outputs. Term 2 Brief 2: Occupation. Negotiations, resources, temporalities. In continuation with our prevision brief, we will question how we occupy a territory. What are the different attitudes of how resources are used? What are the relations with a physical context? What are the implications of design moves? We will explore further some of the studies from the previous brief by learning how to collectively negotiate design decisions in real time. TERM 3 ATTITUDES The third term focus on understanding the role of a brief and of a project. How do you question a given brief? How do you challenge it? And what define a project? Collectively we will study and explore possible roles for architecture. Term 3 Brief 1: Questioning. What is a brief? What is the role of a project? When not to design? What are the alternative models and protocols that start to enable possibilities for an architecture project? The aim here it to learn to question what the role of a project is and to question the implication of a design decision. Term 3 Brief 2: Not to act. How is involved in the process of making a project? From architects, clients, users, architecture lovers, agencies, … we will pay attention to how we communicate. How do we allow the emerge of audiences? The media used with these last two briefs will be shaped by the processes of our inquiries. AIMS The first year of architecture at the AA aims to give each student a solid base and at the same time shows student the exciting opportunities of being empowered to expand architecture and what may be possible. The richness of the school will help each student to try out ideas and works while sharing doubts and strengths with discussions, shared workshops, hands on works and events. This exposure to multiple modes of thinking and experimenting will enrich every single moment of learning. The ability to work with unpredictable settings and with unexpected parameters is embraced during the year with different briefs-exercises that help the student to react but also to imagine anew. The focus is to master the ability to see for what is hidden and to learn multiples ways of translating what we imagine into spatial visual work. The ability to acquire different skills that help the students to translate ideas and thoughts into a visual work is emphasise by the interdependence of design studio with the core studies courses.


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The focus for each student is to produce over the course of three terms, an individual portfolio that collect processes and results for each brief as a result of individual positions constructed collectively in the First Year Studio.

TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES

Students work in groups and individually with regular interaction with tutors and external collaborators in tutorials, seminars and workshops. Students and tutors constantly engage with external critics on specific subjects related to design through a series of tailored seminars and collaborations. Students learn to search, analyse and synthesise at a level appropriate to this stage of undergraduate experience. Students learn to react to a given brief with visual work that explore spatial and intellectual ideas and learn to justify and communicate these through a range of media. The work and learning carried forward within the First-Year programme is also enlarged with a regular integration with the core studies programmes. Feedback is regularly provided in tutorials, seminars, juries and at reviews where students are required to make visual and verbal presentations of their work set out in accordance with studio and school timetables. LEARNING SUPPORT

Extensive information and resources are available online to all students for learning support including an extensive online resource of books, software tutorials, digital archives of public lecture series, and weekly published school events lists. Tutors are available to meet their students for tutorials, seminars and juries every week. Additional support includes the AA Writing Centre, Open Tutorials, and Wellness Centre. OUTPUTS

• Understanding, analysis and interpretation of a design brief • Evidence of analysis and awareness of a given context (theoretical, cultural, socio-political, or

physical context) • Integration of aesthetic and technical components of the design project • Awareness of the influence of history and theory and the application of precedent • Demonstration of visual and verbal communication skills, use of a range of media at

appropriate scales ASSESSMENT Assessment Criteria All learning outcomes must be passed to achieve a pass in the First Year. Students are required to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, ability and skills in the following areas:

Theoretical Development: Understanding of the parameters of a design brief that satisfies specific functional and contextual requirements. Adequate awareness of history and theory and technical considerations that influence design strategies used in project work. Demonstrate that creative decisions are based on contextual awareness, precedent study and emerging perceptual and aesthetic criteria. Architectural and urban design issues are explored in relation to both the needs of the user and the complexities of the location.


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Technical Resolution: Creative designs are developed based on appropriate functional and aesthetic criteria demonstrating an awareness of precedents and contemporary technologies. Appropriate technologies are selected and addressed in response to project themes.

Integration and Synthesis: Synthesis of basic conceptual, aesthetic and technological issues together with user and spatial requirements and the ability to discuss and refine these in relation to the emerging project. Effective use of visual, verbal and written skills in the communication of the project and the integration of feedback.

METHOD OF ASSESSMENT

Formative assessment

Continual assessment is provided weekly at tutorials, periodic pin-ups and interim juries. Formative assessment is provided through jury review at the end of each brief after which written feedback is provided to assist students in the preparation of their final submissions.

Summative assessment

Portfolios of final drawings, images and models are presented to a Review Panel of First Year tutors to ensure parity of assessment. A pass at the end of First Year confirms continuation to Second Year. A fail at the end of First Year leads to two possible outcomes:

a) the student is put forward to a Final Check (Monday of Week 1 of Summer Term) where he/she must present new work which is tailored to cover any missing criteria. The new work will be supervised by First Year tutors during a workshop with mandatory attendance.

b) the panel offers the student a place to repeat the First Year.

External Examiners

External Examiners overlook a representative sample of complete First Year academic portfolios to confirm the School’s progression standards. TRANSFERABLE SKILLS The student will have an opportunity to practise the following skills:

Required Assessed

Communication: Verbal n n Visual n n Written n n Self-management skills n n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD techniques n Information management n n Critical skills/ability n n Work as part of a team n n


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3.2 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN UNITS (SECOND AND THIRD YEAR)

Second- and Third-Year students are given the basis for development through experimentation within the structure of the unit-system. Each year the Experimental Programme has a balance of units covering a diversity of questions and agendas, engaging innovative approaches to material, craft and techniques of fabrication. Explorations of cultural and social issues are often set in inspiring places around the world – the unit trip forms an integral part of many unit design agendas. In parallel to the unit work, skills are developed through Complimentary Studies courses in History and Theory Studies, Technical and Media studies as well as Professional Practice Studies.

AIMS OF THE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN UNITS

To produce, over the course of three terms, project work of increasing sophistication. Explore relationships between historical, theoretical and practical design issues. Learn to apply and integrate aesthetic and technical skills with critical awareness. Develop methodologies for site research. Develop awareness of basic relationships of design work to professional practice. Develop the ability to make informed judgements, self-evaluate and work independently on design development. Develop understanding of the relationship between architecture and social, cultural, contextual, constructional and environmental issues. Develop visual, verbal and written communication skills. Understand the importance of discussion and external evaluation in relation to all aspects of design work and be able to respond to and integrate feedback


The teaching and learning strategy at Second- and Third-Year level is learning by doing. Design projects are student centred and unit based. Students are encouraged to value good visual, verbal and written communication skills and appreciate the relationship between the thought process, communication of ideas to others and consideration of feedback. Design experience is obtained through a series of directed individual and group projects, tutored both on a one-to-one basis as well as through group discussion. Regular feedback is provided in tutorials, seminars, in juries and at tabletop reviews where students are required to make visual and verbal presentations of their work set out in accordance with unit and school timetables.

LEARNING SUPPORT

Extensive information and physical resources are available to all students for learning support including model-making workshops for wood and metal working, digital prototyping, audio-visual lab, digital photography studio, drawing materials shop, bookshop, library, photo library, school archives, the public lecture series, weekly published school events lists, the bar and restaurant and woodland workshop facilities and campus at Hooke Park in Dorset. Unit design tutors are available to meet their students for tutorials, seminars and juries every week.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

All design unit learning outcomes (in table 2.1B marked with ‘U’) must be passed to achieve a pass in the experimental unit.

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Students are required to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, ability and skills in the following areas:

Theoretical Development: Adequate awareness of theoretical and philosophical rationale that influence design strategies used in project work. Understanding of the parameters of a design brief that satisfies specific functional and contextual requirements. Demonstrate that creative decisions are based on contextual knowledge and analysis, precedent study and emerging perceptual and aesthetic criteria. Architectural and urban design issues are explored in relation to both the needs of the user and the complexities of the location.

Technical Resolution: Creative designs are developed based on appropriate functional and aesthetic criteria demonstrating an understanding of precedents and contemporary technologies. Appropriate technologies are selected and addressed in response to project themes.

Integration and Synthesis: Synthesis of conceptual, critical and technological issues together with user and spatial requirements and the ability to discuss and refine these in relation to the emerging project. Effective use of visual, verbal and written skills in the communication of the project and the integration of feedback.

METHOD OF ASSESSMENT

Formative assessment

Continual assessment is provided weekly at tutorials, periodic unit pin-ups and interim juries. In Second Year, formative assessment is provided through jury review at the start of Term 2. In Third Year, a Preview assessment is held in Term 2 where each student presents their work both physically and digitally to a Preview Panel of Experimental Programme tutors to ensure parity of assessment, after which written feedback is provided to assist students in the preparation of their final submissions.

Summative assessment

A summative assessment takes place at the end of 2nd Year to determine whether a student passes to 3rd Year. The student portfolio is considered, subject to all required Core Studies Submissions having been passed, by the Final Check Review panel and records one of the following assessment recommendations: • Pass (to Third Year) • Tutor Check (for Pass to Third Year) • Incomplete (July Review) • Fail (Repeat Year with mandatory January Progress Review to assess progress and future

studies at the AA School) • Fail (Asked to leave the School)

External Examiners review a representative sample of complete Second Year academic portfolios to confirm the School’s progression standards.


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A summative assessment takes place at the end of 3rd Year to determine whether a student a) may progress to the AA Diploma School and b) attains the award ARB/RIBA Part 1. The student portfolio is considered, subject to all required Core Studies Submissions having been passed, by the Internal Assessment Committee and records the following two assessment outcomes: a) PASS: 3rd Year

a. BA(Hons) Architecture and AA Intermediate Examination (ARB/RIBA Part 1) b. Unconditional Offer of entry to the AA Diploma Programme (4th Year)

i. (Any student who is not eligible for the BA(Hons) Architecture (not having undertaken the requisite enrolment period of 2nd Year and 3rd Year studies at the AA School) OR the AA Intermediate Examination (ARB/RIBA Part 1) (having already secured the professional qualification from previous school), will be verified by the Internal Assessment Committee as having Passed the 3rd Year and in receipt of an Unconditional Offer of entry to the AA Diploma Programme (4th Year) ONLY)

FAIL: 3rd Year c. Repeat 3rd Year (to a maximum of one further occasion) with a mandatory Progress

Review in January 2020 to assess progress and future studies at the AA School.

b) The AA Intermediate Examination (ARB/RIBA Part 1): • 'Pass' is recorded as having met the internal standards for the academic and professional

award ARB/RIBA Part 1. Each student that attains a ‘Pass’ will subsequently present their portfolio to the External Examiners for confirmation of that result.

• 'Fail' is recorded as not having met the internal standards for the professional award, the student portfolio is withdrawn with a recommendation to repeat Third Year. Third Year may be repeated on one further occasion only, to a maximum of two attempts in total. Failed portfolios are presented for information only to External Examiners by the relevant unit master.

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Required Assessed Communication: Verbal ■ ■ Visual ■ ■ Written ■ ■ Self-management skills ■ ■ Manage time and work to deadlines ■ ■ IT/CAD techniques ■ Information management ■ ■ Critical skills/ability ■ ■ Work as part of a team ■


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Unit Title EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN UNIT 1

Level Second Year, Third Year FHEQ Level 6

Status Compulsory/Option

Unit Master Hikaru Nissanke & Jon Lopez Terms 1, 2, 3

Credits 2nd Yr: 60/120, 3rd Yr: 70/120 Professional body requirements


Learning methods Lectures Seminars/tutorials/juries Self-directed learning

SYNOPSIS

Architecture wrests the natural world into new forms to reflect and shape societies. With our gaze firmly focused on the present, the nature of this development is often mired by short term politics seeking quick fixes to complex issues together with the fanfare of new construction. Investment dwindles once our plans are built. However, if we are to avert social and environmental catastrophe, our legacy must outlast the immediate priorities of political cycles and weather many storms. Architecture must learn to look beyond the conception of buildings to their on-going maintenance, adaptation, renovation, reinterpretation and reincarnation if it is to remain relevant for generations to come. We must futureproof our environment by building in care, contingency and resilience for an unpredictable future.

Building Care (Present)

Mending is an essential part of all life. It is the cultural glue that binds our social and built fabric together. It has acquired different meanings and significance around the world. It underpins our economy, preserves and transmits different ways of living, and drives innovation through an intimate working knowledge of what went wrong. From the bodge job to the upgrade, mending not only prolongs life, but evolves it.

Building Contingency (Future)

Life throws unexpected things our way. However, we increasingly attempt to contain it in rigid and prescriptive building types that splinter our communities and risk obsolescence. Our built environment needs to be more tolerant and malleable. It should make room for change and be able to grow, shrink and reorder itself attune to people’s lives.

Building Resilience (Past)

When architecture survives, we use it to decipher our past and better understand who we are. Its phantasm guides our understanding of history, enabling us to construct identities and relate to one another across time. What survives is contingent on what it is made from, how it is put together and how it cannibalises the world and the ideas contained within it.


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CONTENT

• Sites to be located in the students’ immediate vicinity to account for remote learning due to coronavirus.

• Research into the past, present and future debates on the culture, politics and economy of architecture around each student’s site.

• Material and tectonic exploration through drawing. • Exploration of existing building types, arrangements and guidance in order to understand the

limitations and opportunities contained within existing models • Exploration into how they have been adapted and/or misused in the wake of coronavirus or

across their lifespan. • Exploration into both cultural and prosaic maintenance regimes of buildings in the students’

locality. • Production of individual and/or collective design guides; conceived of as digital publications. • Recording place and context through drawing, model and photography. • Development of architectural proposals that are residential in nature but will explore hybridity

of use and removal of categorical distinctions between functions. • Students will be asked to explore scarcity, buildability and affordability and to find the poetry

therein. • Projects will operate at multiple scales, from rooms and details to neighborhoods and

masterplans.

OUTPUTS

• Learning to work and engage collaboratively with others, especially those outside of the architectural profession.

• Learning to look carefully at existing places, activity and culture, and developing the ability to make and record observations as a primary basis for architectural design.

• Refined ability to represent a design in drawing and model. • Ability to carve out alternative space for radical thought through the lens and realities of

contemporary practice and construction. • Production of a clear and concise portfolio developed from iterative design work and

experimentation in response to a continually developing hypothesis.


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Unit Master Ana Araujo Terms 1, 2, 3

Credits 2nd Yr: 60/120, 3rd Yr: 70/120



Learning methods Seminars/tutorials/juries Self-directed learning

SYNOPSIS

Cultural Value In light of the events of Black Lives Matter, recently a number of historians sent a letter to the Home Office questioning their approach in the test Life in the UK, which is requested of foreign nationals seeking to apply for British citizenship. According to these historians’ account, the Home Office manual misrepresented the history of modern Britain, as it overlooked its endorsement of colonialism and slavery. Other related occurrences saw the questioning of the position and relevance of long-established national heroes of this and of other cultures (Winston Churchill, for example), as well as the destruction of symbols relating to histories of exploitation and oppression. How does architecture respond to these issues? Which cultures and histories do buildings represent and support? In consideration to the conditions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, students this year will be invited to delve into their own culture to address these questions. We will study cultural artefacts (including objects, art, music, dance, ritual, theatre, cinema, fashion etc), buildings, sites, programmes – past and present – to ask: what do they communicate? on behalf of whom? who do they represent? why are they relevant? how are they made? Our inspirations will be the work of scholars, artists and architects who have dealt with similar questions. They include cultural theorists Edward Said, Homi Bhabha, Marina Warner and Giuliana Bruno, artists Sonia Boyce, Lubaina Himid, Maria Berrio and Susan Hiller, architects 6a architects, Studio Mumbai and Adjaye Associates. In Term One, weekly seminars will enable peer collaboration and a sharing of research resources. Students will be focused on interrogating their chosen material in order to design their brief. Term Two will be focused on the design of the intervention itself. The design process will be informed by physical modelling and prototyping, and collage studies. If this term is delivered remotely, students will be encouraged to work with simple/’domestic’ materials, including paper, cardboard, clay and plaster. Their working environment will also be taken into account, with physical experimentation being replaced with digital where necessary and appropriate. In Term Three, the intervention will be further refined, with the development of more precise architectural drawings alongside visualisations and inhabitation scenarios.


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Experimental Two has a tradition of encouraging students to engage intuition and subjectivity and look ‘inward’ in order to construct their own design language and means of expression. This year this will be intensified, with students being presented with the opportunity to reflect on how, as persons and professionals, they relate to their own cultural identity – and how this can inform their ethical position and creative practice. CONTENT

• Thematic research: research to evidence a layered understanding of context, including political, social, environmental and cultural aspects related to the site

• Spatial research: analysis of case study buildings • Exploration of architectural drawings and models in various scales/materials to guide the

students to tailor the conventions of architectural representation to make them accessible not only to architects but also to the lay public

• Site research: Physical research of the local area of intervention • Programme Research: Design proposal addressing a chosen focus relating to the

understanding/interpretation of the site

OUTPUTS

• Evidence of site research identifying a particular focus; • Awareness of the cultural, environmental, social and political context evidenced in the

design proposal; • Awareness of the sensorial and emotional impact of the proposed design, evidenced in

formal, technical and material terms; • Clarity and coherence of communication in design proposal.


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Unit Master Nannette Jackowski, Ricardo de Ostos, Terms 1, 2, 3





SYNOPSIS

Experimental Unit 3 is an intense architectural investigation into how technology and mythology can challenge environmental problems. Are the futures of forests and cities interconnected? Traditionally forests are associated with first societies livelihoods, the biosphere but also with dams, logging and other resource extraction sites. On the other hand, cities are perceived as places where progress and technology acceleration lead to innovation and new opportunities. The first is linked to a territory of the past while the second connects to the land of the future and sci-fi time horizons. However, that is not the full truth, in fact it is an outdated anecdote. Exp 3 will explore forests as places where a future has already arrived. We will investigate and learn how forests and cities share a common history and how it may be designed to new architectures. Focusing on the forest as technological ground we will research it as a site of ethical and sustainable human experimentation and how it continues to do so via neo myths, digital networks, hybrid creatures and speculative storytelling.

Storytelling is the most powerful way to communicate an idea. Exp 3 will delve into how forests are powerful sites for structuring a new image of urban spaces utilizing architectural design to experiment and test possibilities of co-existence between the natural and the urban. We will study the strength of traditional myth and how the new gods of technology are weaving narratives about a mediated future. Students will investigate how architecture can learn from both natural and technological systems. We will build on the well-known unit strength of working via immersive large drawings exploring visionary ideas based on real and practical constraints.

Exp 3 will utilize its strong and creative network where students will have feedback from environmentalists, sci-fi thinkers, foresters, speculative architects and other experienced professionals. From skills workshops to subject seminars introducing key contemporary conversations Exp 3 will bridge avant-garde topics and exciting story telling methods. Together we will explore the mythology of the New Forest and its Digital Creatures.

CONTENT

• Understanding of urban and natural environmental discourses through the history of land usage from mythical rites to property rights

• Production of drawings and models exploring fictional, environmental and cultural ideas


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• Define a project brief, considering land usage, communities culture and the role of technological

• Conception and speculative design proposal of medium scale buildings or landscape in chosen context

• Document and edit context conditions

OUTPUTS

• Demonstrate an understanding of narrative architecture, land usage and environment based on speculative design propositions

• Understanding the role of communities and their culture to shape new responses for environmental contemporary challenges

• Integration of technologies and their impact and opportunities in context and users • Capacity to design in 2d and 3d digitally or physically expressing project’s concept and

narrative


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Unit Title EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN UNIT 4 Level Second Year, Third Year

FHEQ Level 6 Status Compulsory/Option

Unit Master Seth Scafe-Smith Akil Scafe-Smith Terms 1, 2, 3 Credits 2nd Yr: 60/120, 3rd Yr: 70/120




SYNOPSIS Gathering, collecting, and organising have long been dominated by the architectonics of the ‘institute’. The perceived value of the concentration and consecration of resource, human or otherwise, in fixed physical, digital, or ideological space is evident in the realities and speculative futures of many collective movements throughout history; apparent in progressive revolutions and oppressive hegemonies alike. Institutional space is so intimately entangled with an image of the collective body that whilst we predicate universities, museums, offices, and governments as obvious sites to radically disrupt, these spaces simultaneously and surreptitiously reconfigure themselves in our interpersonal relationships, societal norms, ethics, and aesthetics. To practice collectively but infrastructurally presents itself as a radical alternative, or perhaps appropriation, to the architectures of institutionalism. An infrastructural practice is one that dissipates and decentralises resource, creating spaces in which ‘access’ is perpetually a verb, not a noun, and in which resilient communities of care are centred.

Through spatial and architectural intervention, EXP4 will ask: What, today, does it mean to position our practices as interventive or deconstructive? How, together, can we develop ideologies of infrastructural practice? Where, in our buildings, products, and systems, do our theories of value lie? The unit has a tangible and immediate geographic focus on the neighbourhood of Custom House in East London, yet student’s investigations into this area will begin not here but, in Term 1, in their own neighbourhoods highlighting this unit’s ultimate introspective and reflective nature and underlying design philosophy of the ‘global’ as being constituted and perforated by networks of ‘locals’. By Term 3 the methodologies students have developed within their homes, neighbourhoods, or areas, will constitute the foundation of their infrastructural approaches to other homes, neighbourhoods, and areas across the city, country, and even the world.

CONTENT

• Development of investigative, context-sensitive spatial methodologies for collecting and interrogating firsthand quantitative and qualitative data derived from their immediate areas of residence.

• Critical cartographic methods for mapping data (qualitative and quantitative)


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• Drawing, model-making, photography and mixed media exploration in order to understand mapping and ‘unmapping’ as active, dialectic processes.

• Critical research methods in order to both interrogate and present evidence of systemic effects at neighbourhood/architectural scales.

• Definition and investigation into the role of ‘institutional space’ in students’ locality, to be then translated and re-interpreted for Custom House, London.

• Expansion of student’s tools for presenting and documenting the speculative wider project of tangible interventions through storytelling, drawing, rendering, film, and photography.

• Understanding of how questions of scale (both space and time) are deeply entrenched within the project of architecture

• Exploration of text, print, and zine-making as a critical documentation process for co-design and community resilience-building in the built environment.

• The development of critical tools for the mediation, liaison, and communication of the architectural disciplines to other disciplinary and non-disciplinary fields.

• Development of a sensitive and dynamic personal ethos to the proposition of a shared, collective architectural unit practice.

• Enrichment of a working understanding of the political ecology of local building materials and how both narratives and histories of technological appropriation (colonial, revolutionary, subversive, submissive) are entangled in modern construction logics.

• Refinement of a critical artistic expression that articulates student’s architectural practice, thinking of how both aesthetics and ethics are made proximate in the built environment.

• Practical building skills for architectural interventions with material scarcity • Practical project management skills for the planning and delivery of site-specific interventions • Practical stakeholder management skills for negotiating with a variety of real-world actors

involved in building project (clients, users, community stakeholders, local authorities, etc.) DELIVERABLES

• A robust, written and practiced definition and ideology of infrastructural practice, evidenced through an understanding of what it means for students to position their architectural practice as disruptive and interventive in response to complex sites, histories, and socio-political factors.

• A substantiated method of collective practice fundamental to student’s professional development in architecture and beyond.

• A robust theory of social value building on both fieldwork, design-thinking, and academic research.

• A 1:1 intervention that responds sensitively to its site and wider systems (ecological, political, social) within its broader environs but also showcases practical construction, community engagement, and project management skills.

• A critical and reflexive approach to design and representation of architecture and urban design.

• A detailed and experimental portfolio that showcases both the student’s development as a critical built environment practitioner and a stakeholder and citizen.


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Unit Master Ryan Dillon, David Greene Terms 1, 2, 3

Credits 2nd Yr: 60/120, 3rd Yr: 70/120 Professional body requirements



SYNOPSIS

Road to Nowhere Experimental Design Unit 5 will attempt to go anywhere and everywhere. Starting with the M25 and working inwards we will infiltrate London, which has grown and expanded through the rippling of a series of rings that have consistently redefined the city’s edge condition. Tracing this rural/urban dendrochronology we will explore segments of the M25 (a), Congestion Zone (b), Circle Line (c), City of London (d) and Roman Wall (e) leading us to discover how time effects architecture, material and space at the local scale whilst uncovering economic zones, environmental crises and infrastructure systems at the global scale. We will learn how governments and institutions use time as a means to dictate everyday life and will also encounter alternative modes of living that unveil how cultures and inhabitants simultaneously exist within multiple time zones, which will provide the social, technological and time-based constraints for each unit project. Those who choose to join the unit will be asked to construct an architectural brief and test this through material interventions. Working with film, physical models and drawings, a series of exercises will provide students with the material to develop the locale, target group, use, duration and key question that aims to challenge the rules, codes and laws that govern our existence allowing Experimental Design Unit 5 to warp the fourth, fifth or tenth dimensions and to go ______ where? CONTENT

• Primary research into time as an abstract constraint and its relation to architecture (life-span and material) including an understanding of how time is mapped geographically on land synthesising time, space and architecture.

• The Rings of London (M25, Congestion Zone, Circle Line, City of London and Roman Wall) will be our site of enquiry.

• The urban ‘house’ will act as a programmatic guide. • Secondary research into the banal and everyday models of living, which are seen within the

unit as the foundation to much large social issues. • The development of a project brief. • Awareness of the multiple scales of a project, working with 1:1 prototypes, design at 1:100

and mappings at 1:30,000. • Architectural interventions to be developed through precise architectural line drawing,

analogue model making and film.


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• First-hand visits to architectural projects where time has intentionally impacted the building through design or unintentionally through environmental conditions and effects.

• Main unit trip will take place in Los Angeles, CA to visit the case study houses (relevant to the programmatic unit aims) as well as the highway transportation infrastructure that links to the M25 in London, and Las Vegas, NV to visit the casinos that utilise architecture as a means to manipulate time and space. Secondary trips to Hooke Park, Dorset will also take place.

OUTPUTS • Evidence that time has a particular impact on the architectural intervention • Exploration of how a city grows over time and the impact this has socially and in terms of

infrastructure • The testing of these impacts of time through one-to-one prototypes • The development of an urban ‘house’ that attempts to create new models of living in the city • An understanding of the contextual importance of site at the local scale, while developing the

global consequences within the city and beyond. • Working within the unit constraints of developing one drawing, model and film per each term • The development, both in written and visual form, of an architectural project brief • The testing of this brief through architectural interventions


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Unit Master Brendon Carlin; James Kwang Ho Chung Terms 1, 2, 3 Credits 2nd Yr: 60/120, 3rd Yr: 70/120




SYNOPSIS Limbo This summer, during quarantine in London, the house or flat became – undeniably and irreversibly – the city: at once full-time office, studio, classroom, gym, sleeping place and cinema. Roofs became campsites and kitchens. Outside became inside: walking path bridges became a new kind of ‘public’ room with a grand roof, no enclosure, and short walls as lounge chairs for pints, chinwag and lingering. The park became a giant common room for London’s ‘diaspora’, with floors and beds of grass, and no walls or roof. Cooking, napping, dance classes and ‘love hotels’ squatted the forest and shrubs; all-night clubs mingled among the flowers and weeds. Trees, bushes and landscaping became soft walls, screens and porous rooms. In a seeming paradox, nowhere has a continued ‘dissolution’ of architecture, historical typologies and planned divisions of space been more clearly articulated, more rapidly accelerated or more amplified than in ‘quarantine’ and amid the regulation of ‘social distancing’ guidelines. An experience of uncertainty, anxiety and listlessness was also heightened during the same period. Despite our fear of change, it has become clear that most of us want to emerge from the other side of this ‘limbo’ into a completely different reality. However, a sense of meaninglessness and hopelessness sets in when it seems that we are merely obliged to adapt, prioritise the economy and struggle to maintain the old status quo. But limbo, uncertainty and anxiety can be ‘positive’ states or moods in which the familiar world is rendered uncanny or strange, and therefore opened up to other, radically different possibilities. Our inherent human potentiality manifests itself in the ways that we are always ‘misappropriating’ and misusing or ‘profaning’ the city, and freeing architectures and infrastructures from their ‘capture’ in the plan and the ‘spectacle’. This year, EXP6 calls on students to embrace this openness and to depart from misappropriation and misuse in order to imagine and design radical, counter-typological architectures; ones that might welcome the emergence of a politics, a community and a human that can never be categorised or designed. CONTENT • Research through reading, writing, drawing and the development of other media into

architectural, urban and social theory • Studies into the emergence of specific architecture examples


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• Methods of drawing and describing through writing and other mediums precedent architectural examples

• Compositional exercises to build technical abilities and tools, but also challenge and undermine fundamental assumptions about what architecture is and the architect does

• Methods of architectural-ethnographic, anthropological and archaeological research using architectural and art media of current uses of architecture, infrastructures and the city

• Development of research into the connections between labour/production, management, politics and architecture with particular focus on biopolitics and typology in architecture. These aspects are to be articulated through the student’s individual research essay as part of their brief for the project and in the connections they make between these concepts and developments to their re-drawing of architectural precedents and to the design of their projects.

• The development of theory and methods for the production of architecture that question and radically challenge institutions. Documents like the assessment criteria, in the assumptions and inherent instrumentality of certain of its goals serves as a perfect example of what the unit hopes students might fundamentally question, perhaps reject or overturn.

OUTPUTS • Writing, drawing, and other media that demonstrates a knowledge of the history of theory

and design for urban/architectural spaces and projects in relation to social, political and technological context

• Synthesis of research into well documented design experiments • Development and use of methods for testing design iterations • Rigor in design progress based on learning through testing and in relation to research and

brief • Effective verbal and visual communication of research content and project qualities • Articulation of agenda in concise written and verbal forms and clear linkage to the production

of the spatial and formal outcomes of the architectural project • Clear and provocative writing, drawings, models, and portfolio research and production

materials • Architectural proposal that demonstrates a rigorous investigation translated into a spatial,

formal proposal or that otherwise clearly demonstrates through some form of media why the former is unwarranted


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Unit Master Amica Dall, Anthony Engi Meacock & Giles Smith Terms 1, 2, 3





SYNOPSIS

There is no Earth corresponding to the infinite horizon of the Global, but at the same time the Local is much too narrow, too shrunken, to accommodate the multiplicity of beings belonging to the terrestrial world. Bruno Latour, Down to Earth (2018) This year, EXP 7 will take a firmly material approach to the questions of site, survivability and belonging. We will work deeply and experimentally with a palette of three materials: earth, timber and stone. With the support of an extraordinary group of expert allies including architects, engineers and makers, we will learn about the structural, technical, and expressive capacities of our materials, and how they have shaped the history of architecture, and how they might radically redirect its future. Whilst politicians and pundits continue to preach that the future belongs to the knowledge worker, the present remains stubbornly physical. Construction remains a deeply physical practice involving vast logistical networks for the transformation of the subterranean into the city, and despite the rise of image culture, our most important experiences of architecture are embodied, not just visual. This year we keep ourselves as connected as possible to this reality, using physical modelling, material testing, and careful drawing to connect us to how things are made, and how in turn those materials and processes shape every aspect of our built environment. Writing on Spielberg's classic, E.T., in 1968, John Berger argued that there is nothing inherently reactionary about the yearning to be grounded in and connected to a place, but that it was a desire that struggled for expression amongst the distorting and co-opting forces of nationalism, capitalism and patriarchy. Starting here, we will develop architectural propositions for small sites in London. Using competition level documentation and virtual visits, we will work with spatially economical briefs to develop materially sensitive, inventive and nuanced proposals, which aim to connect and enrich connection to place. Keeping our material focus front and centre, we will develop deep and detailed understandings of what our buildings are, where they come from, how they are made, how they feel to occupy and how they interact within their urban context.


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CONTENT • Material research and experimentation looking at a specific low-embodied-carbon materials

and how to use them in construction. This should encompass an understanding of the flows and networks that enable a material to arrive on site in a form to be built with, and the ecnomics and ecologies that are involved in these processes.

• Study of precedent using chosen materials to inform an understanding of how they have been used through history in construction.

• The development of a component of a building as a means of exploring and experimenting with the material and how it can be used to structure activity.

• The development of an architectural project using a partially defined brief and client on a given site. Their spatial response will be informed by the context (London), the history of construction in that context, the programme of the given brief and their chosen material or materials.

• Documentation – as far as is possible digitally - for both specifics of the site and the wider, territorial contexts, including mapping, drawing, photography and film.

• Representation of the project in models at a range of scales from the urban (e.g. 1:500 massing models) to the large-scale and spatial (e.g. 1:50 or 1:20), alongside orthographic architectural representation (plans, sections, etc) at a range of scales

• Representations of the project using non orthographic representation, focusing on the life and evolution of the project over a minimum of 100 years.

OUTPUTS • Ability to synthesise a given brief and turn it from a set of needs, aims and aspirations into a

set of spaces and on a given site. • Ability to speculate on the future of construction, particularly in relation to the use of low-

embodied carbon materials. This should include the demonstration of an understanding of architectural precedent.

• Ability to develop and represent a complex architectural project through a range of media at scales from the urban to the spatial and material, including physical models, drawings, simple financial tools, and photography.

• Ability to demonstrate an understanding of the urban context of London demonstrated through both research and design response.

• Ability to integrate technical studies within the design of the project particularly in relation to material and construction strategies.


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SYNOPSIS

Forms for Living. Politics of collective housing in Cerdà’s Barcelona Block Designed to disseminate an even distribution of blocks across a potentially homogeneous and infinite city territory, Ildefons Cerdà grid for Barcelona is the epitome of modern urbanisation, but also the perfect tool for global investment corporations recently. Dominated by circulation and biopolitical codes to accommodate the living into defined private properties, this grid, which was conceived as an open field accessible to all citizens, is now trapped by its own predisposition to capital surplus investment in housing property. Today, market investors are increasingly dominating Real Estate preventing citizens, and especially, the younger generations, to access housing. As post-COVID economic deacceleration will worsen this situation, it urges to think about alternative models for living such as co-opt, self-built and resilient residences. To explore these alternatives, EXP 8 proposes work on one of the 113,3 x113,3 metres Barcelona blocks where to speculate with new forms for living for the coming generations. Along this year, the unit will investigate form in a twofold way: as social structures able to survive in the changing condition of the contemporary city through networks of shared interests, associations, cooperation, and care; and as pre-set urban artifacts that can articulate these relations in significant ways. In addition, understood as design processes for urban consolidation and densification against the endless expansion of the city, these forms for living will be inserted, infiltrated, and added to the existing grid. The unit is also interested in processes and actions that provide trust and agency to inhabitants in decisions on housing planning, additional programming possibilities and construction processes, what includes architecture’s own materialisation. Investigations on local material -ceramics, wood, clay-, sustainable possibilities of construction and creative explorations of traditional crafts aligned to experiences in the Mediterranean culture, will be considered to foster sensorial gratification and social engagement. CONTENT

• A design of a block located within Barcelona urban grid expressed through drawings, models and photomontages described in a portfolio.

• Reading Barcelona city through readings, maps, photographs and city fragments after research, to materially inform the content of the block and select a specific site or context within its urban grid.




Unit Master Credits

Francisco Gonzalez de Canales & Nuria Alvarez Lombardero 2nd Yr: 60/120, 3rd Yr: 70/120

Terms 1, 2, 3





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• A research into political, socio-cultural and economic aspects of Barcelona, Spain, and a more specific investigation on housing and different local ways of living to inform the programmatic brief of the block proposal, being this mainly housing.

• Understanding through diagrammatic analysis the spatial organization of some historical and contemporary case studies in a booklet to be later considered to define the initial spatial organization of individual building proposals.

• Experimenting through model-making at various scales and different materials to define the block formal organisation.

• Studies on the relationship between city and block and users and housing spaces, assessing them through drawings.

OUTPUTS

• Presentation of a critical argument on a particular urban question linked to architecture with a review of related literature and site research.

• Explanation of design proposal at different scales - city, building and human scales- understanding interrelated effects of design decisions at each scale.

• Awareness of collective housing buildings precedents, their spatial configurations by diagrammatic analysis and ideas behind their design.

• Employment of different graphic skills to explain design proposals and ideas. • Integration of appropriate technical studies, environmental and material studies within

the block building design.


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Unit Master Maria Fedorchenko Terms 1, 2, 3





SYNOPSIS

The unit pursues the cultural project on the European city that responds to its ongoing collisions and transitions. This year, we focus on the impact of the inherent ‘multiplicity’ of the city on its future architecture. We challenge our imagination to catch up with all the new technologies and intelligences, and the changing understanding of the ‘coherence’ of urban space. Our work is inspired by the historical avant-gardes and contemporary practices that has tried to reconcile dissimilar theories, methods and design elements. The core brief calls for new links between cultural speculation and architectural design, operating across distances and time-cycles. The year’s progression involves alternating phases of analysis and projection, programmatic and formal studies, verbal and visual representation. Following an intense research and case-study sequence, we will put forward our trademark provocations for new devices – “exchanges, converters, generators”, etc. However, instead of confining them to the visual representation and the cultural institutions, we will envision them as the living parts of the city - alternative zones, programmatic clusters and provisional structures. Formulated as general and transferrable models, the projects are to spur tensions and oppositions with their contexts and potential sites. These novel architectural laboratories would not only generate unfamiliar spaces and environments, but also support emerging urban cultures and uses. Ultimately, our collective aim is to rewrite the “cultural programme” for the future and actualise it directly through the architectural project. The unit outcomes would interrelate visionary and pragmatic. Students are expected to refine their hypotheses on conceptual and technical levels. They will produce hybrid drawings and images as well as coherent final portfolios and booklets. Overall, our aim is to offer one of the most comprehensive and balanced programmes of study, operating as a research-design laboratory and a platform for debate, collaboration and exchange. CONTENT

• Research-design exercises that challenge many familiar typologies and spatial platforms dedicated to the architectural culture – from museums and expositions to incubators (with the emphasis on the 20th-21st centuries).

• Research of the disciplinary archive of visionary projects, marking key shifts to the design of the European City (through key texts and case-studies; comparative analysis and intuitive


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“variations” via design exercises) - all related through the over-arching concept of ‘multiplicity’. Further research on the contemporary problematic that cuts across several European cities; analysis of select symptomatic cities and test sites, to ground the abstract hypotheses.

• Preparation of an explicit “Cultural Programme” and the “Urban Manifesto”, accompanied by the provocative design concept. Formulation of the individual design brief, exploring one particular aspect of future architecture that nevertheless engages the preserved, transformed and hypothetical urban aspects.

• Development of the proposal for a visionary urban project – posed as a new zone, site or structure, that houses the emerging cultural activity in the future, and generates new relationships between architectural forms and programmes. Exploration of conceptual and technical aspects of select elements of the design and testing their operation over time.

• Creative engagement with the techniques of visual representation (with emphasis on diagram and drawing), seeking new ways to reveal contaminations, transitions and divergences within the project.

OUTPUTS

• Awareness of links between research and design, responding to disciplinary and urban contexts and utilising precedents to drive polemical and experimental projects;

• Ability to learn from and rework existing conceptual diagrams and design models, programmatic and formal principles – while being more conscious of personal design methods and techniques.

• Ability to connect cultural speculations to the ideas for the architecture of the city, recovering the instrumentality of the visionary project today;

• Ability to conceive a more broadly understood ‘Project on the City’, that includes a range of conceptual, urban and architectural elements, and to communicate its final results through well-chosen media and outlets;

• Preparation of the final set of key synthetic plates and images; preparation of the final year’s publications (Booklets) to include not only the visual outputs but also select research conclusions and manifestoes, reflections on design process and its wider implications.


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Unit Master Valentin Bontjes van Beek, Winston Hampel Terms 1, 2, 3





SYNOPSIS

Cast All things considered, weight matters, particularly in solitude. The Covid-19 pandemic has cast an isolating shadow over the world – everyone is affected, cut off from others, confined to a limited set of containers. And yet, everything seems now to be more connected than ever: family, friends, clients, political forums, museums, concerts and spaces of education manifest on screen as weightless impressions that bridge physical distance. ‘Cast’ encompasses a multitude of meanings, ranging from techniques and forms to designations and judgements, all of which hark back to the basic action of ‘throwing something’; a short jump from the word ‘project’. Its contemporary significance, however, remains fluid. Embracing both our collective isolation and its side-effects, EXP10 will this year explore the facets of the mould and the moulded, and the mechanisms of embodiment and multiplication that they entail. With the negative/positive pair operating as both prophecy and replica, we will fill up or pour into a specific place, site or configuration. We will envision and assemble an encyclopaedia of doppelgängers and project them onto our immediate environment. As part of our endeavour, we will look at the ancient technique of turning liquids into solids, the art of taking an imprint, the act of transplanting and repositioning fragments – snippets that are able to perpetually settle, set of, harden and disperse again. Despite our different global coordinates, the unit will focus on London as its test bed, the city, particularly now, will provide us with a common ground upon which members of the unit can manifest their projects, which will occur predominantly intellectually rather than physically, for a good portion of the year. Through a series of exercises using multiple scales and media, together we will build up a vocabulary and a position, guided by the notion and action of cast/ing. How much, then, does something need to weigh to become real? CONTENT • Primary research about and (if possible) at a London site: exploring physical, structural, social and

historical forces and conditions, in order to identify a particular intent and design focus – tailored to currently available research conditions and student’s location (e.g. research on site/remotely).

• Secondary research on the notions of cast (materiality, technique, territory, selection, narration, strategy, and technology) in relation to architecture and the city – practical as much as conceptual.


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• Exploration into the making of a (physical) model “interface” through the interplay and composition of selected fragments and voids – in various scales and materialities.

• Understanding the value and use of precedents: cast as an indicator for the composition of materiality, form (“gestalt”), sequence, composition, structure, image and location or destination.

• Design competition for a small-scale extension to a London location, demonstrating structural, programmatic, environmental and material strategies. This project will then be further developed as part of the 3rd Year ETS submission.

• Design proposal based on the articulated understanding of the facets of cast on a conceptual, formal and tectonic level; addressed at domestic/interior, building, communal and urban scale; showing awareness of the physical and programmatic context (evidenced through idea, program and design); presented via a technically proficient set of drawings, models and images at appropriate scales, as well as other media.

• Survey: exploration, documentation, research and graphic analysis of an infrastructural and urban spatial condition in a foreign environment (subject to travel safety regulations – otherwise adapted to appropriate “local” contexts).

OUTPUTS

• Presentation of a design project through an experimental and technically proficient set of drawings, images and models at appropriate scales, as well as other appropriate media.

• Evidence of site and formal research, and the ability to identify a particular design focus in relation to the unit’s agenda.

• Awareness and understanding of the found context – evidenced through design and program.

• Understanding of the relationship of particular historical or cultural precedents to the proposed design.

• Integration and discussion of relevant conceptual, technical, environmental, material and social questions within the design development.


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Unit Master Silvana Taher, Matilde Cassani Terms 1, 2, 3

Credits 2nd Yr: 60/120 , 3rd Yr: 70/120




SYNOPSIS

What is the urban park of the 21st century? One might say, it is a space for nature in an otherwise concrete existence that is urban living. Perhaps, it is a space of reprieve, in which one might step away from the hectic pace of bus timetables, jittery commuters, and neurotic bosses. It might simply be described as a space to breathe, metaphorically and increasingly literally. But what else is it, and more importantly, what might it be? Should the urban park of today serve an ecological purpose, one geared to offset the immense carbon footprint which is inseparable from any large city? Or would it better suited to alleviate some of the social tensions that have now become synonymous with the city? Does it have to perform economically? These are some of the questions which we will be asking this year as Experimental 11 proposes ‘The Garden of Urban Delights’; a brief which questions, in true Boschian fashion, what is the idealised, the everyday and the dystopian potential of the urban park experience? The year will begin with a survey of gardens throughout history. Touching on everything from the Monastic Hortus Conclusus to the Persian Chararbag, we will explore the garden as a place of both nature and culture. We will then move onto the emergence of the urban park itself, a typology only formally discussed at the close of the 19th century. In both instances, we will pay particular attention to the social, economic and often religious undertones of a given garden or park design. We will then move on to identifying potential sites for the re-imagined urban parks of the 21st century. Each student will be asked to work in the city in which they are currently based, be it Kiev or Kinshasa. In fact, the more geographical variety we can achieve, the better. Our only requirement of project location is that the genius loci be consulted. In terms of methodology, the unit straddles a fine line between highly analytical and highly intuitive. Our study of garden and park precedents as well as the study of the proposed site of intervention will be based on sieve-mapping and the McHarg Method, a form of landscape architecture which seeks a scientific footing as applied ecology. As we move from analysis and observation into design, we will work increasingly with collage, montage and bricolage, modes of creative production in drawing, film and model making respectively. It is here where we begin to weave in playful intuition. The two modes of production are reflected in the two scales at which we will ask students to develop their proposal. The analytic method will enable students to address the macroscale of terraforming which is inherent in any large landscape project, while the intuitive method will enable students to address the microscale of architectural detail in an inventive and unexpected manner.


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Over the year we will work with a number of specialists in Landscape Design, Applied Ecology and Botany in order to help you develop your proposals. We look forward to a great year of urban garden delights! CONTENT

• The unit will begin with a survey of gardens through history, with particular emphasis places on the emerge of urban parks in the 19th century. Alongside this study, we will also explore the health risks (both mental and physical) associated with urban living, as well as the climate crisis. The aim of this broad field of study is to provide students with an understanding of how the natural world has been cultivated and curated throughout human history and how it also relates to broader issues of health, both individual and global.

• This year the unit will work without a specific site, in order to accommodate the potential of an academic year of online learning. While no specific site will be given, students will have to choose a specific site on which to work. Clear parameters will be provided to enable students to identify a suitable site.

• The unit will continue to work with collage and will also focus on film making. An emphasis will be placed this year on working from the extra-small scale of the single plant, through to the extra-large scale of the urban neighborhood.

• The aim of the unit is to provide new alternative of the urban park which move beyond historic services provided by parks, which in turn focus more directly on the environmental and social pressure which are experience by many urban residents.

OUTPUTS • Each student is expected to present an in-depth survey of an existing park, including a historical

survey of its origins, landscaping applied over time, ownership, current use, inhabitation patterns and environmental services supplied by the park to both the surrounding neighborhoods and the city at large.

• Detailed site analysis of proposed site of intervention. Students must clearly show that they have understood the environmental, social and economic pressures facing the site. The detailed site analysis should include a full physiographic study.

• Design development to be shown from the detailed study of the existing site through to the final proposal, which is to be developed through drawing and film studies at a variety of scales from 1:5 through to 1:20, collages of possible transformations and consequent time scales involves, and technical drawings of transformative phasing.

• A detailed study of the existing rituals and ways of building and living within the new park, including ritual development shown through a series of drawings and/or videos able to describe the sequence of gestures, repeated in time, able to slowly modify a current way of building and living within an urban environment.

• Final design shown through a complete set of drawings of the proposal, project visualizations and project thesis visualization. The final proposal must show an ability to work between intuitive processes and rigorous production, ability to follow non-linear methods of design development, and ability to express architectural project at a variety of scales, and through a variety of means.

• By the end of the year the student should have developed a fully design proposal for the urban park of the 21st century which provides both environmental and social services to the city.


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SYNOPSIS

Transnational Architecture As governments around the world are reinforcing national structures of control, the most pressing forces upon the human condition today – pandemics, climate change and inequality – can no longer be framed as isolated problems that relate only to local territories. Similarly, architecture must be considered at different scales. Experimental Unit 12 will address the position of architecture and urbanism in relation to globalization and cross-border dynamics, address questions of regulation, the concept of centrality and how it affects urban planning in relation to the growing global cities. The unit will concentrate on researching proposals that are global or universal and/or situated in cross border regions to experiment on ways of mutual aid, internationalism and equality. Experimental Unit 12 experiments on the territorial and urban scale but working alongside the scale of architecture that deals with form and matter. The students will produce building designs and new architectural and/or urban forms that relate to a specific student chosen local environment and program.

CONTENT

• The unit is focusing on the impact of technology and globalisation to space and architectural form

• Conduct a series of workshops and lectures throughout the year, to enhance each student’s overall skill set

• To research the immediate urban context of each student by defining an urban centre of their interest or inventing their own concept of territorial centrality

• To do a case study of an international institution which has physical existence that can be visited by the particular student

• Students will translate their initial research into two built forms, one responding to a specific context and site chosen by the students and a second one, a derivative of the first one will act more as an urban or larger scale proposal

• Each student will be developing proposals which are presented and argumented by using a portfolio




Unit Master Taneli Mansikkamäki, Max Turnheim Terms 1, 2, 3






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OUTPUTS

• Knowledge of existing building precedents and ability to produce a comprehensive case study of a chosen institution, investigating social context, structure, performance and spatial design

• Ability to apply research and develop a brief into built form on a physical site • Development of skills to facilitate in the presentation and production of a comprehensive

portfolio • Ability to produce a proposal that addresses either universal, cross-border or virtual contexts • Understanding of a creative design process which addresses theoretical, social, environment

and material issues • Working as a part of a team


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Unit Master Lily Jencks, Jessica Reynolds Terms 1, 2, 3





SYNOPSIS

Experimental 13 believes that museums have an urgent role to play in the ecological emergency. As encyclopaedic institutions where knowledge is certified and archived, museums are pivotal to reach consensus, galvanize action, and change culture to address the climate crisis. Our focus this year is the Natural History Museum; allowing each student to engage with a museum that is local to them in their home country. Where better to design a new relationship with the natural world? From dinosaur skeletons to meteorite specimens, from tree fossils to extinct flower pressings, Natural History Museums preserve, conserve and display all objects associated with life and the earth, educating us on our relationship to the natural world. But museums are not just places of preservation; behind the scenes scientists in laboratories conduct new scientific research into our origins and evolution, breakthroughs are made, and paradigms are overturned. These collections are housed inside monolithic purpose-built museum-cathedrals - how can these become places of cultural production for the future? The unit will explore different ways to prompt action and create engaged citizens. We will ‘unbuild’ and ‘de-institutionalise’ the natural history museum as a type: dissemble its collections, break down its heavy walls, dismember its mode of operations, and open up to new modes of accessibility, publics, collections, technologies, spaces, temporalities and programmes. We will follow our well-structured unit methodology of architectural obsessions, learning from contemporary artists, and developing unique 4d representations adapted to remote learning. By injecting the Natural History Museum building type with future narratives, we will reclaim its urgent position at the centre of debates about the environmental emergency, the climate crisis, the ongoing pandemic, and environmental justice. CONTENT

• In-depth research and analysis of a chosen ‘architectural obsession’ through its historic and contemporary manifestations, with a focus on its relevance and urgency in today’s discourse. This year the architectural obsession relates to an environmental system.


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• Precise analytical drawings and films of Natural History Museums in relation to their environmental layers, to develop surveying, drawing and documenting techniques to be used throughout the year

• The design of a display environment and system, approximately the size of one room, for a new display of a contemporary artwork that relates to the architectural obsession

• An experimental sequence of material tests including model iterations to provide formal parameters that investigate the chosen ‘architectural obsessions’ in relation to the topic of museums and ecology.

• A precedent study will be carried out to learn from museum typologies and subvert them. • Students will pick a museum in their own home country (where possible). Students will map

out how their architectural theme is exemplified or denied by certain urban configurations in their city context.

• The design of an intervention at an existing Natural History Museum that follows a rigorous architectural logic based on the development of the architectural obsession. The form and programme of the museum will be radically reinvented through extensions, contractions, decentralisation techniques and other strategies.

• Students will focus on animation techniques throughout the year to develop strong representational techniques. These will be used to develop the atmospheric qualities of the spatial and material arrangements of their proposals.

OUTPUTS • Thoughtful research, development and presentation of an architectural obsession, which will

become the catalyst for the design project. • Ability to create iterative material and formal experiments that successfully challenge

elemental relationships in architecture. • Ability to synthesize research and formal/material tests into creative interpretation of the

hybrid brief at the building scale. • Development of a unique representational technique of orthographic drawing types through

‘4d’ techniques. These are drawings that literally unfold in space (3D) and time (4D). 4D techniques are tailored to individual projects, to reflect formal and theoretical themes being developed by the students.

• Integration of an experimental environmental/technical detail that develops the theme of their project, using the material and formal experiments.


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Level Second Year, Third Year


Unit Masters Amandine Kastler

Aram Mooradian

Christopher Pierce

Terms 1, 2, 3





SYNOPSIS

Dodici personaggi in cerca d’autore Global institutions like UNESCO, government organisations like Historic England and regional and local groups like parish councils treat architectural identity as static – often with nationalistic connotations. EXP14 understands identity as fluid. By defining architecture as a state of inhabitation that is constantly in flux, we promote a sustainable mode of building that taps into existing ecologies and challenges preconceived notions of the architectural project and outmoded ideas of the vernacular.

EXP14 will use digital and physical means to unearth the ancient strands and contemporary trajectories of Silk Roads, traveling from west to east on three epic journeys over the coming years. The first of these, during 2020–21, will focus on land and water routes from Amsterdam to Istanbul via Venice. We will study the clashing of cultures, the fusion of architectural ideas and the transmogrification of existing architectures. Not unlike the peripatetic medieval friars who travelled across Europe from monastery to monastery, we will pinpoint our own centres of expertise in relation to the role of the architect. Schools of architecture will be our stopping-off points to learn about how places are transforming in relation to climate change and migration.

The unit will develop theoretical foundations that put to bed traditional, Eurocentric ideas of the vernacular to embrace a broader spectrum of values. Our architecture will focus on creating environments and atmospheres, forsaking form as the defining aspect of an architectural proposal. We will approach buildings not as static objects, but as complex amalgamations of materials that exist in time by surveying and making artefacts as ways of understanding and interpreting places. As much about the interior as the exterior, our surveys will use a range of scales and techniques, including casting, digital scanning, architectural measuring and sound and video recording. From this material, students will then construct an iterative series of low- and high-tech artefacts and prototypes.

To challenge pre-conceived notions of place, we ask: What is ‘identity’ in a world where everything is changing or in flux? What does it mean to build locally and sustainably?


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OUTLINE CONTENT

• Development of an architectural project in or near one or more UNESCO world heritage sites located between Amsterdam and Istanbul from extensive primary and secondary digital and physical site research and surveys of existing buildings conducted in the student’s home country and along their individually determined route from Amsterdam to Istanbul.

• Experimenting, testing and developing ‘alternative’ sustainable building materials derived from context-based sources.

• First-hand research geared to establishing new architectural connections with place-based nature, history, archaeology and mythology, as well as imported cultural precedents.

• Consideration of specific environmental conditions in order to explore a building’s seasonality (time-based themes) and ability to respond and adapt to climate change.

• Focus on developing three-dimensional expertise to the scale of 1:5. • Overall emphasis on the iterative development of skills and techniques by designing and

communicating through the parallel processes of drawing and making.

OUTPUTS

• Ability to follow a design process to develop an architectural project for one or more existing buildings on an individually selected site(s).

• Ability to understand, interpret and develop two and three-dimensional ideas/work into a coherent architectural proposition.

• Ability to translate and develop work from exercises at different scales into creative combinations at the building and detail scale with an emphasis on alternative materials and a distinct architectural programme.

• Ability to develop and articulate a contemporary, context-driven architectural idiom that also takes a position on UNESCO.

• Ability to create a clear and creative visual and verbal communication of the architectural project through a highly refined portfolio of two and three-dimensional work.


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Unit Master Xristina Argyros & Ryan Neiheiser Terms 1, 2, 3




Learning methods Lectures Travel/Site Analysis Seminars/Tutorials/Juries Self-directed Learning

SYNOPSIS

CITY / HALL: Community and Collective Form In this moment of populist extremism, resurgent nationalism, and precarious transnational unions, we turn our attention to the politics of the local. We reassert the value of the city as a primary site of collective identity, citizenship, and resource management, and ask how we might reinvent the forms and logics of its primary political institution – the City Hall. A city is a complex ecosystem of exchanges, flows, and shifting relationships; a plurality of subjectivities, institutions, laws, resources, histories, objects, and impressions. However, a city is also more than this swarm of intricate interactions; at its best it is also held together by a commonality, a proximity, a shared set of values, ambitions, and concerns. The paradoxical challenge of the city is how to nurture this collective identity while also embracing its inconsistencies and inherent multiplicity. To do so, a city must create a public sphere; an active, debating citizenry that participates in the negotiation of contradictory exchanges and flows. The space that has traditionally catalyzed, contained, and made legible this public debate has been the City Hall, a physical and symbolic representation of the city’s civic identity. Throughout history, the City Hall has variously served as safe-guarder of tradition, symbol of power, bureaucratic control center, marketplace, civic resource, historical archive, and community hub. With the rise of nation states and the increasingly federal scale of both policy and representation, its function became more and more administrative, and across much of the world today local government is being reduced, outsourced, privatized, and made virtual, with dramatic implications for our ability to locate collective identity, and in turn motivate civic participation. Experimental 15 challenges the City Hall to once again be a community building for building community. We will interrogate the protocols of the common and the tectonics of collective form. We will reinvent the institution of the City Hall for the 21st century – urgently asserting a new vision for our local, ecological, and collective future. CONTENT

• Typological research and representation of city halls and other civic institutions from around the world, historic and current.

• Unit trips (virtual, and physical - Covid permitting) to civic institutions throughout the world,


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to research and analyze project sites. • Creation of an Atlas of City Halls, for use as both a basis of discussion, and as a toolkit for the

architectural design proposals. • Research, analysis, and representation of “city ecologies,” broadly interpreted, to determine

the constituents of the city hall of the future. • Architectural design proposal for a new city hall institution, to be communicated through

drawings and models.

OUTPUTS

• Ability to research, represent (in the form of drawings and/or models), and develop “readings” or interpretations of urban environments through careful site analysis.

• Ability to diagram (in the form of drawings and models) and develop “readings” or interpretations of built and unbuilt precedent city hall projects.

• Ability to synthesize graphic content and draw conclusions. • Ability to apply research to develop a project brief (questions and ambitions) and articulate

a design hypothesis (that is both critical and projective), that is translated into a designed form on an urban site.

• Ability to produce intelligent and original design proposals at an architectural scale. • Ability to articulate the urban repercussions of the architectural proposal. • Awareness of the cultural, material, social, political, economic, and ecological context

surrounding, motivating, and implicated by the architectural proposal. • Evidence of formal research, and the ability to identify a particular design focus in relation to

the unit’s agenda.


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Unit Master Eleanor Dodman; Selim Halulu Terms 1, 2, 3





SYNOPSIS No Dogs No Ball Games Community, a word favoured by architects and politicians alike, is frequently used in a broad-brush way. Vague and imprecise, its use will often other those it seeks to address. As a term, it can mean anything and nothing; it can appropriate and localise, include and exclude. Bound up within it are many separate groupings or commonalities that overlap in different ways; complicated sub-plots to the prevailing narrative. But as more and more projects claim to be ‘community-led’ or ‘community-centred’, we will interrogate a word that has become so ingrained within our vocabulary yet is almost devoid of meaning. EXP16 will delve into a world where heritage, culture and communities are yet to be formed. Satellite towns will be our test bed. We will unpick their political contexts – how and why they were founded; who they were built for – to unravel their utopian vision (or lack thereof) and the image that is used to portray them. Our projects will be highly suspicious and curiously sceptical, encompassing an array of reactions, retaliations and responses. We will grapple with our own preconceived ideas, shifting our viewpoint to critically engage with the image and the identity of a place seen through multiple lenses. The format of each individual project will be meticulously honed and means of representation will be formed through iteration. Time and scale will be used interchangeably to understand the speed and capacity of development, its impacts and its genesis. Designs could range from artefacts to complex systems of legislation, forums for participatory design or acute interventions, each adequately vulnerable and sufficiently incomplete. This is not an urban design unit, but one that questions how the image of a place and the idea of a community can be created from zero, where disruptions to the prevailing narrative will be encouraged in an attempt to escape its confinements. CONTENT

• Exploration of different means of shifting viewpoints, tested through different media. • Investigating and understanding the roles of various factors that contribute to the image of a

place and the production of its identity. • Active participation in seminars, curated talks, debates about the unit agenda with • external guests and collaborators. Contribution to the wider discussion beyond the personal

project


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• Research into a series of existing satellite/ new towns in order to develop an understanding of the vision behind their formations, their history, how they can be formed and the utopian vision behind them.

• Exploration of employing different marketing tools and representation tools to embody the image of a place as a means to expand on initial research.

• Importance of using scale and time interchangeably to understand the capacity of development in the proposal.

OUTPUTS

• Ability to engage with extensive research material and to critically edit in order to support/enhance the personal project.

• Development of critical responses and reflections to the posed set of ‘constanquestions’, highlighted in the unit brief, throughout the academic session.

• Inquiry into the appropriate use of representation for the proposals. Iterative testing to evaluate different media.

• Ability to test, record and synthesise observations and design ideas in a single, yearlong image.

• Developing skills to read and understand the right scale of operation for the chosen proposal. Drawings models and modes of representation that highlight the students’ critical response to the question of community in relation to new towns

• Critical incorporation of relevant technical components to the design proposal. • Development and design of evaluation methods to test the proposals


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Unit Master Mark E Breeze; Katie (Kyriaki) Kasabalis Terms 1, 2, 3





SYNOPSIS Technological transformations, migration pressures, soaring land costs, increasing environmental challenges, and most recently a global pandemic have fundamentally changed our relationship to shelter. While these ever-changing conditions are affecting people far and near, their impact remains extremely local and idiosyncratic, signaling new modes of living, working, playing and connecting with each other. How these new norms unfold within the boundaries of shelter and the possibilities they enable remains unexplored. Traditional definitions of housing typologies, their spatial organization and their relationship to the urban begs to be critically re-examined. The unit will look for opportunities to express not only hidden values, desires and dreams for the future, but also strategies that allow us to absorb contradictions and conflicting goals within the thoughtful re-production of our new domestic realities. This unit will use filmmaking as the primary instrument to critically examine what shelter is, what it can do, and what it can mean across geographies and scales. Deliberately wedged between the real and the virtual, this unit will harness the potential of film as a analytical, explorative, and presentational tool, strategy, and technique to develop a new architecture of time, space, and affect unfettered by the material constraints of gravity and routine: we understand film as a project, not simply an act of representation. Using existing smartphone hardware and softwares to capture and augment realities, these filmic explorations will be neither real nor imaginary, but both simultaneously. This unit proposes a method of architectural production that values the observer as a participant and an intelligent critical other. Students will move from the digital to the analogue and back again, as they develop and represent their architectural responses through the strategies and techniques of drawing, model making, and film as synchronous analytical and projective tools. Through this reactive and projective approach, we will radically rethink the future organization, potentials and natures of not only the domestic sphere, but also the process of architecture itself. The material covered throughout the terms is interactively presented through a series of lectures, design prompts, exercises, workshops, and reviews. In Term 1 students will develop a communal understanding of the concept of ‘shelter’, the processes and techniques of film, and the contextual realities of the site and its programming; each student will then explore and refine their specific interests, methods, and approaches to create their own design brief. In Term 2 students will focus on exploring how their propositions, concepts, and spatial dreams can become inhabitable; although


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drawings and physical model-making will form the basis of design development, film will remain ever present as a tool to be exploited at every stage of the process. In Term 3 students will concentrate on refining and producing a fully developed and innovatively represented, projective architectural response. OUTLINE CONTENT

• Critically re-examine our definitions and relationship to shelter today across geographies and scales using filmmaking as the primary tool for architectural analysis and production.

• Understand shelter as an instrumental process for living, less as a self-absorbed, self-referential enterprise or object, and more as a mutating device conceived to produce effects and affects to frame and reframe human experiences and redefine how we dwell in the future.

• Understand film as a tool - not simply an act of representation - and use it strategically with drawing and modelmaking to develop design projects that are rooted in both observation and speculative thinking.

• Taking a critical position, each student will research two domestic spaces: their own and a selected case study. In absence of studio travel due to Covid-19, this two-fold investigation will allow each student to critically observe their context, while being exposed to existing, historic, as well as utopian models, imagining and definitions of human sheltering.

• Radically rethink the nature of domesticity and its relationship to context both from inside-out, and outside-in, so as to propose a new expanded model of collective living.

• Develop individual interests to formulate a design brief through the process of making audiovisual films, drawings, and models, as well as writing.

• Focus on site-specific architectural interventions that respond to their immediate context and question how these can serve as a catalyst for a larger urban project

• Develop custom made techniques of representation that allow the projects to create not only new spatial forms, but also new experiences of domesticities.

• Develop a reciprocal relationship between thinking through making and making through thinking as a way for creative discovery

• Embrace “not knowing” as a precondition to an effective design process and as an antidote to the prescriptive and the preconceive.

DELIVERABLES

• Produce audiovisual documentary films using smartphone technologies • Use documentary film techniques as a mode of spatial, temporal, and affective analysis and

exploration • Use a range of media in concert with film – including but not limited to drawings,

photomontages, model making and writing – to advance architectural ideas • Undertake research of existing housing typologies to understand opportunities and

limitations and frame an architectural position accordingly • Construct a concise project brief • Produce site analysis and mappings through different lenses to reveal hidden factors

(physical, political, economic, environmental) and cultural forces. • Develop site strategies and a projective architectural proposal through an iterative process


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rooted in critical research and analysis. • Develop the ability to work effectively both individually and collaboratively. • Actively contribute to workshops, discussions, critiques, and group learning activities. • Develop a range of technological and representation skills to communicate ideas and

analysis clearly and succinctly, through writing, speech, and design work.


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UNIT TITLE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN UNIT 18



Unit Master Viviana Muscettola, Nhan Vo, Arya Safavi Terms 1, 2, 3





SYNOPSIS With twenty-eight thousand tall building over 100m around the world and many more to build, our cities are changing their skyline, their urban context and the way societies are interacting with each other. The unit aims to critically address this huge phenomenon through the understanding of the changes they introduce in our cities and our society starting from the understanding the logics to design towers, the boundaries and possibilities the create, their impact on social sustainability. An exploration into the design of towers and the vertical facilitation of socially sustainable spaces suitable for the 21st century. The design of tall towers has been shaped and governed over time by a matrix of civic agendas and financial and physical forces resulting in a differentiated skyline of buildings reflecting greater and more intensified urban density while remaining individually isolated and limited in connectivity. In an era of increasingly limited natural resources, how can vertically arranged physical spaces be responsibly informed by and encourage contemporary forms of social communication? This studio aims to first ascertain a deep knowledge of existing tower typologies and the ways in which they have been defined in terms of PROGRAMS, ENCLOSURE, MOVEMENT, and STRUCTURE. Existing examples of residential, commercial, and mixed-use towers will be analyzed against the realities which informed their design. With this understanding, an alternative set of programs will then be investigated as sites with the potential to be arranged vertically with a key driver in this vertical arrangement being the added value on the social sustainability and potential of collective intelligence and collaboration. The culmination of this methodology will be a synthesis of the existing tower typology enfolded with the alternative vertically arranged programs as a process of exploration to understand if the architecture of tall buildings can provide improved human and community scaled hubs to work, live, and socialize. The mediums for this critical exploration will include working physically between gravity, balance, and light, as well as digitally simulated through iterations of solid and void, layering of interior and exterior spaces, sustainability, and consideration of the flows of people and services. Located in a site selected by the students, the design for areas of connectivity will include attention to the ground condition, underground and above ground amenities, and the possibilities and challenges afforded by vertical atria, nested public and private spaces and a mixed program. The results will be critically assessed against existing models of performance, function and efficiency.


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External experts from consultancy firms and from the industry will be called on for a series of workshops and talks.

CONTENT

• Understanding of current environmental and social sustainability discourses as the basis for the design of tall buildings.

• Understanding of existing tower typologies in relation to Enclosure, Movement and Structure • Defining and re-composing existing programmatic typologies in a vertical manner with added

value and critical analysis of function, performance, and efficiency. • Production of drawings and models as a process of design exploration into working

dexterously within the constraints of gravity and balance, light and shadow, structure and movement, layering of interior and exterior spaces, and a high-level functional composition of programmatic briefs.

• Ability to apply learned knowledge of digital software such as CAD, Rhino, Grasshopper, and the Adobe Creative Suite as tools to facilitate the design exploration process in a directed and strategic manner.

• Executing an iterative design concept process for tall buildings and mixed-use programs. • Documentation and active investigation throughout site trips and conferences through

photographs, sketches, and booklets.

OUTPUTS:

• Case study presentation on fundamentals of selected tower typology in relation to Enclosure, Movement, and Structure

• Understanding of and presentation of alternative programs as well as vertically stacked arrangements towards heightening social sustainability, communication and collaboration.

• Integration and synthesis of diverse alternative programs into existing tower typology as a critical approach towards testing the possibilities of vertical and socially sustainable communities.

• Site analysis and critical understanding of boundary conditions and stakeholders in the design process of a tall building.

• Material exploration through physical model making as a means to test design ideas on enclosure, movement, and structure.

• Design and adaptation of tower typology with alternative program mix in a manner socially sustainable and invigorating.

• Demonstration of agility in composing spatial arrangements relevant to brief. • Presentation of research, analysis and design concepts towards gaining productive

professional feedback from the industry.


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3.3 CORE STUDIES – EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMME

The five Core Studies programmes – History and Theory Studies, Communication and Media Studies, Environmental and Technical Studies, Speculative Studies and Professional Practice Studies – are an essential part of the Experimental and Diploma Programme. In term-long courses or shorter projects students obtain knowledge and gain experience related to a wide range of architectural learning. Third Year students take a Professional Practice Studies course as part of their ARB/RIBA Part 1 and 2 requirements. History & Theory Studies includes courses that develop historical and theoretical knowledge and writing related to architectural discourses, concepts and ways of thinking. Communication and Media Studies helps students in First and Second Year to develop skills in traditional forms of architectural representation as well as today’s most experimental forms of information and communication technology. Environmental and Technical Studies offers surveys as well as in-depth instruction in particular material, structural, environmental and other architectural systems, leading to technical submissions that build upon the ideas and ambitions of projects related to work within the units. Speculative Studies taught in the Second Year explores issues of contemporary culture through the study of other disciplines and practices and their relation to architecture. Together, the courses on offer in Core Studies give students the opportunity to establish and develop their own individual interests and direction within the school. These courses also provide opportunities for students approaching architecture from the different agendas of the units to come together in shared settings.

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3.3.1 CORE STUDIES: HISTORY AND THEORY STUDIES The primary aim of History and Theory Studies is to assist in the process of creating graduates who are independent, critical, and inventive. In order to do so, it must address many aspects of the architectural culture and discourse that are not directly addressed in design work. Firstly, students need not only to understand, but to take a view on cultural and political questions that involve architecture such as ecology, housing and widespread inequality; issues with which it is imperative that architectural intelligence intervenes. Secondly, there are those questions that stem from within the architecture itself: the nature of contemporary practice, the possible career routes for trained architects and the responses of the profession at large to particular social issues and questions of public taste. Both of these dimensions form a critical component of the discourse at the AA and its translation of cultural issues into architecture. These are the principles around which the HTS courses operate throughout the school. In the Experimental Programme, HTS relies upon a traditional structure of lectures, seminars, and tutorials. In each year, students will be required to produce written essays in the first and second terms. History and Theory Studies can only thrive while it is innovating. For the coming academic year, two important progressions have been made concerning the nature of the courses on offer.

Guide to Essay Writing, Referencing and Guidelines – All Years Writing and Essay Mark Cousins

Architectural Essay Writing: Referencing Guidelines Ryan Dillon

These are not assessed courses but provided as a form of learning support.

First Year History and Theory Studies Terms 1 and 2 A Survey of Architecture and Urban History

Course Lecturer: Pier Vittorio Aureli Course Tutor: Manolis Stavrakakis Seminar Tutors: Gili Merin, Dorette Panagiotopoulou, Claire Potter, Ricardo Ruivo, Alexandra Vougia The lecture course will survey architectural and urban history by addressing a multitude of specific architectural artifacts. Central to the survey is the notion of paradigm in architecture and what makes a specific building produced within a specific historical context, an example. It is by going in depth into paradigmatic artifacts and engaging their singularity, their specific way of being in time

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and space, that a general understanding of architecture and its social and political context may be possible. Within the seminar we will learn how to describe buildings and larger urban structures, how to situate them in their historical context, how to conceptualize their implicit (or explicit) idea of space, and above all how they were conceived, designed, and built. Students are encouraged to select case studies from those listed in the syllabus, develop an in-depth bibliographical research and produce an explanatory and argumentative document made of text, drawings and well-selected images.

Second Year History and Theory Studies Terms 1 and 2 Architectural Knowledge Course Lecturers: Mark Cousins and Mark Morris Course Tutor: Eleni Axioti Seminar Tutors: Francesca Dell’Aglio, Giorgos Eftaxiopoulos, Sofia Krimizi, Dorette Panagiotopoulou, Ioanna Pintara, Klaus Platzgummer HTS in second year is concerned with the examination of architectural knowledge from a very precise point of view: that of the student in the course of architectural study. Linking the key concepts and categories that students become aware of during their architectural education – whether examining the past or forms of architectural representation –, this course questions how such fundamental ideas take root in practice in an attempt to demystify and clarify the processes that constitute the formation of architectural knowledge. Third Year History and Theory Studies Terms 1 and 2 Buildings and Cities Course Lecturers: Ryan Dillon and Costandis Kizis Course Tutor: Zaynab Zena Ziari Seminar Tutors: Nerma Cridge, Merce Rodrigo Garcia, Roberta Marcaccio, William Orr, Ricardo Ruivo, Katerina Zacharopolou This course will examine how a single architectural project captures features of the city in which it is located. Focusing on a close investigation of case studies from the twentieth and twenty-first century, each lecture will unpack how an urban context can be read and understood through its architecture, exposing the social, political and cultural theories of its time. Further details of course dates, an explanation of the required coursework and assessment information can be found in the course handbook that will be made available at the beginning of the academic year.


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Unit Staff Mark Cousins is Head of History and Theory Studies at the AA. He was educated at Oxford and the Warburg Institute. He has taught at the AA for many years in the undergraduate, postgraduate and the PhD programmes. He is a founding member of the AA Graduate School and the London Consortium. He has been Visiting Professor at Columbia University and is currently Guest Professor at South Eastern University Nanjing in China. Pier Vittorio Aureli is an architect and educator. He is a Visiting Professor at the School of Architecture at Yale University and is the author of The Possibility of an Absolute Architecture (2011) and The project of Autonomy: Politics and Architecture within and against Architecture (2008). He is a co-founder of Dogma, and architectural studio based in Brussels and focused on the project of the city. Mark Morris is the Head of Teaching and Learning at the AA. He completed his MArch at Ohio State University where he received the AIA Henry Adams medal, and took his PhD at the London Consortium supported by the RIBA Research Trust. His research focuses on questions of visual representation in the context of the history of architectural education. Mark previously taught architectural theory and design at Cornell University where he served as Coordinator of Post-Professional Degree Programmes, Director of Graduate Studies, and Director of Exhibitions. He is the author of two books: Models: Architecture and the Miniature and Automatic Architecture. Mark represents the AA at the Higher Education Academy and London Higher Directors Group.

Ryan Dillon studied at Syracuse University School of Architecture and the AA, where he received his MA in Histories & Theories. He is Unit Master of AA Experimental Design Unit 5 and Programme Coordinator for the Architecture & Urbanism (AADRL). He is a designer at EGG Office and previously worked at Moshe Safdie Architects.

Costandis Kizis holds a PhD from the AA, where he teaches History and Theory and First Year studio. He has studied at Columbia University and at NTUAthens and practices with Kizis Architects.

Eleni Axioti (AA PhD Candidate) has taught at the AA and at Central St. Martins. She holds an M.A. in History and Theory of Architecture from the AA and a Diploma (MEng.) with honors from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She has practiced in London since 2007 and her current PhD research focuses on the relation between institutional architecture and politics.

Zaynab Dena Ziari completed her postgraduate studies in History and Theory of Architecture at the AA. She writes for architects about architecture and has a research interest in the intersection of urbanism, the digital, and its psychological outputs.

Nerma Cridge holds an MSc in Architectural History from the Bartlett and a PhD in Histories and Theories from the AA and has worked for a number of practitioners including Thomas Heatherwick and Art2Architecture. She runs her own practice, Drawing Agency, and has recently completed a book based on her PhD thesis, titled Drawing the Unbuildable.


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Francesca Dell’ Aglio is an architect and writer. She studied at University IUAV of Venice and recently completed her MA in History and Critical thinking at the Architectural Association. She collaborated in different projects for the last three Venice Architecture Biennale, and since 2011 she is editor of the Venice-based journal Engramma.

Georgios Eftaxiopoulos is an architect living and working in London. He is trained at the Architectural Association, where he is currently pursuing his PhD in Architectural Design. Georgios has previously worked in Belgium and Switzerland and has taught at the Berlage and the University of Navarra.

Sofia Krimizi studied architecture at the National Technical Institute in Athens and at Columbia University GSAPP in New York. She has taught design studios and research seminars at the Cooper Union, Cornell University, UPenn, Pratt Institute and the Bartlett School of Architecture. She is currently a PhD candidate at the AA. Gili Merin (AA PhD candidate) graduated from the MA in History and Critical Thinking and is now a PhD student working on aspects of Jerusalem. She has taught in the History and Theory program and has worked for OMA.

Roberta Marcaccio teaches History and Theory of Architecture at the AA and works for the London-based architectural studio DSDHA. After studying at the Politecnico di Milano and at the AA, she has worked in an editorial capacity at Artifice Books and has collaborated with Beatrice Galilee on the curation of several exhibitions. In 2016, Roberta was awarded a 2-year Research Fellowship by the Royal Commission for The Exhibition of 1851 to investigate cycling and transport infrastructure in London. She has taught widely in the UK and her writings have featured on AA Files, Blueprint Magazine, 'Real Estates' (Bedford Press, 2014), 'Erasmus Effect' (Quodlibet, 2014), 'Milano Architettura' (Skira, 2015).

William Orr (AA PhD candidate) is a designer, theorist and musician. He holds an MA in architecture from the University of Toronto and has been developing his PhD research at the AA since 2014.

Dorette Panagiotopoulou (AA PhD candidate) studied architecture at the AA and holds an MA in Cultural and Intellectual History from the Warburg Institute. She has worked at Forensic Architecture based at Goldsmiths University and at Hopkins Architects in London. Ioanna Pintara (AA PhD candidate) is a Greek architect, researcher and candidate on the PhD in Architectural Design Programme at the Architectural Association. She holds her Diploma in Architecture from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and her post-graduate Specialization Diploma in Architectural Design with honors from the University of Thessaly, Greece. Her research focuses on the architectural resolution of the private in relation to domestic space in the neoliberal context. Klaus Platzgummer holds a Master’s in Architecture from the ETH Zürich and a Master’s in History and Critical Thinking from the AA. He is a teaching and research associate at the Department of Architectural Theory, TU Berlin.


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Claire Potter is author of three poetry books. She holds degrees in psychoanalysis and literature from the Université Paris VII Denis Diderot and the University of New South Wales.

Mercedes Rodrigo Garcia is an architect and PhD candidate at Birkbeck College. She obtained her March from Research Architecture Goldsmiths following her studies at the Bartlett. She has taught at Oxford Brooks, been a fellow at Tokyo Institute of Technology, held art/research residencies, participated in symposia and practices architecture internationally.

Ricardo Ruivo is an architect, researcher, and teacher at the AA School of Architecture. He finished his PhD at the AA in 2018, having previously worked and studied in Porto, Portugal. His research addresses the relationship between architectural form and political content in architectural discourse and historiography as ideological production. Manolis Stavrakakis holds a Ph.D. in History and Theory of Architecture from the AA. He has studied architecture at the National Technical University of Athens, Columbia University and the AA. He has been practising and teaching architecture in Athens and in London since 2005. Alexandra Vougia studied architecture in Thessaloniki, Greece, holds an MS in Advanced Architectural Design from GSAPP, Columbia University, and a PhD from the AA. She has worked as an architect in New York and Athens and has taught at the AA since 2012. Katerina Zacharopoulou studied Architecture in Thessaloniki, Greece, and holds an MA with Distinction in History & Critical Thinking from the AA. Her research explores the use of humour as a design tool, and she is the first architect to have spoken at the International Society for Humor Studies conference, on its 30th anniversary. LEARNING SUPPORT

Extensive information and resources are available to all students for learning support including the school library, current and archived architectural journals, photo library, film library, school archives including past projects and taped lectures, school bookshop, the public lecture series, weekly published school events lists, the bar and restaurant and woodland workshop facilities and campus at Hooke Park in Dorset. The inter-library loan system allows students and tutors connections to a larger resource of libraries across London and beyond the school. History and Theory tutors are available to meet their students for tutorials, seminars and juries every week. METHOD OF ASSESSMENT Formative assessment Regular reviews of weekly writings and presentations, consideration of draft essay, guidance for final submission. Deadlines for on-going submission development are built into the seminar programme together with the utilisation of readings and projects from the course material, adherence to academic standards for essay writing and the rigorous production of a written argument with the essay.


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Summative assessment Each essay is double marked by two course tutors. A sample of papers is shared amongst all seminar leaders and course tutors to assure parity of assessment. Students receive written feedback, supplemented by a follow-up individual tutorial with the seminar leader to discuss further the essay and areas for improvements in future research and writing projects.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA All learning outcomes must be achieved to attain a pass in this course.

Assessment is graded as follows:

• High Pass: High level of achievement overall, exceeding the criteria required to attain a Pass. The submission demonstrates comprehensive appreciation of topic and application of critical reflection and insight. Developmental and final work documented clearly in a coherently structured and well-presented submission. A High Pass recommendation is only possible for a submission that has achieved a Pass and is made by the assessing tutor for further review by a separately convened High Pass assessment panel who will review the standard and quality of all recommendations.

• Pass: Good level of achievement overall, meeting the criteria required to attain a pass. The submission demonstrates appreciation of topic with some critical reflection and insight. Developmental and final work documented clearly in a reasonably presented submission.

• Low Pass: Work attaining the standard of Pass, but which has previously been assessed as Complete to Pass and/or has been submitted after the advertised date/time.

• Complete to Pass: Unsatisfactory level of achievement overall, which fails to meet the criteria required to attain a Pass. Demonstrates little appreciation, development or effort, or is insufficient in quantity. This assessment is also the automatic result of failure to meet minimum attendance requirements. Each re-submission attempt (to a maximum of 2) requires the satisfactory completion of an additional assignment which is a further essay of 1000 words on an agreed topic or equivalent. A submission receiving a Complete to Pass assessment can only achieve a Low Pass outcome upon successful resubmission.

• Fail: Work and/or attendance previously assessed as Complete to Pass which fails, after the maximum number of permitted re-submission attempts (to a maximum of 2), to meet the criteria required to attain a Pass.


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TRANSFERABLE SKILLS The student will have an opportunity to practise the following skills:

Required Assessed Communication: Verbal § § Visual § § Written § § Self-management skills § § Manage time and work to deadlines § § IT/CAD techniques § Information management § § Critical skills/ability § §


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Course Title CORE STUDIES HISTORY AND THEORY STUDIES: A SURVEY OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN HISTORY

Level First Year FHEQ Level 5

Status Compulsory

Course Leader Pier Vittorio Aureli (Course Lecturer) Manolis Stavrakakis (Course Tutor) Gili Merin, Dorette Panagiotopoulou, Claire Potter, Ricardo Ruivo, Alexandra Vougia, (Seminar Tutors)

Term 1 & 2

Credits 20/120




SYNOPSIS

The lecture course will survey architectural and urban history by addressing a multitude of specific architectural artifacts. Central to the survey is the notion of paradigm in architecture and what makes a specific building produced within a specific historical context, an example. It is by going in depth into paradigmatic artifacts and engaging their singularity, their specific way of being in time and space, that a general understanding of architecture and its social and political context may be possible. Within the seminar we will learn how to describe buildings and larger urban structures, how to situate them in their historical context, how to conceptualize their implicit (or explicit) idea of space, and above all how they were conceived, designed, and built. Students are encouraged to select case studies from those listed in the syllabus, develop an in-depth bibliographical research and produce an explanatory and argumentative document made of text, drawings and well-selected images.

AIMS

To produce, over the course of two terms, written work of increasing sophistication. Provide a strong foundation of architectural history and theory. Develop awareness of basic relationships of historical and theoretical research to design and related arts and human sciences. Develop the ability to make informed judgements and to self-evaluate and work independently. Develop understanding of the relationship between architectural history and theory in relation to social, cultural, contextual, philosophical and political issues. Develop visual, verbal and written communication skills. Understand the importance of discussion and external evaluation in relation to all aspects of architectural writing and be able to respond to and integrate feedback.

CONTENT

Introduction to the history of the city and the urban territory from antiquity to the contemporary age through the concept of urban form. The first term will focus on the city; Who builds a city? Who inhabits a city? And above all what is the ultimate purpose of a city?


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The second term will attempt a survey of architectural history by compressing it into seven canonical buildings. Central to this survey will be the discussion on what is an architectural paradigm and what makes a specific building produced within a specific historical context, an example. Students will be trained to carefully look at plans, drawings, paintings, photographs. Subsequently students will learn to compose a bibliography about a specific case study and will research this case study by means of graphic notations such as plans, elevations and other type of drawings etc. TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES The teaching and learning strategy for History and Theory Studies at First Year level is learning through research, reading, writing and drawing. History and Theory Studies courses are lecture and seminar based. Assignments are student-centred and course based. Students are encouraged to value writing and drawing as a critical tool to communicate ideas and original insight through the development of a strong essay thesis. Writing skills are obtained through a series of assignments, developing abstracts and outlines and is required to communicate these to the class and tutor and consider the feedback. Regular feedback is provided through in-class discussions, group and individual tutorials and comments on essay drafts in preparation for the final submission. OUTPUTS:

The course will be based on a series of exercises both in writing and drawing that will enable the students to formulate an argument and provide sufficient evidence to support it. • Presentation of a 2000-word essay at the end of term • Presentation of writings at weekly seminars


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Course Title CORE STUDIES HISTORY AND THEORY STUDIES: ARCHITECTURAL KNOWLEDGE

Level Second Year FHEQ Level 6

Status Compulsory

Course Leader Mark Cousins and Mark Morris (Course Lecturers) Eleni Axioti (Course Tutor) Francesca Dell’Aglio, Giorgis Eftaxiopolous, Sofia Krimizi, Dorette Panagiotopoulou, Ionna Pinatra, Klaus Platzgummer (Seminar Tutors)

1 and 2

Credits 20/120




SYNOPSIS

HTS in second year is concerned with the examination of architectural knowledge from a very precise point of view: that of the student in the course of architectural study. Linking the key concepts and categories that students become aware of during their architectural education – whether examining the past or forms of architectural representation –, this course questions how such fundamental ideas take root in practice in an attempt to demystify and clarify the processes that constitute the formation of architectural knowledge. AIMS

To produce, over the course of two terms, written work of increasing sophistication. Explore relationships between historical and theoretical architectural research. Learn to apply this research to original and critical insight on a specific topic of each lecture. Develop methodologies for architectural academic essay writing. Develop awareness of basic relationships of historical and theoretical research to design and related arts and human sciences. Develop the ability to make informed judgements, self-evaluate and work independently on understanding key architectural texts. Develop understanding of the relationship between architectural history and theory in relation to social, cultural, contextual, philosophical and political issues. Develop visual, verbal and written communication skills. Understand the importance of discussion and external evaluation in relation to all aspects of architectural writing and be able to respond to and integrate feedback. CONTENT

• Origins: medieval guilds to the École des Beaux-Arts, John Soane, articled pupillage, AA • Rupture: the Bauhaus and its diaspora, other alternatives, 1931 • Post-war Developments: polytechnic synthesis, John Summerson and architectural history, AA

in context • Digital Difference: media shifts, specialisation, a great flattening


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• The Digital • Non-Plan • Architectural Representation and the City • The House • The Engineer and Infrastructure • National Identity and Architecture • Political Identity and Architecture • The Monument • Architecture without Building • The Life and Death of Architecture

TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES The teaching and learning strategy at the second- and third-year level for history and theory is learning through research, reading and writing. History and Theory is lecture and seminar based. Assignments are student-centred and course based. Students are encouraged to value writing as a critical tool to communicate ideas and original insight through the development of a strong essay thesis. Writing skills are obtained through a series of assignments, developing abstracts and outlines and is required to communicate these to the class and tutor and consider the feedback. Regular feedback is provided through in-class discussions, group and individual tutorials and comments on essay drafts in preparation for the final submission.

OUTPUTS

• Presentation of a 3000-word essay at the end of each term • Presentation of written work in the forms of essay topics, abstracts and outlines at weekly

seminars


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Course Title CORE STUDIES HISTORY AND THEORY STUDIES: THE PAST OF ARCHITECTURE

Level Third Year FHEQ Level 6

Status Compulsory

Course Leader Ryan Dillon and, Costandis Kizis (Course Lecturers), Zeynab Dena Ziari (Course Tutor) Nerma Cridge, Merce Rodrigo Garcia, Roberta Maraccio, William Orr, Ricardo Ruivo, Katerina Zacharapolou (Seminar Tutors),

Terms 1, 2

Credits 20/120




SYNOPSIS

This course will examine how a single architectural project captures features of the city in which it is located. Focusing on a close investigation of case studies from the twentieth and twenty-first century, each lecture will unpack how an urban context can be read and understood through its architecture, exposing the social, political and cultural theories of its time. Further details of course dates, an explanation of the required coursework and assessment information can be found in the course handbook that will be made available at the beginning of the academic year. AIMS To produce, over the course of two terms, written work of increasing sophistication. Explore relationships between historical and theoretical architectural research. Learn to apply this research to original and critical insight on a specific topic of each lecture. Develop methodologies for architectural academic essay writing. Develop awareness of basic relationships of historical and theoretical research to design and related arts and human sciences. Develop the ability to make informed judgements, self-evaluate and work independently on understanding key architectural texts. Develop understanding of the relationship between architectural history and theory in relation to social, cultural, contextual, philosophical and political issues. Develop visual, verbal and written communication skills. Understand the importance of discussion and external evaluation in relation to all aspects of architectural writing and be able to respond to and integrate feedback.

CONTENT

• Planned City through Maison de Verre, Pierre Chareau • Unplanned City through the House of the Future, Alison and Peter Smithson • Modernist City through E1027, Eileen Grey • Automobile City through Gehry House, Frank Gehry • Condensed City through the Slow House, Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio


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• Metabolist City through the Sky House, Kiyonori Kikutake • Capital City through the Glass House, Lina Bo Bardi • Dead City through Ordos 100 Houses, Herzog & de Meuron + Ai Wei Wei • Paper City through Planetary Architecture Two, Zaha Hadid • World City through Dymaxion House, Buckminster Fuller

TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES The teaching and learning strategy at the second- and third-year level for history and theory is learning through research, reading and writing. History and Theory is lecture and seminar based. Assignments are student-centred and course based. Students are encouraged to value writing as a critical tool to communicate ideas and original insight through the development of a strong essay thesis. Writing skills are obtained through a series of assignments, developing abstracts and outlines and is required to communicate these to the class and tutor and consider the feedback. Regular feedback is provided through in-class discussions, group and individual tutorials and comments on essay drafts in preparation for the final submission. OUTPUTS

• Presentation of a 3000-word essay at the end of each term • Presentation of written work in the forms of essay topics, abstracts and outlines at weekly

seminars


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3.3.2 CORE STUDIES: ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNICAL STUDIES

The Environmental and Technical Studies (ETS) programme stands as a complete technical education over five years and constructs a creative collaboration with the material demands of individual unit agendas. ETS is founded on the provision of a substantial knowledge base developed through critical case studies of contemporary fabrication processes, constructed artefacts and buildings.

Lecture courses are taken by tutors from leading architecture firms, engineering practices and research institutions and form a portion of each year’s requirements, with particular emphasis on the First and Second Years. Undertaking a selection of required ETS courses in each year ensures that every student receives a complete and well-rounded experience of structures, materials and the environment.

In the Third Year students undertake an Environmental and Technical Design Project (ETS3). The thesis is contextualised as part of a broader dialogue addressing how the technical and architectural agendas that arise in the unit are synthesised. The critical development of the thesis is pursued through case studies, material experiments and extensive research and consultation. The Interim Juries and Final Document Submission arrangements allow for early and later options, offered to the Units in order to fit their programmes.

Environmental and Technical Design tutors aim to integrate the ETS3 work with the unit agendas as much as possible, developing wherever necessary the unit’s technical brief and supporting it with additional specialised information by means of seminars, lectures and visits. The Technical Design tutors offer each student the means to materialise the ideas, concepts and ambitions born in the intimacy of the unit. Technical Studies reinforces the plurality of the units by adapting the requirements of ETS3 to each individual unit agenda.

First Year Term 1

Technical Synthesis: Introduction to Integrated Design – Compulsory Course

https://ts.aaschool.ac.uk/courses/ts1-introduction-integrated-design

Environment Giles Bruce, Ioannis Rizos Materials Nacho Martí, Lena Emanuelsen, Structures Anna Font, Sinead Conneely

This course introduces students to the three core TS branches (structures, environment, and materials) and shows that they are not separate realities but in fact different lenses for looking at the built environment. Students will start with a simple physical architectural model in order to understand integrated structural, material and environmental effects in architecture. Through critical and creative thinking, students will activate a series of structural, environmental and material manipulations of these models, analysing and evaluating outcomes in relation to the other technical aspects. Through iterative modelling, students will gain understanding of the basic principles and relations of structures, environment and materials while exploring how ETS can inform the design process and how a model can form a testing ground. The course is supplemented by a series of lectures. EN

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First Year Term 2

First Applications – Compulsory Course

https://ts.aaschool.ac.uk/courses/ts1-first-applications

Giles Bruce, Tom Raymont Materials Nacho Martí, Lena Emanuelsen

Structures Giancarlo Torpiano, Danae Polyviou

This course offers students a hands-on and experimental approach to technical design and allows them to test and further develop the knowledge gained in the first term course, Introduction to Integrated Design. Students are divided in three groups, each looking at environment, materials, and structures with greater detail, and are asked to creatively respond to a technical brief on material systems, structural types and natural lighting studies in relation to the built environment. Although practical in nature, the course is supplemented by weekly lectures that show best practice in technical design and examples at the forefront of the discipline.

Second Year Term 1 ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & ECOLOGY

Compulsory Course https://ts.aaschool.ac.uk/courses/ts2-environment-energy

STAFF: Giles Bruce, Joana Carla Gonçalves, Tom Raymont, Evan Green

Building on the hands-on approach of the first year, the course provides a theoretical basis for environmental considerations as a design driver. The relationship between operational energy consumption and climatically responsive architectural design is discussed in terms of thermal, visual and acoustic environments. The course aims to eliminate the temptation of ‘greenwash’ from studio design work, by providing students with analytical techniques to test and validate their environmental hypotheses. Students are provided with a series of methodologies which they apply to a design exercise which is run concurrently with the Materials course, and tutored throughout the course by both environment and materials tutors.

Second Year Term 1 MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES

Compulsory Course https://ts.aaschool.ac.uk/courses/ts2-material-and-technologies

STAFF: Danae Polyviou, Patricia Mato-Mora, Delfina Bocca, Chiara Tuffanelli

This course introduces a range of materials and processes available to architects and designers throughout the design process, whilst encouraging students to re-think materials from outside the discipline. Artifacts around us are shaped by the materials they are made of, as well as the processes utilized to change the appearance of the material. Some processes may erase or obscure the grain and idiosyncrasies of a certain material; others will accentuate how the material wants to behave, and others still are fused to obtain properties not present in the materials as found. In this course, materials will be introduced in relation to the industrial and craft processes that shape them, opening up possibilities for cross-pollination from makers’ workshops and biotechnology labs into our design studios. Departing from material experimentation, outcomes will be assessed according


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to the myriad factors that influence the design –cost, maintenance, environmental impact, and durability, among others. Through lectures and tutorials, students will be encouraged to consider material properties as a design driver,understand the balance between the aforementioned factors, and ultimately developing abroad and innovative awareness of possibilities available.

Second Year Term 2 STRUCTURAL TYPOLOGIES AND DESIGN

Compulsory Course

https://ts.aaschool.ac.uk/courses/ts2-structures-typologies-design

STAFF: Cíaran Malik, Anna Mestre, Anna Wai, Jonny Hawkshaw and Sinead Conneely The second year technical studies structures course explains the direct link between typology, structural behaviour and architectural design. The characteristics of each structural typology will be explored through research, analysis and testing applications. Theory will be used to inform practice, and develop understanding of structural behaviour eg tension, compression, bending, shear and torsion, within each typology eg truss, arch, beam, funicular structure and frames. Teaching is through lectures and classes involving active design input.

Third Year Term 2 MASTERCLASS IN STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOUR Compulsory Course

https://ts.aaschool.ac.uk/courses/ts3-masterclass-structural-behaviour

STAFF: Cìaran Malik, Giancarlo Torpiano, Anna Wai, Anna Mestre, Jonny Hawkshaw This course builds upon the understanding of structural behaviour with a series of masterclasses in structural systems. The course aims to gain an understanding of each system’s specific structural behaviours and their relation to the design, deriving a holistic understanding of the system. Students will conduct their own research in one of these structural systems. Through designing, physically testing and comparing physical models, the structural system’s link to design will be tested.

Third Year Terms 1, 2 and 3 TS3 ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNICAL DESIGN PROJECT Compulsory Course

https://ts.aaschool.ac.uk/courses/ts3-design-thesis

STAFF: Kenneth Fraser, Wolfgang Frese, Pablo Gugel, Nina McCallion, Alistair Lenczner, Simon Beames, Simon Dickens, Anna Mestre, Patricia Mato-Mora, Joana Carla Gonçalves, Ciaran Malik

Third year students undertake a comprehensive design study (ETS3) that explores and resolves the central technical issues of their projects, in collaboration with individual Unit agendas. The study records the strategic technical decisions made as the design is developed, integrating knowledge of the environmental context, use of materials, structural forms and processes of assembly. It also documents the research carried out in the process of developing the design project. The individual projects are developed in conjunction with the Unit Masters by means of the support and tutorials with the ETS Staff (Experimental programme) under the direction of Kenneth Fraser.


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Environmental and Technical Studies Staff

Simon Beames is an architect and director of Youmeheshe architects. He has worked for Foster + Partners and Grimshaw Architects, leading the design team for Battersea Power Station. He has been a diploma Unit Master at the AA and the University of East London. Delfina Bocca has worked as a senior architect at Zaha Hadid Architects where she has managed the first facade package to be built in South America as well as design competitions worldwide. She holds a MArch from the AADRL and is a registered architect in Argentina, where she completed her studies. She has previously worked in the UK, Italy and Argentina both on design and construction. She is a First Year Studio tutor at the Architectural Association and lectures on materials in Technical Studies. She also leads a unit in Oxford Brookes university exploring digital and critical narratives as tools for architectural design. Giles Bruce is a chartered architect specialising in sustainable environmental design. Currently director of A-Zero Architects, he previously worked in Ireland, Norway and the UK. Giles studied in UCD, Ireland, and graduated from the AA with distinction in Sustainable Environmental Design in 2007. He has been involved in many award-winning projects including the RIBA Stirling prize shortlisted, Saw Swee Hock LSE Student Centre. He has taught at University College Dublin, University of Nottingham, and Central Saint Martins UAL, and lectured extensively internationally on environmental design.

Sinéad Conneely is a structural engineer and a founding director of up-and-coming practice Simple Works. She studied Civil Engineering at the National University of Ireland, Galway and went on to do a Master’s in Applied Mathematics at Imperial College London. Before starting Simple Works, she worked for AKT II on projects of varying scale from pavilions designed with secondary school students to a concrete park in Abu Dhabi and skyscrapers in London.

Simon Dickens is an architect. He has worked for companies such as Grimshaw Architects and Gensler, and he co-founded Youmeheshe. Simon has worked on a number of high-profile projects including Bath Spa, the Rolls-Royce Manufacturing Plant and Headquarters, Lord’s Grandstand and the Britannia Airport proposal in the Thames Estuary. Simon leads Unit 10 at the Bartlett School of Architecture with Professor CJ Lim. Lena Emanuelsen is a Norwegian Architect MNAL. After gaining her diploma from the AA, she co-founded Becoming X, a cross disciplinary design and research practice working on projects between the UK and Norway. She also teaches Architecture at Kingston University, where her studio is focused on developing alternative methods of preservation and the Architectural Association in London, where she is teaching Environmental and Technical Studies as well as contributing to research into reusing building materials. Anna Font studied architecture in Barcelona and holds a Master’s in Architecture degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Currently a PhD in Design candidate at the Architectural Association, Anna has worked in architectural offices in Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Boston and Tokyo. Anna is visiting professor at the Escuela de Arquitectura y Estudios Urbanos of


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Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (Buenos Aires). Parallel to her teaching activities she coordinates the Archive of extracurricular activities and the series of publications Archivos de Arquitectura.

Kenneth Fraser has taught at the AA since 2007, is an architect and director of Kirkland Fraser Moor Architects. He has taught at Brighton & NTU, been RIBA External Examiner at Manchester, and an Arts Council Architectural Assessor. Formerly a diploma Unit Master at the AA (Dip7 2007-2011) he is currently AA Course Master in Technical Studies (Experimental Programme). Before founding KFM he worked with Renzo Piano and was project leader for the Rome Auditorium and the Padre Pio Church.

Wolfgang Frese studied architecture at the Arts Academy in Stuttgart and received a Master’s from the Bartlett UCL. He is a senior project architect at AHMM.

Joana Gonçalves is an Architect and Urbanist from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (FAUUFRJ), Brazil, with a MA in Environment and Energy from the AA Graduate School and PhD from Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of São Paulo (FAUUSP

Evan Green is a Senior Acoustics Consultant at Kahle Acoustics. He holds Masters degrees in both acoustics, from the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, and physics, from the University of Bath.

Pablo Gugel studied architecture at the ETSA of La Coruna and gained his MArch in Sustainable Environmental Design at the AA. He is an environmental analyst at Atelier 10.

Jonny Hawkshaw is a chartered structural engineer and co-founder of Simple Works, a structural engineering practice which likes to work with: new materials, structural systems and methods of construction. He gained a degree in Architectural Engineering from the University of Leeds and currently works on projects in and around London dealing with both existing and new build aspects.

Alistair Lenczner, director of Expedition, is a highly experienced architectural and engineering designer. His career has included long spells with Arup and as a partner at Forster+ Patrners. His many varied past projects include Wembley Stadium and Millau Viaduct. Currently on the HS2 Design Panel.

Cíaran Malik is a structural engineer, a teacher and illustrator. He studied engineering at the University of Cambridge and trained as a teacher at the University of Buckingham. He taught manufacturing techniques; wood working, welding, rebar tying and plastic forming and believes in the importance of understanding the construction method. He has been involved in water projects in Thailand, improving the seismic resistance of structures in Nepal and developing shelter guidelines with Shelter Centre.

Nacho Martí graduated from Elisava School of Design in Barcelona and the AA. He founded his architectural design studio in 2004 and his projects have been exhibited, published and won awards internationally. He is a First Year Studio Master at the AA and is the Programme Head of the Visiting School Amazon.

Patricia Mato-Mora studied architecture at the Architectural Association, and materials at the Royal College of Art. She teaches Environmental and Technical Studies and Communication and Media


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Studies at the AA, specialising in Ceramics and Fabrication. She works alongside artists and architects to realise large-scale projects employing various craftsmanship methods, while practicing independently as an artist; directs the AA Visiting School in the Sonora desert and has also taught in the AA Experimental Programme (2015-17) and the AA Summer School (2018). Nina McCallion trained as an architect and structural engineer at the Technical University of Eindhoven and holds an MRes in the Built Environment from Cambridge. She is a senior structural engineer for Arup.

Anna Mestre graduated from the School of Architecture at the Polytechnic University of Barcelona and holds a Master in Project Management in Building and Urban Planning from the Professional Association of Technical Architects of Barcelona. Since 2001 she has developed her professional career as structural consultant at BAC (former BOMA). She started in the office in Barcelona, and moved to Madrid in 2007 to collaborate as office coordinator in the new branch. She is now Project Leader in BAC London. She has been teaching Structural Types and Calculation in the IE School of Architecture and Design since 2009, Physical Foundations since 2013 and Mathematics in Art and Architecture since 2015. Danae Polyviou a structural engineer. She has worked for Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering in Stuttgart and HENN Architects in Berlin as a researcher. She then moved to London to work for Atelier One and most recently for AKT II. She holds an MEng(Hons) from the University of Bath. Danae is currently teaching at the Architectural Association and at The Bartlett alongside her work as a structural engineer. Her research interests include lightweight structures and geometry optimization and she has extensive experience in working with complex geometries and computational tools for efficient structures and material systems.

Tom Raymont is an architect and director of Arboreal Architecture; a practice that innovates ecological design principles in both the technical performance and sensed experience of human habitats. He studied at the AA (AA Diploma 2003) and worked with Eric Owen Moss Architects in Los Angeles and Asymptote in New York before co-founding his own practice in London. He is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has been a design tutor at Central Saint Martins and the University of Westminster.

Ioannis Rizos is a Chartered Engineer and trades as a Senior Environmental Design Consultant at Atelier Ten. He holds an MEng degree in Engineering and a MSc degree in Energy Systems and the Environment from the University of Strathclyde. He has been actively involved in the use/development of energy and daylight simulation tools, and deployed their application in several landmark buildings to date. Highlights include the Olympic Velodrome in Queen Elizabeth’s Olympic Park, LSE’s student centre in London and the Natural History Museum’s Grounds redevelopment programme. Giancarlo Torpiano studied architecture and structural engineering at the University of Malta, before completing his Masters in architecture at the AA. He works as a structural engineer in a multi-disciplinary team at Arup.


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Chiara Tuffanelli is a Senior Architect at Arup with over 16 years of experience and has been working on a range of international projects alongside architects, engineers and artists since 2002.Formerly at Foster+Partners, she joined Arup’s Advanced Geometry Unit in 2008 and is currently a project manager for the Façade Engineering team. Interested in computation technologies that link the façade design with architectural and structural engineering, material, fabrication and construction techniques, she has been a visiting studio tutor and lecturer at Universities throughout the UK and presented papers at conferences in UK and abroad.

Anna Wai studied Civil and Architectural engineering at the University of Bath and practises as a structural engineer. She has worked for Price and Myers in London, designing and modelling structures with a complex geometry, and has tutored at the London Metropolitan and University of East London.


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Course Title CORE STUDIES ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNICAL STUDIES TECHNICAL SYNTHESIS-INTRODUCTION TO INTEGRATED DESIGN

Level First Year FHEQ Level 5

Status Compulsory

Course Leader Giles Bruce, Ioannis Rizos, Lena Emanuelsen, Nacho Martí, Anna Font, Sinead Conneely

Term 1

Credits 10/120



Learning methods

Site visits Lectures Seminars/tutorials/juries Self-directed learning

SYNOPSIS

This course introduces students to the three core TS branches (structures, environment, and materials) and shows that they are not separate realities but in fact different lenses for looking at the built environment. Students will start with a simple physical architectural model in order to understand integrated structural, material and environmental effects in architecture. Through critical and creative thinking, students will activate a series of structural, environmental and material manipulations of these models, analysing and evaluating outcomes in relation to the other technical aspects. Through iterative modelling, students will gain understanding of the basic principles and relations of structures, environment and materials while exploring how ETS can inform the design process and how a model can form a testing ground. The course is supplemented by a series of lectures.

AIMS

The course aims to develop students understanding of fundamental understanding of technical principles and how they inform design. The course aims to equip students with the tools to measure, evaluate and optimise design with respect to relative performance targets. The course aims to equip students with the skill to communicate ideas about design, fabrication, and performance through digital channels.

CONTENT

The students will analyse and evaluate the design iterations both technically and spatially. Through an iterative process of modelling and re-modelling, students will gain an understanding of the fundamental principles of structures, environment and materials.


The course consists of lectures and design exercises. Each session comprises a lecture, a seminar, and individual and small group tutorials. Hands-on experiments will study different relevant physical phenomena. The course acts as an introduction to Technical Studies and


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therefore seeks to contextualise the broad range of technical subject areas that will be addressed in future years. LEARNING SUPPORT

Technical tutors are available to meet students for tutorials every week. The ETS department has in-house experts in the fields of structures, environmental studies, materials and construction that enable technical support to be provided across a diverse range of First Year projects. Where expert advice is required TS tutors organise appropriate appointments. Thus, the students regularly have access to leading professional consulting practices in the country as well as specialist manufacturers.

OUTPUTS/ASSESSMENT METHODS:

• Working in groups of four students, teams will submit a written report documenting the deign development with respect to the assigned performance criteria.

• Visual and verbal presentation of the Report to the year group and ETS tutors.

Assessment Criteria All learning outcomes must be achieved to attain a Pass in this course.

Method of Assessment Formative assessment Continual assessment is provided weekly at tutorials. Submission of outline draft illustrated Report addressing the lecture/seminar series content. The draft report is discussed with the ETS and Design Unit tutors and verbal feedback provided.

Summative assessment Each report is assessed by two course tutors. A sample of reports are shared amongst all seminar leaders and course tutors to assure parity of assessment.

Visual and verbal presentation of Report to ETS tutors and First Year Design Unit tutors to ensure parity of assessment. Students receive written feedback, supplemented by a follow-up tutorial with the seminar leader to discuss further the essay and areas for improvements in future research and writing projects. Assessment is graded as follows:

• High Pass: High level of achievement overall, significantly exceeding the criteria required to attain a Pass. The submission demonstrates comprehensive appreciation of topic and application of critical reflection and insight. Developmental and final work documented clearly in a coherently structured and well-presented submission. A High Pass recommendation is only possible for a submission that has achieved a Pass and is made by the assessing tutor for further review by a separately convened High Pass assessment panel who will review the standard and quality of all recommendations.

• Pass: Good level of achievement overall, meeting the criteria required to attain a Pass. The submission demonstrates appreciation of topic with some critical reflection and insight. Developmental and final work documented clearly in a reasonably presented submission.


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• Low Pass: Work attaining a Pass, but which has previously been assessed as Complete to Pass and/or has been submitted after the advertised date/time.

• Complete to Pass: Unsatisfactory level of achievement overall, which fails to meet the criteria required to attain a Pass. Demonstrates little appreciation, development or effort, or is insufficient in quantity. This assessment is also the automatic result of failure to meet minimum attendance requirements. A submission receiving a Complete to Pass assessment can only achieve a Low Pass outcome upon successful resubmission.


Re-Assessment Refer AA School Academic Regulations.


Required Assessed Communication: Verbal § § Visual § § Written § § Self-management skills § § Manage time and work to deadlines § § IT/CAD techniques §

Information management § § Critical skills/ability § §


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Course Title CORE STUDIES ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNICAL STUDIES: FIRST APPLICATIONS

Level First Year

FHEQ Level 5

Status Compulsory

Course Leader Giles Bruce, Tom Raymont, Nacho Marti, Lena Emanuelsen, Giancarlo Torpiano, Danae Polyviou

Term 2

Credits 10/120



Learning methods Site visits Lectures Seminars/tutorials/juries Self-directed learning

SYNOPSIS

This course offers students a hands-on and experimental approach to technical design and allows them to test and further develop the knowledge gained in the first term course, Introduction to Integrated Design. Students are divided in three groups, each looking at environment, materials and structures with greater detail, and are asked to creatively respond to a technical brief on material systems, structural types and natural lighting studies in relation to the built environment. Although practical in nature, the course is supplemented by weekly lectures that show best practice in technical design and examples at the forefront of the discipline.

AIMS

To produce over the course of the term at a level commensurate with this stage of education, design project work that integrates technical and spatial criteria. The purpose is to introduce students to the application of Technical Studies to a design project and to develop student awareness of the potential structural, material and environmental qualities inherent in project designs. The intention is to apply lessons learnt from the previous term’s course Case Study to the students’ own design projects. The course offers focus on environmental, structural and material aspects of design projects.

CONTENT

Environment • Climatic context with particular emphasis on building energy consumption • Design briefs relating to traditional and contemporary forms of thermal control within

buildings. • Development of integrated bottom-up design approach incorporating multiple

parameters • Measurement and validation of designs using analogue tools


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Materials • Material systems, techniques, fabrication methods • Constraints of specific materials • Development of integrated bottom-up design approach incorporating multiple

parameters • Development of rigorous experimental approach to architectural design driven by

analysis and evaluation • Contemporary fabrication • Control of component-based systems to achieve specific architectural, environmental and

structural conditions Structures • Basic principles of structural elements • Influence of structural forms • Understanding parameters, experimentation and adaptation • Interaction of structural elements in larger structural systems • Applied force and capacity • Addressing structure in context of architectural proposals


The teaching and learning strategy for First Applications integrates technical tutoring with design tutoring at the student’s desktop within the First Year Design Studio. Morning seminars and site visits on materials, structures and environmental strategies, are followed by workshops and one-to-one/hands-on development in the Studio setting during the afternoon, relating and applying technical considerations to each individual design portfolio. The approach is hands-on and experimental, encouraging the use of models and materials tests that are then described through diagrams and drawings at appropriate scales. Students develop confidence in evaluating results and making informed judgements in regular tutorials and group seminars where focussed advice is provided to advance the technical aspects of the design in conjunction with other design criteria. Students are guided to discover opportunities through problem solving that combine the potential of multiple criteria, notably the interrelationship between technology, aesthetics and programmatic functions. Students practise explaining their comprehensive design strategies with visual and verbal rigour and clarity.

LEARNING SUPPORT

Extensive information and physical resources are available to all students as learning support including model-making workshops for wood and metal working, digital prototyping, audio-visual lab, digital photography studio, drawing materials shop, bookshop, library, photo library, school archives, the public lecture series, weekly published school events lists, bar and restaurant and woodland workshops at the Hooke Park campus in Dorset. Technical tutors are available to meet students for tutorials every week. The ETS department has in-house experts in the fields of structures, environmental studies, materials and construction that enable technical support to be provided across a diverse range of First Year projects. Where expert advice is required ETS tutors organise appropriate appointments. Thus, the students regularly have access to leading professional


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consulting practices in the country as well as specialist manufacturers. Technical Tutors also take students on walks through London where they learn to use instruments to measure environmental conditions in various parts of the city including the sites of their projects.

OUTPUTS

• Presentation of a report, comprising drawings, images and models at appropriate scales in an agreed format applying and integrating structural, material and environmental technical considerations applied to students’ individual studio design projects. The report will include within it all evidence of practical coursework, a summary of observations, analyses, graphs, predictions and conclusions.

• Visual and verbal presentation of the Report to the year group, TS tutors and First Year Design Unit tutors as part of the Technical Studies Year Group Workshop.

•

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA All learning outcomes must be achieved to attain a Pass in this course.

Method of Assessment Formative assessment Continual assessment is provided weekly at tutorials. Submission of outline draft illustrated Report addressing the lecture/seminar series content. The draft report is discussed with the TS and Design Unit tutors and verbal feedback provided.


Visual and verbal presentation of the Report to TS tutors and First Year Design Unit tutors to ensure parity of assessment. Students receive written feedback, supplemented by individual tutorial with the seminar leader to discuss further the essay and areas for improvements in future research and writing projects. Assessment is graded as follows:





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• Fail: Work and/or attendance previously assessed as Complete to Pass which fails, after the maximum number of permitted re-submission attempts (to a maximum of 2), to meet the criteria required to attain a passing standard.


Required Assessed Communication: Verbal n n

Visual n n Written n n Self-management skills n n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD techniques n Information management n n

Critical skills/ability n n


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Course Title CORE STUDIES

ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNICAL STUDIES ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & ECOLOGY

Level Second Year

FHEQ Level 6

Status Compulsory

Course Leader Giles Bruce, Joana Carla Gonçalves, Tom Raymont, Evan Green,

Term 1

Credits 5/120




SYNOPSIS

Building on the hands-on approach of the first year, the course provides a theOretical basis for environmental considerations as a design driver. The relationship between operational energy consumption and climatically responsive architectural design is discussed in terms of thermal, visual and acoustic environments. The course aims to eliminate the temptation of ‘greenwash’ from studio design work, by providing students with analytical techniques to test and validate their environmental hypotheses. Students are provided with a series of methodologies which they apply to a design exercise. AIMS

The aim of this course is to demonstrate that architectural decisions carry an environmental consequence. This consequnce can be measured in carbon or in comfort, and must be balanced and considered againts other design inputs. The aim is not to equip students with number crunching skills to calculate heating loads or cooling loads. Instead – the aim is to allow students to quickly determine the key elements of their architecture which are relevant in terms of energy consumption or carbon emissions and understand the relative degree to which their designs can make a difference. CONTENT

• Lecture 01 : Architecture as Interface – Giles Bruce • Lecture 02 : Under the Sun – Giles Bruce • Lecture 03 : Proporion & Performance – Tom Raymont • Lecture 04 : Sunlight & Daylight – Joana Carla Gonçalves • Lecture 05 : The Sonic Environment – Evan Green • Lecture 06 : Engaging with Earth’s Ecosystems – Tom Raymont • Lecture 07 : People in Architecture


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The course is organised as a series of lectures, with each week focusing on a different aspect of environmental design. Each lecture theme builds on the preceding lecture, so that students are able to understand the heirarchy of issues and how they interconnect. Where relevant, course material from the first year is reintroduced, so the students can reappraise their own work in a more considered way.

A design exercise, common to both environment and materials courses will be introduced at the beginning of the course, and this will form the test bed for a series of taught methodologies allowing the students to apply taught concepts to their design ideas immediately. After every lecture, the students are assigned a series of exercises requiring them to explore a different aspect of their design, from potential to natural ventilation, to solar access, to envelope construction to acoustics. These exercises range from digital simulation to analogue measurements. These methodologies allow the students to review and apply the content of the lectures and the document becomes a reference document for future years, when they attempt to apply the same methodologies to their more complex studio projects. LEARNING SUPPORT

Extensive information and physical resources are available to all students as learning support including on-line resources, physical and digital tools and tutorials as required. The ETS department has in-house experts in the fields of structures, environmental studies, materials and construction that enable technical support to be provided across a diverse range of design projects commensurate with FHEQ Level 6. Where expert advice is required TS tutors organise appropriate appointments. Thus the students regularly have access to leading professional consulting practices in the country as well as specialist manufacturers. OUTPUTS: Practical course requirement:

Environmental models: Students will work in groups to produce analog and digital models for testing environmental hypothesese Written coursework requirement:

Submission of a written and illustrated report giving an indepth analysis of their design propsoal in terms of operational energy, objectively assessed through digital and analogue methodologies.

ASSESSMENT Assessment Criteria All learning outcomes must be achieved to attain a Pass in this course.



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Summative assessment Each report is assessed by two course tutors. A sample of reports are shared amongst all seminar leaders and course tutors to assure parity of assessment. Visual and verbal presentation of Exemplar Building Report to TS tutors and design unit tutors to ensure parity of assessment. Students receive written feedback, supplemented by individual tutorial with the seminar leader to discuss further the essay and areas for improvements in future research and writing projects. Assessment outcomes:



• Low Pass: Work attaining a Pass, but which has previously been assessed as Complete to Pass and/or has been submitted after the advertised date/time.




Required Assessed Communication: Verbal § § Visual § § Written § § Self-management skills § § Manage time and work to deadlines § § IT/CAD techniques § § Information management § § Critical skills/ability § §


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Course Title CORE STUDIES ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNICAL STUDIES: MATERIALS

Level Second Year

FHEQ Level 6

Status Compulsory

Course Leader Patricia Mato-Mora, Danae Polyviou, Delfina Bocca, Chiara Tuffanelli

Term 1

Credits 5/120




SYNOPSIS

The course introduces the range of materials that should be considered in the early stage of the design process. Materials reviewed will include concrete, steel and aluminium, timber, masonry, glass, fabrics and composites. We will be comparing materials in terms of the factors that influence their choice in the design process. Every single object that we make evolves from a process that turns a material into a functional shape. In each situation we must be able to assess the importance of the factors that influence the design; visual requirements, speed and method of construction and fabrication, cost, maintenance, environmental impact and durability, and relate these factors back to available technologies. All these elements must be balanced in a design and this balance will change in every situation. The students will be encouraged through case studies to appreciate how this balance shifts, to understand how the use of different materials in similar situations can affect the design and to develop an awareness of the range of possibilities available. Students will also be encouraged to develop their powers of observation; something that began in the first year TS. Materials can appear in many different guises and perform many different functions – from simple cladding to load bearing elements. The detailing and fabrication can be greatly affected by this. Students are expected to carry out a brief one page case study/site photos exercise at early stages of the course and then to work at one to one scale with a material in order to explore its limits and characteristics with a final presentation/testing at the end of course .

AIMS

To produce over the course of the term, at a level commensurate with this stage of education, project work that demonstrates awareness and understanding of issues associated with the appropriate use of materials in the design of buildings. The course aims to develop knowledge of materials learnt during the First Year Technical Studies courses to the next level of understanding and application. The course uses theory, cases studies and practical model testing to evolve a detailed approach to the choice and application of materials in buildings and the factors that can influence these.

CONTENT

Session 1: Brief and Lecture- Intro and Concrete


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Session 2: Lecture- Masonry and seminar Session 3: Lecture- Glass and seminar Session 4: Lecture- Timber and seminar Session 5: Lecture- Composites and seminar Session 6: Lecture- Metals and seminar Session 7: Lecture- Membranes and seminar


The teaching and learning strategy integrates theory and practice. Theory is taught in lectures including diagrams, drawings and numerical data. Practical application is explained using case studies and hands-on teamwork (in groups of four to six students) to experiment and test structural strategies through the making of models. Students develop confidence in evaluating results and making informed judgements where focused advice is provided to advance the technical aspects of a structural design in conjunction with contingent design criteria. Students are guided to discover opportunities through problem-solving that combine the potential of multiple criteria, notably the interrelationship between technology, aesthetics and programmatic functions. Students practise explaining their comprehensive design strategies with visual and verbal rigour and clarity.

LEARNING SUPPORT

Extensive information and physical resources are available to all students as learning support including model-making workshops for wood and metal working, digital prototyping, audio-visual lab, digital photography studio, drawing materials shop, bookshop, library, photo library, school archives, the public lecture series, weekly published school events lists, bar and restaurant, and woodland workshops at the Hooke Park campus in Dorset. Technical tutors are available to meet students for tutorials every week. The TS department has in-house experts in the fields of structures, environmental studies, materials and construction that enable technical support to be provided across a diverse range of design projects commensurate with FHEQ Level 6. Where expert advice is required TS tutors organise appropriate appointments. Thus the students regularly have access to leading professional consulting practices in the country as well as specialist manufacturers. Technical tutors also take students on walks through London where they learn to use instruments to measure environmental conditions in various parts of the city including the sites of their projects.

OUTPUTS

Practical coursework requirements:

Working in groups of 3, students wil conceptualise and design a new innovative façade/envelope for the home of one of the group’s members. Students will produce a plan, a section and an elevation at 1:20 scale, three key details at 1:2 together with a 1:20 physical model of the façade. The drawings will clearly communicate the materials, dimensions and appearance of the design and should be accompanied by conceptual and performative diagrams.

Written coursework requirement:

Students should also submit a 1000-word text that replies to the following questions:

• What is the concept and performance goals of the proposal?


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• What are the references that have been researched to inform the design process? • What are the materials used in the design and why? • What are the fabrication processes and technologies associated to it? • How does geometry affect the performance of the envelope? • What are the conclusions and future developments of the design?

Assessment Criteria All learning outcomes must be achieved to attain a Pass in this course.



Visual and verbal presentation of the Report to TS tutors and design unit tutors to ensure parity of assessment. Students receive written feedback, supplemented by individual tutorial with the seminar leader to discuss further the essay and areas for improvements in future research and writing projects.

Assessment outcomes:






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Fail: Work and/or attendance previously assessed as Complete to Pass which fails, after the maximum number of permitted re-submission attempts (to a maximum of 2), to meet the criteria required to attain a passing standard.


Required Assessed

Communication:

Verbal • • Visual • • Written • • Self-management skills • • Manage time and work to deadlines • • IT/CAD techniques • Information management • Critical skills/ability •


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Course Title CORE STUDIES ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNICAL STUDIES: STRUCTURAL TYPOLOGIES AND DESIGN

Level Second Year

FHEQ Level 6

Status Compulsory

Course Leader Cíaran Malik, Anna Mestre, Anna Wai, Jonathan Hawkshaw, Sinead Conneely

Term 2

Credits 10/120




SYNOPSIS

The Second Year technical studies Structures course explains the direct link between typology, structural behaviour and architectural design. The characteristics of each structural typology will be explored through research, analysis and testing applications. Using theory to inform practice, you will develop your understanding of structural behaviour (eg tension, compression, bending, shear and torsion) within each of these typologies (eg beams, arch, cable, truss) and stability. This will be taught through lectures and classes involving your active design input. In teams you will design, build and test a series of structures to solve different design problems. You will be asked to consider your structural layout in 2D and in 3D. The influence of spans, member sizes, bracing, and connections (rigid or pinned) will be explored, culminating in useful rules of thumb for span/depth ratios. You will then develop your intuition to recognise heavy loads, the structural behaviour to transfer load, and the structural forms within an architectural context.

AIMS

To produce over the course of the term, at a level commensurate with this stage of education, project work that demonstrates awareness and understanding of structural issues associated with the design of buildings. The course aims to develop knowledge of structures learnt during the First Year Technical Studies courses to the next level of understanding and application. The course uses theory, cases studies and practical model testing to evolve a detailed approach to the estimation and prediction of structural behaviour in buildings and the factors that can influence this.

CONTENT

• Structural elements, loads, layouts and structural types. • Section-active structures; structures that transfer loads through bending. • Surface-active structures; shapes are chosen to carry loads. • Form-active structures; shape changes to carry the load. • Vector-active; triangulared members in compression and tension. • Stability; bracing, shear-walls, moment-frames, outriggers and sway frames.


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• Testing; design, make, test and evaluate structures.

TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES The teaching and learning strategy integrates theory and practice. Theory is taught in lectures including diagrams, drawings and numerical data. Practical application is explained using case studies and hands-on teamwork (in groups of four to six students) to experiment and test structural strategies through the making of models. Students develop confidence in evaluating results and making informed judgements where focused advice is provided to advance the technical aspects of a structural design in conjunction with contingent design criteria. Students are guided to discover opportunities through problem-solving that combine the potential of multiple criteria, notably the interrelationship between technology, aesthetics and programmatic functions. Students practise explaining their comprehensive design strategies with visual and verbal rigour and clarity.

LEARNING SUPPORT

Extensive information and physical resources are available to all students as learning support including model-making workshops for wood and metal working, digital prototyping, audio-visual lab, digital photography studio, drawing materials shop, bookshop, library, photo library, school archives, the public lecture series, weekly published school events lists, bar and restaurant and woodland workshops at the Hooke Park campus in Dorset. Technical tutors are available to meet students for tutorials every week. The ETS department has in-house experts in the fields of structures, environmental studies, materials and construction that enable technical support to be provided across a diverse range of design projects commensurate with FHEQ Level 6. Where expert advice is required ETS tutors organise appropriate appointments. Thus the students regularly have access to leading professional consulting practices in the country as well as specialist manufacturers. Technical tutors also take students on walks through London where they learn to use instruments to measure environmental conditions in various parts of the city including the sites of their projects..

OUTPUTS:

Practical coursework requirements:

• Structural Models: student teams (4 students) will build models to demonstrate the behaviour of various structures.

Written coursework requirement:

• Submission of a 1500 word report comprising drawings, images and photographs of models together with all evidence of practical coursework, a summary of observations, analyses, graphs, predictions and conclusions.

Assessment Criteria

All learning outcomes must be achieved to attain a Pass in this course.

Method of Assessment Formative assessment Continual assessment is provided weekly at tutorials. Submission of outline draft illustrated Report addressing the lecture/seminar series


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The draft report is discussed with the TS and Design Unit tutors and verbal feedback provided. Summative assessment Each report is assessed by two course tutors. A sample of reports are shared amongst all seminar leaders and course tutors to assure parity of assessment. Visual and verbal presentation of the Report to TS tutors and design unit tutors to ensure parity of assessment. Students receive written feedback, supplemented by individual tutorial with the seminar leader to discuss further the essay and areas for improvements in future research and writing projects.

Assessment outcomes:







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Course Title CORE STUDIES ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNICAL STUDIES: STRUCTURES: MASTERCLASS IN STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOUR

Level

Third Year FHEQ Level 6

Status Compulsory

Course Leader Cìaran Malik, Giancarlo Torpiano, Anna Wai, Anna Mestre, Jonny Hawkshaw

Term 1

Credits 10/120




SYNOPSIS

This course builds upon the understanding of structural, environmental and material behaviour, through a series of masterclasses. The course uses a research based approach to explore particular qualities of given buildings from one of the three core technical disciplines to gain an understanding of the design, deriving a holistic understanding of the system. We will explore how to model, simplify and extract the actual behaviour of the buildings and how this relates to the large scale performance.

AIMS

To produce over the course of the term, at a level commensurate with this stage of education, project work that demonstrates knowledge and understanding of issues associated with and the application of appropriate structural systems and analyses in the design of buildings. The course aims to develop knowledge of different structural strategies learnt during the Second Year Technical Studies courses, to the next level of understanding and application. The course uses theory, cases studies and practical model testing to evolve a detailed approach to the choice and application of structures in buildings and the factors that can influence decision-making.

CONTENT

• Structural behaviour • Structural design • Systems based design • Integrated design • Reducing the enviornmental impact


The teaching and learning strategy integrates theory and practice. Theory is taught in lectures including diagrams, drawings and numerical data. Practical application is explained using case studies and hands-on teamwork (in groups of four to six students) to experiment and test structural strategies through the making of models. Students develop confidence in evaluating results and


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making informed judgements where focused advice is provided to advance the technical aspects of a structural design in conjunction with contingent design criteria. Students are guided to discover opportunities through problem-solving that combine the potential of multiple criteria, notably the interrelationship between technology, aesthetics and programmatic functions. Students practise explaining their comprehensive design strategies with visual and verbal rigour and clarity.

LEARNING SUPPORT

Extensive information and physical resources are available to all students as learning support including model-making workshops for wood and metal working, digital prototyping, audio-visual lab, digital photography studio, drawing materials shop, bookshop, library, photo library, school archives, the public lecture series, weekly published school events lists, bar and restaurant and woodland workshops at the Hooke Park campus in Dorset. Technical tutors are available to meet students for tutorials every week. The TS department has in-house experts in the fields of structures, environmental studies, materials and construction that enable technical support to be provided across a diverse range of design projects commensurate with FHEQ Level 6. Where expert advice is required TS tutors organise appropriate appointments. Thus the students regularly have access to leading professional consulting practices in the country as well as specialist manufacturers. Technical tutors also take students on walks through London where they learn to use instruments to measure environmental conditions in various parts of the city including the sites of their projects.

OUTPUTS

Practical coursework requirement: Each team (4-6 students) will research, experiment and design with either a lon span roof, or bridge, or tall tower to demonstrate characteristics, limits and predictions, culminating in a final presentation to the year group and ETS tutors at the Testing Event. Written coursework requirement: A written and illustrated report comprising drawings and images in an agreed format. Each student within a team will take responsibility for a particular 1500 word section, agreed with tutors, and include within it all evidence of practical coursework, a summary of observations, analyses, graphs, predictions and conclusions. All learning outcomes must be passed to achieve a pass in this course. Students are required to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, ability and skills in the following areas:

Theoretical Development:

Adequate awareness of the socio-political and economic context that influence the technical strategy developed in the project. The technical resolution must address aesthetic, programmatic as well as functional requirements.

Technical Resolution: Demonstration that appropriate technologies are selected and addressed in response to project themes. Evidence of an integrated technical and aesthetic approach. Demonstration and application of precedents, contemporary technologies, materials and processes


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Integration and Synthesis: Synthesis of technical, conceptual and aesthetic issues together with user and spatial requirements and the ability to discuss and refine these in relation to the emerging project. Understanding of the implications of technical design decisions at a range of scales within the project. Effective use of visual, verbal and written skills in the communication of the project and the integration of feedback.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA All learning outcomes must be achieved to attain a Pass in this course.

METHOD OF ASSESSMENT Formative assessment Continual assessment is provided weekly at tutorials. Formative assessment Option 1 is held in Term 2 Week 6 and Option 2 in Term 2 Week 9: each student presents their work physically and digitally to Interim Jury of second and third year technical tutors to ensure parity of assessment. Written feedback is provided to assist students in the preparation of their final submissions. Summative assessment The TS3 Final Submission document comprising final drawings, images and models is presented physically and digitally to a Review Panel of second and third year Technical Tutors, with design unit tutors present, to ensure parity of assessment. Assessment outcomes:







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ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNICAL STUDIES: TS3 DESIGN PROJECT

Level Third Year

FHEQ Level 6

Status Compulsory

Course Leader Kenneth Fraser, Wolfgang Frese, Pablo Gugel, Nina McCallion, Alistair Lenczner, Simon Beames, Simon Dickens, Anna Mestre, Patricia Mato-Mora, Joana Carla Gonçalves, Ciaran Malik

Terms 1, 2, 3

Credits 10/120




SYNOPSIS

ETS3 Design Project is the application of the technical knowledge acquired through the lecture courses, seminars and general experimentation that students have attended and carried out in the course of the first three years in the school. The most suitable environment for this application is the project that each student is developing as his or her Unit work. It can therefore be said that the Technical Design Tutors aim at providing the students with the technical wherewithal to materialise the idea, concept or aspirations contained in their Unit project. AIMS

To produce, over the course of three terms at a level commensurate with this stage of undergraduate education, a comprehensive appraisal, analysis and technical study of the structure, construction, building engineering services and materials relevant to the project work developed in the Design Unit, including the consideration of alternative systems and the explanation of, and justification for, selection and choices. Technical Design Tutors and students are encouraged to strike a balance between research, experimentation and problem solving. CONTENT

• Detailed investigation, appraisal, selection of, and justification for, the structural, constructional, building engineering servicing, technical and material systems relevant to the portfolio design project

• Through negotiation and discussion with the course leaders and the unit tutors, selection of specific aspects for detailed review, with consideration of others in outline

• Preparation of Illustrated Technical Thesis • Two timeline options for the preparation and completion of the Technical Thesis are offered at

the start of the year to all Design Units; each Design Unit identifies its preference and integrates the Technical Study into its programme for the year:

• Option 1: intensive technical engagement in the early part of the year, informing technical selections to be made in the design project. Final submission to be made Term 2, Week 9


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• Option 2: technical development and resolution in parallel with the design project. Final submission to be made Term 3, Week 1

TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES The teaching and learning strategy for ETS3 witihin the experimental programmmecommences with research and experimentation, which becomes critically evaluated and applied as each student’s design project progresses. All investigations are related to the unit-based design project and particular design approach of that unit. Evaluation of the results obtained from research and experimentation are considered with each student in regular tutorials and group seminars and focussed advice is provided to advance the technical aspects of the design in conjunction with contingent design criteria. The design decisions are taken by each student with the help and support of the whole ETS design team and, as appropriate, external consultants and contacts in industry. Technical design decisions are translated into drawings, models and a variety of media that communicate the design intent at appropriate scales and with visual and verbal rigour and clarity, for appropriate delivery and presentation of the Final Submission.

LEARNING SUPPORT

Extensive information and physical resources are available to all students for learning support including model-making workshops for wood and metal working, digital prototyping, audio-visual lab, digital photography studio, drawing materials shop, bookshop, library, photo library, school archives, the public lecture series, weekly published school events lists, bar and restaurant and woodland workshops at the Hooke Park campus in Dorset. Technical tutors are available to meet students for tutorials every week. The Technical Studies department has in-house experts in the fields of structures, environmental studies, materials and construction that enable technical support to be provided for the diversity of Experimental design units (FHEQ level 6). Where expert advice is required, ETS tutors organise the appropriate appointments. Thus the students regularly have access to leading professional consulting practices in the country as well as specialist manufacturers. Where additional seminars on a specific aspect are required, these are organised and added to the course. The Technical Studies department has a budget for each unit to be able to afford additional support such as tests, experimentation, and equipment.

OUTPUTS: • Presentation of project research identifying technical focus as a clear brief that reflects the

agenda of the unit • Evidence that technical resolution addresses social, environmental, economic and aesthetic

issues • Demonstration of critical application and integration of precedents in technical approach • Evidence of the integration of material, structural and services approaches in construction

strategy • Presentation of technical resolution of design project in a range of media and at appropriate

scales ASSESSMENT CRITERIA All learning outcomes must be achieved to attain a Pass in this course.


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Students are required to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, ability and skills in the following areas:

Theoretical Development: Adequate awareness of the socio-political and economic context that influence the technical strategy developed in the project. The technical resolution must address aesthetic, programmatic as well as functional requirements.

Technical Resolution: Demonstration that appropriate technologies are selected and addressed in response to project themes. Evidence of an integrated technical and aesthetic approach. Demonstration and application of precedents, contemporary technologies, materials and processes

Integration and Synthesis: Synthesis of technical, conceptual and aesthetic issues together with user and spatial requirements and the ability to discuss and refine these in relation to the emerging project. Understanding of the implications of technical design decisions at a range of scales within the project. Effective use of visual, verbal and written skills in the communication of the project and the integration of feedback.

Method of Assessment Formative assessment Continual assessment is provided weekly at tutorials. Formative assessment Option 1 is held in Term 2 Week 6 and Option 2 in Term 2 Week 9: each student presents their work physically and digitally to Interim Jury of technical tutors from witihin the Experimental programmes to ensure parity of assessment. Written feedback is provided to assist students in the preparation of their final submissions. Summative assessment The TS3 Final Submission document comprising final drawings, images and models is presented physically and digitally to a Review Panel of Technical Tutors from witihin the Experimental programme, with unit tutors present, to ensure parity of assessment. Assessment outcomes:




• Complete to Pass: Unsatisfactory level of achievement overall, which fails to meet the criteria required to attain a Pass. Demonstrates little appreciation, development or effort, or is insufficient in quantity. This assessment is also the automatic result of failure to meet


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minimum attendance requirements. A submission receiving a Complete to Pass assessment can only achieve a Low Pass outcome upon successful resubmission.





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3.3.3 CORE STUDIES: COMMUNICATION & MEDIA STUDIES

Communication & Media Studies

Communication and Media Studies provides an introduction to the media available to architects and acts as a testing ground for exploring the processes and methods involved in making architecture. Operating a diverse multidisciplinary programme where unexpected collisions and obsessive attention to detail expose rich seams of creative potential, it encourages students to interrogate the tools with which we speculate and play; compute and test; communicate, seduce, and provoke. By actively testing modes of production through focused acts of doing and making, Media Studies presents a range of opportunities for students to develop individual practice and hone dexterity with both established and progressive media. As techniques and concepts in fabrication, computation, and representation continue to undergo radical change, the course deploys a range of tools - from pencil to point-cloud - aimed at both reinforcing and reinventing the methods with which students approach design and architecture. STUDIO COURSES Students in the First and Second Year are required to enrol in two 8-week studio-based courses per year, choosing from the wide range of creative media available to architects including: hand drawing, digital modelling, video, photography, analogue and digital fabrication, coding, immersive and interactive media, and 3D scanning. These courses are also open to any Foundation, Third year or Diploma Programme student. Courses run throughout Terms 1 and 2, enabling students to engage with the subject matter in depth. AA MEDIA SATURDAY SCHOOL Communication and Media Studies offers a range of extra-curricular weekend workshops and courses for students to develop new skills and working methods to support their studio work. Open Workshops A range of one-off events such as short introductions, taster sessions and demonstrations exploring a diverse array of media are scheduled throughout the year. These are open to any student with a curious mind who would like to explore the various working processes employed across the school. Lab Courses Working with the AA Computer Lab, Communication and Media Studies offers a range of weekend one-day software courses that allow students to quickly grasp fundamental techniques in major digital applications for architecture.

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First and Second Year – Core Courses

(All courses run in both Term 1 and 2 unless stated)

The Mark and Space: SEEING YOUR WAY TO DRAW Freehand drawing from Observation Anderson Inge This course is devoted to freehand drawing from observation. Students will gain confidence in their ability to create evocative freehand drawings. Each session will have a distinct theme and will begin with a short talk or demonstration to explain powerful approaches and techniques in drawing. We actively work through seeing and drawing challenges proven to develop evocative drawing. Our time will be laced with rich discussions that will refine how we see and draw, and we will develop a vocabulary of form that will extend the power of both into design. CELLAR DOOR Drawing and image making Inigo Minns Through a series of tests using different media we will spend 8 weeks exploring how we make images and how we can make them better. Starting with architectural drawing formats as well as works from graphic design and fine art we will develop a series of strategies for bringing more visual intent, beauty and power to your work. We will look at composition, colour, projection, and both digital and analogue image making techniques with the aim of developing a unique drawing language suitable for your projects. THE DRAWN MISTAKE Decision making through drawing Alison Moffett Based on the idea of a paradox, this course will endeavor to combine opposing visual techniques. We will explore how one might make interesting or challenging material, technical, and compositional decisions to best illustrate an idea. By looking at examples and trying our own experiments: using different drawing tools, blind drawing, reconfiguring shapes and collage, and exploring the trace left through action, we will work towards creating critical individual drawings that capture the magic of opposition. PROJECTION + SPECULATION Architectural Drawing MIRAJ AHMED Architectural drawing is the language we use to develop and represent our architectural ideas. As a language, it uses the rules and conventions of measured orthographic and perspective projection. The course will build your knowledge of hand-drawn 2D and 3D projective drawings as tools for the imagination. Redrawing and analysis of an existing building precedent through a set of plans, sections and axonometrics will be the starting point to reinterpret explore and speculate.


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TRANSLATION THROUGH DRAWING Unmaking, Collaging and Drawing Shin Egashira The course introduces the conceptual and technical aspects of orthogonal drawings in combination with the procedures of collaging and object making. Our process will begin by taking ordinary objects apart allowing us to unlearn about things that are too familiar to pay attention to. We would like to assume that there is no difference between means of representation and that of design. A succession of works will evolve in parallel with discussions of seminal architectural writings on a systematic approach to representation. Students must approach drawings with an understanding of intrinsic formal attributes of objects using concepts of formal addition and subtraction. FUNCTIONAL OBJECT 3D modelling Sebastian Andia Functional Object explores the creative processes of design. The program starts with a research of “forms” and their immediate functionality. We question their relation to the human body, actions and needs. The course will focus on the interaction between object and users. In order to realise our objects, we will focus on learning Polygon Modelling (Autodesk Maya) as the main drafting tool to develop a functional form. These initial experiments will be developed into the digital drafting to produce models for digital prototyping and innovative representational drawings. In the process of learning new techniques, students will not only gain excellent skills, but also build up their own design language. PIXEL POINT PLANE 3D modelling and Photogrammetry HARRY KAY Photogrammetry and 3D Modelling are powerful tools that are used by architects and designers to record space, develop designs and convey ideas. We will focus on utilising these tools as part of our design process; from scanning a site, to modelling our ideas. The focus will be on learning the key principles of using photogrammetry software, and then 3D drafting software to digitise our proposals and model our ideas. The course aim is to integrate these tools into our creative process and open up new realms in which to explore and share ideas.

Materials and Making: FUTURE CRAFT Robotics and Materiality Patricia Mato-Mora + Gary Edwards Future Craft explores the intersection of numeric and manual fabrication. Departing from David Pye’s understanding of mechanized and manual fabrication as part of a continuum, mediated by tools, technique and material – this course explores the space between ‘workmanship of risk’ and ‘workmanship of certainty’ – material expression and algorithmic control. In this course, students will design and manufacture a ceramic dual-purpose building component through a hybrid approach of numeric robot control and manual fabrication.


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POLITICS OF COLOUR Practical work with pigments Antoni Malinowski The course looks at the language of colour as a tool for social and political interaction within the urban and architectural context. We will discuss both the historical colour strategies and contemporary projects. From ancient Rome to Bauhaus to Memphis to now. This will open up avenues of individual student’s research. The research will be accompanied by practical workshop sessions where we will test the effects of painted / pigmented surfaces in relation to 3D space. Each student will make a 1:1 colour installation / intervention. This course will empower students to successfully use colour in their design work. PRODUCTIVE DRAWING Drawing and model-making Juliet Haysom Media-from Latin medius, literally ‘middle’. “Drawing in architecture is not done after nature, but before construction; it is not so much produced by reflection on the reality outside the drawing, as productive of a reality that will end up outside the drawing.”- Robin Evans Unlike artists who usually make their work directly, architects’ designs are conventionally translated into built form by someone else. Throughout this course, students will develop skills as both authors and makers by testing how drawings mediate between design and construction. Making creative use of the limitations of social distancing, the clarity and ambiguity of drawings will be put to the test: each week, students will produce anonymised drawings that will be translated into constructions by someone else within the group- without reference to verbal or written instructions beyond the drawings themselves. Each week we will consider a text and a case study, and collectively review the successes and failures of various conventional drawing methodologies. By the end of the course, students will have a practical, empirical and playful understanding of how working drawings describe, inform, instruct and occasionally confound.

ALTERNATIVE ENDINGS - (This course runs in Term 1 only) Representational techniques + Physical modelling Eleanor Dodman Buried deep in the bowels of the AA is the archive - a collection of projects and artefacts - documenting its numerous pasts. Together we will build on this past by producing an unseen moment of an existing drawing from the archive, in the form of a physical model. We will question how models are used as means of representation within architecture whilst delving into the history and cultural context of the existing drawing. FLUIDS/FABRICS/FORMS/FORCES - (This course runs in Term 2 only) Experimental analogue making Thomas Randall Page This course aims to explore the relationship between forces and forms through the medium of fluids and fabrics. We will use iterative analogue experimentation and critical analysis to produce physical artifacts. We explore how traces of the making process can be read in the resultant object. These objects may be abstract and sculptural or may begin to be applied, becoming details, or scale models of far larger structures. The course takes the form of a conversation


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through objects. Although the objects themselves are physical, we may use digital technology to facilitate the exchange. Time-Based Media and the Lens: EXPERIMENTAL FILM Filmmaking + Editing Yoni Bentovim Focusing mainly on experimental film practices, in this course we will be looking for the various elusive borders of what defines film as film; whether these borders encapsulate time/movement, materials, narrative, spectatorship. or other, we will examine our findings and each student will complete at least one short film while doing so. This workshop will help students enhance their understanding of the audio visual medium and will deepen their knowledge of experimental film practices from the 40's to now SEEING SLOWLY: THE ANTI-SELFIE Photography Sue Barr The American photographer Minor White claimed that all photographs are essentially self-portraits and the prevalence of the ‘selfie’ in contemporary culture would lead us to believe they are one and the same, but the ‘selfie’ is not reflective or a considered study, it is spontaneous and ephemeral. This course will explore the carefully composed photograph, whereby engaging with the slowness of analog photography, the photographer fully controls the image composition, embracing ideas of memory, identity and fiction within the frame. SUSPENSE ON A GREEN SCREEN Digital Compositing Jelena Viskovic The course encompasses a range of basic digital compositing techniques. We will learn camera tracking in After Effects and real-time compositing using Augmented Reality tools in Unity 3D. We will look at examples in popular sci-fi films where 'alien' objects appear in a familiar environment, creating an uncanny scene. The exercises will explore the aesthetic of ‘suspense’ by contrasting a 3D model against its background to create tension between the virtual object and its real-world environment. FILM HOME/ FILM STUDIO Filmmaking Joel Newman Students on this course will make an original video with accompanying soundtrack, discovering methods, techniques and principles rooted in narrative and non-narrative film making. Emphasising performance to camera and addressing the relationship between actor and audience, we will use physical constraint and experimentation as tools in creating new worlds and escapes. All components to the final piece must be created/ authored by the student.


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POINT REALITY Photography + Game Engine Technologies Ana Maria Nicolaescu + Sebastian Tiew Lewis Baltz’s camera faces the world directly. It steps from art into reality, from modernity into its demise. Today, a new type of image has emerged: shot with a virtual camera that constructs rather than represents, which shoots at a new world that competes with reality. This course will use gaming technologies, open source workflows and camera mapping techniques to reflect back on Baltz’s photographic works while exploring their reconstruction and reshooting with a camera that now points at a new world. RENDERING ARCHITECTURE Rendering with Vray Matej Hosek Architectural visualisation has become a mainstream tool for depicting architecture. This course will be an introduction to the field and will explore overlapping of two opposites - real and abstract. We will utilise Vray for Rhino and Photoshop to create an image merging the mainstream’s craftsmanship with the sublime style of an individual.

Narrative and Fiction: SHAPES OF FICTION Reading as a thought method Charles Arsène-Henry and Buster Rönngren What if you could access a text or a film as one enters an abandoned spaceship? With a sense of slowness, attention, wonder. A poem from Wallace Stevens or a scene from Max Ophüls will be transposed as volumes made of planes, levels, layers. A vessel named Motosong will be conceived to undertake a metafictional exploration of these volumes. Definitions of Metaphor, Analogy and Virtual will be constructed through etymologies and diagrams. These drawn definitions will compose the logics of Motosong. CONSEQUENTIAL SPACES Narrative + the graphic novel Anna Mill The graphic novel format is a powerful temporal/spatial investigation tool in the design and understanding of space. Through its narrative lens, both architecture and life within and around its walls can be richly, evocatively distilled into a carefully composed set of fragments. Covering practical as well as stylistic methods and techniques, you will each produce a 1-4 page work to be collected into a group anthology at the end of the term.

Digital Worlds: IOEZ.LIVE/21 Online tools, remote technologies & augmented realities Raluca Grada-Emandi + Oliviu Lugojan-Ghenciu INHABITANTS OF EXCLUSION ZONE is an online-only, remote and open-source community located on a server near you.


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IOEZ celebrates ‘online’ as a place. A necessity, reminiscence, not nostalgia of an isolation but embrace of the future, partly educational infrastructure partly professional collective. An updated academic framework revolving around the professionals of tomorrow while conveying the exploration of digital environments defined by the use of data and technology. Version 21 will explore new territories and data landscapes while focusing on methods of digital inhabitation. With a focus on remote locations, we are accessing exclusion zones through digital translocation. A celebratory exploration maintained by connectivity, 3d content, real-time render engines, visual scripting, remote technologies and digital tools. DATASCAPE Data Visualisation Mattia Santi + Franscesca Silvi Contemporary spaces extend beyond physical reality through layers of virtual relations. Data interpretation is one of the most contemporary challenges within many fields and requires the capability of revealing patterns inside complex data. Designing through data allows to read understand and shape the new information driven society. Students will design and develop data sculptures to create a collective virtual museum. The workflow will engage students with the use of computational tools to express their ideas, understanding, interpreting, designing and visualizing patterns inside data. Starting from the fundamentals of programming, the students will develop Media Architecture projects using Processing and Houdini. In this course students will develop cores skills in coding and visual programming gaining experience in procedural modelling, mapping and data visualization. TACTILE TECHNOLOGY 3D Scanning Thomas Parker Tactile Technology aims to create a dialogue between analogue objects and environments and their technological counterparts in contemporary high precision 3D scanning. Throughout the course we’ll explore experiential methods of photogrammetric 3D scanning, alongside a collection of contemporary software, that can be used in both digital fabrication and visual representation of 3D scanned data. We will actively seek to create complex compositions between different data sets to form new visual languages and hybrid representations of space. FIXING STARS - (This course runs in Term 1 only) Practical GIS and mapping Oskar Johanson Fixing Stars will be a course that teaches students practical GIS (geographic information system) skills and frames them within a critical discourse on mapping. Students will learn how to search for and obtain datasets, stylise, analyse and process datasets of different formats and different scales, and how to export the results. Through a series of short readings and discussions, students will learn how to contextualise their own work within the history of data visualisation and cartography, including conceptions of landscape from outside and counter to Western frameworks as well as mapmaking’s entanglement with colonialism and violence.


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INHABITING THE VIRTUAL - (This course runs in Term 2 only) Virtual Reality Paula Strunden The course explores forms of creating and experiencing interactive virtual spaces. Over a period of eight weeks, students will learn how to translate traditional design methods such as sketching and physical model making into immersive and interactive VR content. Different tools and methods will be explored to create real-time virtual environments ranging from photogrammetry to 3D sketching, to 360 spherical panorama rendering and interactive animation.

Third Year, Diploma School and Graduate School, Terms 1 and 2

Although not compulsory, other parts of the school may elect to take courses from those offered. Offers of places will be dependent on resources and capacity

Department Staff

Department Head Kate Davies is an artist and architect. She is co-founder of nomadic design studio Unknown Fields, art practice LiquidFactory and field robotics group RAVEN. She undertakes site-specific and expedition-based work and operates between writing, drawing, film and photography. Kate was unit master of Diploma 6 [Unknown Fields] for eight years, And taught MArch [unit 23] at the Bartlett, UCL. She holds a BSc, Diploma and Masters in Architecture from the Bartlett, UCL.

Labs & Clinics Coordinator Oliviu Lugojan-Ghenciu is a practicing architect who co-founded UniversalAssemblyUnit and CtrlArchDel studios and is creative director at Neutral Digital, a leading UK agency that specialises in AR, VR and other immersive interactive solutions. As a leading expert in time-based media & digital storytelling, his work GravityONE, and critically acclaimed Choreography for Militarised Airspace, has been exhibited in the UK, USA, Australia, Japan and Europe. Oliviu runs the AA’s Motion Studio, previously teaching and running workshops in the USA, Canada and Europe. Department Staff Miraj Ahmed is a painter and architect who has taught at the AA since 2000. He is also an Associate Lecturer at Camberwell College of Art and was a Design Fellow at the University of Cambridge (2006-14). Sebastian Andia holds a March II from the AADRL. He studied at Universidad de Mendoza in Argentina where he received his degree as an Architect with honours. During his studies, he participated in exchanges with Universidad Anahuac in Mexico City and Washington DC at WACC (Virginia Tech), USA. In New York, He worked as Lead Designer for Asymptote Architecture in New York City. He now works as an Associate at Zaha Hadid Architects. Sebastian Andia is currently a project architect on a major mixed-use 250-meter tower in China. He is being teaching at several schools including AA School and at the Bartlett.


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Charles Arsène-Henry founded the speculative reading agency White Box Black Box in 2009. He is conceiving The Library is on Fire with the Luma foundation and writing Molly Psycho Mantis Bloom Sue Barr is Head of Photography at the AA and holds a PhD from the Royal College of Art. She works and exhibits internationally and was part of the AutoPhoto exhibition at the Fondation Cartier in Paris. She has had recent solo shows at Galerienhaus in Stuttgart and the Arles Photo Festival. Her latest book, ‘The Architecture of Transit’, was published by Hartmann Projects. Yoni Bentovim is a film director based in London. His films, spanning documentary and fiction, have been programmed worldwide at festivals and for television broadcast, including Channel 4, France 3, SBS, RTP, Amazon Prime, The Guardian online, Victoria and Albert Museum, Barbican, NY Anthology Film Archives and have received multiple awards. Henry Cleaver is the Digital Prototyping Technician at the AA where he provides expertise and advice to students using the DPL. He is an accomplished furniture and lighting designer, model maker and graphic designer. He holds a degree in Model Making for Design from the Arts University Bournemouth and since 2013 has been key to the development of the AA’s Digital Prototyping Lab. Eleanor Dodman is an architect and a graduate of the AA. Her London based practice focuses on residential and cultural projects. She has taught at the AA, Birmingham University, Cardiff University. Gary Edwards is an Architect skilled in architectural design and research, specialising in free and open digital technologies, manufacturing and robotics. He is founder of RE.JE architects and robotics and runs advanced robotics workshops. With training and experience in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, he has experience in multi discipline working and collaboration, essential to both successful construction and robotics projects. He is a passionate educator and teaches at both e AA and the Bartlett where he completed his March. Shin Egashira is an architect, artist, educator and PhD candidate that worked in Tokyo, Beijing and New York before coming to London where he has lived for the past 30 years. From 1990 he has taught at the AA and has been Unit Master of Diploma Unit 11 since 1996. His artwork has been exhibited internationally, with the most recent solo show at Betts Projects in 2019. He has been artist in residency at the Camden Arts Centre in London and Bennington College in Vermont. Shin has taught many workshops around the world, always looking for alternative ways to teach, learn and practice design. He has been running the Koshirakura Landscape Workshop in Japan over the last 20+ years and the AA Maeda Workshop in Tokyo, London and Hooke Park for more than a decade. Alongside of the AA Shin is a visiting professor at Tokyo University of Fine Arts, where he teaches once a year. Raluca Grada-Emandi is working as an independent designer and creative consultant in the field of performance art. She graduated from the AA Interprofessional Studio and the Royal College of Art, with a previous degree in social psychology.


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Raluca’s work focuses on bridging materiality with its absence, manipulating distortions across both physical and imaginary realities. Her work has been exhibited at the V&A, Sir John Soane Museum, National Theatre of Iceland and featured in Vogue, Designboom, Arts Thread, i-D magazine. Juliet Haysom trained in Fine Art at The Ruskin School, University of Oxford and The Royal College of Art, London. Her interest in working on site-specific projects led to her completion of RIBA Part-1 at the AA in 2013. She has worked as an associate artist at Muf architecture art studio and is currently developing a solo artist’s commission built into the site of a 19th Century prison in Bristol and is lead artist for a new park in Bristol and a new public garden in Amesbury. Matej Hosek uses both his architectural degree and passion for arts to explore CGI and how it can be used in representing architecture and environments. Graduated in 2007 at FUA (https://fua.tul.cz/en/). Between 2008-2010 he worked at Vyonyx Studio in London and started a rendering course for the AA. Currently is an associate at AsymmetricA studio and works with clients like F+P, Aedas and Gensler. https://www.behance.net/matejhosek Anderson Inge has combined architectural practice with teaching for nearly 30 years, in the UK as well as the USA. He initially completed trainings in both architecture and structural design at MIT, and subsequently trained in painting and sculpture at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts School and at Central St Martins, London. In recent years Anderson’s teaching has concentrated on drawing and visualization for architects, delivering courses and workshops at numerous institutions including the Royal College of Art, the Rural Studio, and the Bartlett. Oskar Johanson (AA Dipl’19) is a designer and writer. He is currently a Research Fellow at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, where he also teaches. With Adolfo Del Valle he founded and edited PNYX, the AA’s weekly publication (2015–19). Harry Kay is an architect based in London and the Lake District. As a designer Harry has designed stage sets for the Paris Opera, installations for museums in London and New York, and numerous architectural projects in Europe. Harry is founder of WORKKS. and Built Works, who are a part of the winning team to design the British Pavilion at the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale. Oliviu Lugojan-Ghenciu is a practicing architect who co-founded Universal Assembly Unit and CtrlArchDel studios and is Creative Director at Neutral Digital, a leading UK agency that specialises in AR, VR and other immersive interactive solutions. As a leading expert in time-based media & digital storytelling, his work GravityONE, and critically acclaimed Choreography for Militarised Airspace, has been exhibited in the UK, USA, Australia, Japan and Europe. Oliviu runs the AA’s Motion Studio, previously teaching and running workshops in the USA, Canada and Europe. Antoni Malinowski (www.AntoniMalinowski.co.uk) is an artist who works with pigment, light, movement and time investigating the dynamic relationship that exists between pictorial and architectural spaces. Since 2002 Antoni has been researching with the AA students the dynamics of colour/space interactions. In 2012 he has initiated Saturated Space research cluster www.saturatedspace.org


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Patricia Mato-Mora studied architecture at the Architectural Association, and materials at the Royal College of Art. She teaches Environmental and Technical Studies and Communication and Media Studies at the AA, specialising in Ceramics and Fabrication. She works alongside artists and architects to realise large-scale projects employing various craftsmanship methods, while practicing independently as an artist; directs the AA Visiting School in the Sonora desert and has also taught in the AA Experimental Programme (2015-17) and the AA Summer School (2018). Anna Mill is a designer and author with a background in architecture. Her first book Square Eyes, with co-writer Luke Jones, explores a near-future city where mesmerising digital visions are drawn over the crumbling physical world, and dreams, memory and realities blur. Anna won the 2019 World Illustration Awards for her work on Square Eyes and has produced short stories for the Architectural Review and the Oslo Architecture Triennale. Inigo Minns is an architect with an interest in drawing as a tool for architectural communication. He has been teaching at a variety of colleges in different disciplines in the UK and elsewhere and runs a Diploma Unit at the AA.

Alison Moffett is an artist and educator. She has exhibited in the UK and internationally and has taught at the AA, in HTS and MS, since 2011, as well as being a guest critic at other UK universities. She has an MFA from the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL, and an MA in History and Critical Thinking from the AA. Joel Newman studied fine art at Reading University and has been a course tutor in Video with AA Media Studies since 1998. He has exhibited his video works at galleries including the Architecture Foundation, the ICA, the Whitechapel Art Gallery and the AA. From 2006-08 he was a co-curator for the AA’s New Media Research Initiative and is currently a consultant in Film and Sound to the AA’s Spatial Performance & Design (AAIS) MA/MFA course. Ana Maria Nicolaescu works with images and words to explore the complexities of the digital world, with a focus on aspects of gamification, image circulation and art production. Recent projects include Worlding for Real, for Global Art Forum 14; In 20/20, at the AA; Roblox: Notes from the Front, in TANK Magazine. She is co-founder of Cream Projects. Thomas Parker is designer, fabricator and visual artist whose interests lie in experimental architecture and methodological approaches of spatial design. He has a longstanding background in 3D scanning, visualization and fabrication, having graduated from the Bartlett School of Architecture, where he also now teaches MArch Unit 17. Thomas Randall Page Combining design led architectural practice with teaching and hands-on building. Passions for materials, making and people lie at the heart of both strands of Thomas Randall-Page’s work. Having worked at acclaimed architects 6A and Heatherwick Studio Thomas founded his own practice. Working at a variety of scales and speeds from substantial long-lasting buildings to installations, stage and set design. Co-founded Building Works Unit in 2011 Thomas still teaches with this group running workshops internationally, co-leading a design unit at Oxford Brookes University as well as being a guest tutor at the Architectural Association in London.


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Buster Rönngren holds a MArch and an AA Diploma with Honours. He was a student of Shapes of Fiction in 2013 and has since then participated as researcher for The Library is on Fire Mattia Santi is co-founding director of SASI Studio, an architecture and design office based in London. He previously worked as Senior Architect at Zaha Hadid Architects, after having worked at Robofold, Farshid Moussavi Architects, Alvisi Kirimoto & Partners. Mattia holds a MArch in Architecture and Urbanism (DRL) from the Architectural Association and a MEng in Architectural Engineering with honours from University of Rome Tor Vergata. Mattia is also co-founding director of the digital magazine Data Aided Design. Francesca Silvi is co-founding director of SASI Studio, an architecture and design office based in London. She previously worked as Senior Architect at Zaha Hadid Architects, after having worked at Foster and Partners, 3D Reid, Coffice. Francesca holds a MArch Architecture Design from the Bartlett School of Architecture and a MEng in Architectural Engineering from University of Rome Tor Vergata. Francesca is also co-founding director of the digital magazine Data Aided Design. Paula Strunden studied in Vienna and Paris before graduating from the Bartlett School of Architecture in London. With experience working for Archithese, Raumlabor and Herzog & de Meuron, Paula developed her interest in virtual and augmented reality and is exploring how architects can contribute to the development of these new immersive tools. Sebastian Tiew is a digital artist and designer. He has worked as a researcher and 3D artist for various architectural offices and design agencies in London, developing real time projects and applications for both cultural and commercial purposes. He is co-founder of Cream Projects. Jelena Viskovic is an artist who works with technologies that facilitate interaction and world-building. She develops web-based, mobile applications and uses videogame engines to build immersive stories, social research tools, and virtual worlds. Her projects Forum, Patternist and Rromok were commissioned by Rhizome (US), the V&A (UK) and Transmediale (DE).

AIMS OF COMMUNICATION & MEDIA STUDIES COURSES YEARS 1-3

Understand the importance of visual communication and media in the presentation of design project ideas. Learn, over the course of a term, how to apply a set of specific skills and techniques related to the visual and material communication of architectural design. Develop the ability to make informed judgements, self-evaluate and work independently, integrating intellectual and practical considerations in the application of the learnt skills to a specific project. Develop awareness of the range of media that can be used to communicate different aspects of a design and be able to select and apply these appropriately. Understand the importance of discussion related to choice of media, process and outcome, be able to respond to and integrate feedback.


Students work in groups and individually with weekly interaction with tutors and external collaborators in tutorials, seminars and workshops. Media Studies skills are taught to augment communication methodologies alongside the core studies courses and design units. Students and


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tutors engage with other parts of the AA School and with external critics through a series of tailored seminars and collaborations. Courses include visits to exhibitions and materials suppliers within the London area. Students learn to research, analyse, synthesise and propose at a level appropriate to this stage of undergraduate experience. Students learn to explore, communicate and justify spatial and intellectual ideas using a range of media and related fabrication methods. Feedback is regularly provided in tutorials and seminars where students are required to make visual and verbal presentations of their work set out in accordance with the course and school timetables.

LEARNING SUPPORT

Extensive information and physical resources are available to all students for learning support including model-making workshops for wood and metal working, digital prototyping, audio-visual lab, digital photography studio, drawing materials shop, bookshop, library, photo library, school archives, the public lecture series, weekly published school events lists, bar and restaurant and woodland workshops at the Hooke Park campus in Dorset. Media Studies tutors meet their students for tutorials and seminars every week.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Students are required to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, ability and skills in the following areas to attain a Pass:

Theoretical Development: Awareness and knowledge of the available range of media and understanding of how these can be used in the exploration, representation and presentation of a design project; how the use of different media to represent a design can affect how project is understood and communicated. Understanding that the choice of media used can influence the emphasis of social and political arguments within a design project. Development of adequate knowledge of the range of media including their potential and limitations; development of confidence to make informed and appropriate choices between different media.

Technical Resolution: Knowledge and understanding of a particular medium; appropriate selection, application, use and demonstration of skill of a particular medium in the communication of a project. Awareness of precedents that have deployed this medium/media, understanding strengths and limitations through knowledge of specific examples.

Integration and Synthesis: Synthesis of basic conceptual, aesthetic and technological issues in the communication of a specific media studies project. The ability to discuss and refine these in relation to the emerging project. Effective use of taught skills applied to the communication of the project, demonstrating the integration of feedback.

Method of Assessment:

Formative assessment Continual assessment is provided weekly at tutorials, unit pin-ups and presentations.


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Summative assessment Assessment outcomes: • High Pass: High level of achievement overall, significantly exceeding the criteria

required to attain a Pass. The submission demonstrates comprehensive appreciation of topic and application of critical reflection and insight. Developmental and final work documented clearly in a coherently structured and well-presented submission. A High Pass recommendation is only possible for a submission that has achieved a Pass and is made by the assessing tutor for further review by a separately convened assessment panel who will review the standard and quality of all recommendations.






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SYNOPSIS

This course is devoted to freehand drawing from observation. Students will gain confidence in their ability to create evocative freehand drawings. Each session will have a distinct theme and will begin with a short talk or demonstration to explain powerful approaches and techniques in drawing. We actively work through seeing and drawing challenges proven to develop evocative drawing. Our time will be laced with rich discussions that will refine how we see and draw, and we will develop a vocabulary of form that will extend the power of both into design.

SEEING YOUR WAY TO DRAW CONTENT

• freehand drawing from observation. • weekly demonstrations, with most of each session devoted to application of strategies and

methods in actively drawing. • regular homework assignments give further opportunity to exercise strategies and methods. • ongoing critical appraisal of their work and that of their piers within each session.

OUTPUTS

• Participation and discussion in lectures, group sessions, and practical workshops • Creative application of the techniques, tools or media specific to the course • Coherence between conceptual structure and final proposition • Demonstration of technical facility to best represent considered intentions • Final composition of all produced media into a coherent body of work

Course Title CORE STUDIES COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA STUDIES SEEING YOUR WAY TO DRAW - Freehand drawing from Observation

Level First Year + Second Year


Unit Leader Anderson Inge Term 1 + 2

Credits 10/120



Learning methods Lectures, Practical workshops, Seminars/tutorials/juries, Self-directed learning


134


Required Assessed Communication: Verbal n Visual n n Written n n Self-management skills n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD techniques Information management Making/ Fabrication Techniques

Critical skills/ability n n Work as part of a team


135


COMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES CELLAR DOOR - Drawing and image making

Level First Year + Second Year FHEQ Level 5


Unit Master Inigo Minns Term 1 + 2

Credits 10/120



Learning methods

Lectures, Practical workshops, Seminars/tutorials/juries Self-directed learning

SYNOPSIS

Through a series of tests using different media we will spend 8 weeks exploring how we make images and how we can make them better. Starting with architectural drawing formats as well as works from graphic design and fine art we will develop a series of strategies for bringing more visual intent, beauty and power to your work. We will look at composition, colour, projection, and both digital and analogue image making techniques with the aim of developing a unique drawing language suitable for your projects. CONTENT

• Drawing and Image Introduction • Composition • Colour and Line • Media Exploration • Image Refinement • Image Resolution • Final presentation

OUTPUTS • Participation and discussion in lectures, group sessions, and practical workshops • Creative application of the techniques, tools or media specific to the course • Coherence between conceptual structure and final proposition • Demonstration of technical facility to best represent considered intentions • Final composition of all produced media into a coherent body of work


136

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS Required Assessed Communication: Verbal n Visual n n Written n Self-management skills n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD techniques n n Making/ fabrication techniques n n Critical skills/ability Work as part of a team

n

n


137

SYNOPSIS

Based on the idea of a paradox, this course will endeavor to combine opposing visual techniques. We will explore how one might make interesting or challenging material, technical, and compositional decisions to best illustrate an idea. By looking at examples and trying our own experiments: using different drawing tools, blind drawing, reconfiguring shapes and collage, and exploring the trace left through action, we will work towards creating critical individual drawings that capture the magic of opposition

CONTENT

• Introduction to drawing as an abstraction of Form and Space. Compositional exercise • Line: The mark as an action, an extension of a body. • The unconscious, automatic drawing or writing. • Development of individual final drawings • Presentation

OUTPUTS


Course Title CORE STUDIES COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA STUDIES THE DRAWN MISTAKE - Decision making through drawing



Unit Leader Alison Moffett Term 1 + 2

Credits 10/120



Learning methods Lectures, Practical workshops, Seminars/tutorials/juries Self-directed learning


138


Required Assessed Communication: Verbal Visual n n Written n Self-management skills n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD techniques Information management Making/ Fabrication Techniques

n

n

Critical skills/ability n n Work as part of a team n


139


COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES PROJECTION AND SPECULATION - Architectural Drawing



Unit Leader MIRAJ AHMED Term 1 + 2 Credits 10/120 Professional body requirements



SYNOPSIS Architectural drawing is the language we use to develop and represent our architectural ideas. As a language, it uses the rules and conventions of measured orthographic and perspective projection. The course will build your knowledge of hand-drawn 2D and 3D projective drawings as tools for the imagination. Redrawing and analysis of an existing building precedent through a set of plans, sections and axonometrics will be the starting point to reinterpret explore and speculate. CONTENT

• Introduction to orthographic – Plan, Section, Elevation • Construction and uses of 3D drawing systems as design tools • Precedent Study – analysis through drawing • Group seminars and discussions • Weekly drawing development tutorials • Critical appraisal of final drawings



140

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS The student will have an opportunity to practise the following skills: Required Assessed Communication:

Verbal n Visual n n Written n

Self-management skills n n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD techniques n Information management Making/ Fabrication Techniques

n

n



141

Course Title CORE STUDIES COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES TRANSLATION THROUGH DRAWING - Unmaking, Collaging and Drawing



Unit Leader Shin Egashira Term 1 + 2

Credits 10/120




SYNOPSIS

The course introduces the conceptual and technical aspects of orthogonal drawings in combination with the procedures of collaging and object making. Our process will begin by taking ordinary objects apart allowing us to unlearn about things that are too familiar to pay attention to. We would like to assume that there is no difference between means of representation and that of design. A succession of works will evolve in parallel with discussions of seminal architectural writings on a systematic approach to representation. Students must approach drawings with an understanding of intrinsic formal attributes of objects using concepts of formal addition and subtraction.

CONTENT

• Taking found objects apart, section drawings • Talk on Orthogonal drawing • Collage from all the section drawings. • Talk on Collage, assemblage and bricolage • Combining objects, drawings and photographic fragments • Pin-up session

OUTPUTS:



142


Required Assessed Communication: Verbal n Visual n n Written n Self-management skills n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD techniques n n Information management Making/ Fabrication Techniques

n

n



143

SYNOPSIS

Abstract Nature explores the creative processes of design. The program starts with a research of “forms” and their immediate functionality. We question their relation to the human body, actions and needs. The course will focus on the interaction between object and users. In order to realise our objects, we will focus on learning Polygon Modelling (Autodesk Maya) as the main drafting tool to develop a functional form. These initial experiments will be developed into the digital drafting to produce models for digital prototyping and innovative representational drawings. In the process of learning new techniques, students will not only gain excellent skills, but also build up their own design language. CONTENT • Introduction Functional Objects • Physical Sculpting • Mutation Analogue to Digital • Representation and Communication • Presentation

OUTPUTS:


Course Title CORE STUDIES COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES ABSTRACT NATURE - 3D modelling



Unit Leader Sebastian Andia Term 1 + 2

Credits 10/120





144


Required Assessed Communication: Verbal ■ Visual ■ ■ Written ■ Self-management skills ■ Manage time and work to deadlines ■ IT/CAD techniques ■ ■ Information management Making/ Fabrication Techniques

■

■

Critical skills/ability ■ ■ Work as part of a team ■


145


COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES: SCANNING/ PIXEL POINT PLANE - 3D modelling and Photogrammetry



Unit Leader Harry Kay Term 1 + 2

Credits 10/120 Professional body requirements


Learning methods

Lectures, Practical workshops, Seminars/tutorials/juries, Self-directed learning

SYNOPSIS

Photogrammetry and 3D Modelling are powerful tools that are used by architects and designers to record space, develop designs and convey ideas. We will focus on utilising these tools as part of our design process; from scanning a site, to modelling our ideas. The focus will be on learning the key principles of using photogrammetry software, and then 3D drafting software to digitise our proposals and model our ideas. The course aim is to integrate these tools into our creative process and open up new realms in which to explore and share ideas. CONTENT

● an introduction to Photogrammetry and the tools ● scanning a site ● analysing the data and creating point clouds ● Drawing 3D models from scan data ● manipulating the models ● exporting media

OUTPUTS:

● Participation and discussion in lectures, group sessions, and practical workshops ● Creative application of the techniques, tools or media specific to the course ● Coherence between conceptual structure and final proposition ● Demonstration of technical facility to best represent considered intentions ● Final composition of all produced media into a coherent body of work


146


Required Assessed Communication: Verbal ■ ■ Visual ■ ■ Written ■ Self-management skills ■ Manage time and work to deadlines ■ ■ IT/CAD techniques ■ ■ Information management Making/ Fabrication Techniques

Critical skills/ability ■ ■ Work as part of a team ■


147


COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES FUTURE CRAFT - Robotics and Materiality



Unit Master Patricia Mato-Mora Gary Edwards

Term 1 + 2

Credits 10/120




SYNOPSIS Future Craft explores the intersection of numeric and manual fabrication. Departing from David Pye’s understanding of mechanized and manual fabrication as part of a continuum, mediated by tools, technique and material – this course explores the space between ‘workmanship of risk’ and ‘workmanship of certainty’ – material expression and algorithmic control. In this course, students will design and manufacture a ceramic dual-purpose building component through a hybrid approach of numeric robot control and manual fabrication.

CONTENT

• Lectures on Architectural Ceramics and Digital Fabrication Processes for Architecture • Practical workshops learning ceramic techniques, alongside robotic manufacturing with clay

(additive and subtractive) • Tutorials, group seminars and discussions • Weekly evaluation and presentation of drawings, 3D models and physical prototypes • Critical appraisal of final building element and its constructability

OUTPUTS: • Participation and discussion in lectures, group sessions, and practical workshops • Creative application of the techniques, tools or media specific to the course • Coherence between conceptual structure and final proposition • Demonstration of technical facility to best represent considered intentions • Final composition of all produced media into a coherent body of work


148

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Required Assessed Communication: Verbal n Visual n n Written n Self-management skills n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD/CAM techniques n n

Making/ fabrication techniques n n Critical skills/ability Work as part of a team

n n

n


149


COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES: ALTERNATIVE ENDINGS - Representational techniques + Physical modelling



Unit Master Eleanor Dodman Term 1 only

Credits 10/120



Learning methods


SYNOPSIS

Buried deep in the bowels of the AA is the archive - a collection of projects and artefacts - documenting its numerous pasts. Together we will build on this past by producing an unseen moment of an existing drawing from the archive, in the form of a physical model. We will question how models are used as means of representation within architecture whilst delving into the history and cultural context of the existing drawing.

(This course runs in Term 1 only)

CONTENT

• Lecture on the archive drawing and its context • Representation workshop • Group discussion, spatial explorations through drawing/collage • Scale, media, colour and texture workshop • Drawing development and group tutorials • Model making workshop (perspective, tools and material) • Drawing to model translation • Textures and relief workshop • Model development and group tutorials • Photographing the models • Curating the new project, group discussion about the collective alternative

ending OUTPUTS: • Participation and discussion in lectures, group sessions, and practical workshops • Creative application of the techniques, tools or media specific to the course • Coherence between conceptual structure and final proposition • Demonstration of technical facility to best represent considered intentions • Final composition of all produced media into a coherent body of work


150

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Required Assessed Communication: Verbal n Visual n n Written n Self-management skills n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD techniques n n Making/ fabrication techniques n n Critical skills/ability Work as part of a team

n n

n


151

Course Title CORE STUDIES COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES FLUIDS/FABRICS/FORMS/FORCES - Experimental analogue making



Unit Master Thomas Randall-Page Term 2 only

Credits 10/120



Learning methods


SYNOPSIS This course aims to explore the relationship between forces and forms through the medium of fluids and fabrics. We will use iterative analogue experimentation and critical analysis to produce physical artifacts. We explore how traces of the making process can be read in the resultant object. These objects may be abstract and sculptural or may begin to be applied, becoming details, or scale models of far larger structures. The course takes the form of a conversation through objects. Although the objects themselves are physical, we may use digital technology to facilitate the exchange.

(This course runs in Term 2 only)

CONTENT

• Introduction to fabric formwork, and analogue form finding. • Introduction to casting in plaster and concrete. • Group discussions and individual tutorials. • Weekly evaluation and presentation of experiments. • Photographic recording of processes and outcomes.



152

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Required Assessed Communication: Verbal n Visual n n Written n Self-management skills n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD techniques n Making/ fabrication techniques n n Critical skills/ability Work as part of a team

n n

n


153

SYNOPSIS

This course will give an in-depth introduction to CNC milling and will look at the importance of prototyping in the design process. Whilst undertaking several design briefs, students will learn how to problem-solve, plan, set up and run the CNC machine, and crucially how this knowledge informs their design development. Research and experimentation will concentrate on materials, machining tolerances and designing within limitations thrown up along the way. Students will engage in group discussions and design sessions online and machine operation can be done live, virtually, if not in person in the DPL. This course is for first-year students who like to make things. CONTENT

• Introduction to CNC milling as a method of digital fabrication. • Landscapes and textures • Mould making • Joinery and 1:1 making session • Presentation

OUTPUTS


Course Title CORE STUDIES COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES CNC FOR DESIGNERS - Digital Prototyping



Unit Leader Henry Cleaver Term 1+ 2

Credits 10/120





154


Required Assessed Communication: Verbal Visual ■ ■ Written Self-management skills ■ Manage time and work to deadlines ■ ■ IT/CAD techniques ■ ■ Information management Making/ Fabrication Techniques

■

■

Critical skills/ability ■ ■ Work as part of a team ■ ■


155

SYNOPSIS

The course looks at the language of colour as a tool for social and political interaction within the urban and architectural context. We will discuss both the historical colour strategies and contemporary projects. From ancient Rome to Bauhaus to Memphis to now. This will open up avenues of individual student’s research. The research will be accompanied by practical workshop sessions where we will test the effects of painted / pigmented surfaces in relation to 3D space. Each student will make a 1:1 colour installation / intervention.

This course will empower students to successfully use colour in their design work.

CONTENT

Introduction to colour as a physical phenomenon - pigments, the microstructure of colour. Colour interaction – Joseph Albers 2D colour exercise + practical workshop Historical strategies of using colour in architecture as a political tool Use of colour in Indian architecture. Student’s research into their own cultures / environments. Colour in modern / contemporary art and architecture. From Bauhaus to Memphis to now. Conversation with Studio TAM architects about the healing aspect of colour – how can we influence Meeting with Adam Nathaniel Furman co-director of Saturated Space. practical workshop – preparing the materials for 1:1 colour interventions in architecture. mapping the colours of London. Setting up the colour mapping project. Pre-recorded conversation with Johanna Grawunder – the architect / designer working with colour. Final presentations OUTPUTS

• Participation and discussion in lectures, group sessions, and practical workshops • Creative application of the techniques, tools or media specific to the course • Focus on visual perception as a source of knowledge and creativity • Coherent development of the spatial idea based on chromatic interactions. • Coherence between conceptual structure and final 3D proposition

Course Title CORE STUDIES COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA STUDIES POLITICS OF COLOUR - Practical work with pigments



Unit Leader Antoni Malinowski Term 1 + 2

Credits 10/120



Learning methods



156


Required Assessed Communication: Verbal n Visual n n Written n n Self-management skills n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD techniques Information management Making/ Fabrication Techniques

Critical skills/ability n n Work as part of a team


157

Course Title CORE STUDIES COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES PRODUCTIVE DRAWING - Drawing and model-making



Unit Leader Juliet Haysom Term 1+ 2

Credits 10/120



Learning methods


SYNOPSIS

Media-from Latin medius, literally ‘middle’. “Drawing in architecture is not done after nature, but before construction; it is not so much produced by reflection on the reality outside the drawing, as productive of a reality that will end up outside the drawing.”- Robin Evans

Unlike artists who usually make their work directly, architects’ designs are conventionally translated into built form by someone else. Throughout this course, students will develop skills as both authors and makers by testing how drawings mediate between design and construction. Making creative use of the limitations of social distancing, the clarity and ambiguity of drawings will be put to the test: each week, students will produce anonymised drawings that will be translated into constructions by someone else within the group- without reference to verbal or written instructions beyond the drawings themselves. By the end of the course, students will have a practical, empirical and playful understanding of how working drawings describe, inform, instruct and occasionally confound.

CONTENT

• Introducton to project and to precedents • Students start to produce first drawings by hand. • Working Together: Interpretation - review the submitted drawings anonymously,

identifying clarity as well as problems/ambiguity. • translate designs into paper models. • Introduction to drawing with vectors: Working with Adobe Illustrator • Constructions from Drawings - translations • CMS Jury

OUTPUTS



158


Required Assessed Communication: Verbal n Visual n n Written n Self-management skills n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD techniques n Information management Making/ Fabrication Techniques

n

n



159

Course Title CORE STUDIES COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES EXPERIMENTAL FILM - Filmmaking + Editing



Unit Master Yoni Bentovim Term 1 + 2

Credits 10/120



Learning methods


SYNOPSIS Focusing mainly on experimental film practices, in this course we will be looking for the various elusive borders of what defines film as film; whether these borders encapsulate time/movement, materials, narrative, spectatorship. or other, we will examine our findings and each student will complete at least one short film while doing so. This workshop will help students enhance their understanding of the audio visual medium and will deepen their knowledge of experimental film practices from the 40's to now

CONTENT

• Fiction/non-fiction and the question of “who” - lecture • Pre-production, Production & Post, the basic stages of making a short film- lecture • Onsite practical workshop using dslr cameras • Onsite practical using editing software • Group seminars and discussions analysing films • Weekly evaluation and presentation of film work • Critical appraisal of final short film

OUTPUTS:



160

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Required Assessed Communication: Verbal n Visual n n Written n Self-management skills n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD techniques n Making/ fabrication techniques n n Critical skills/ability Work as part of a team

n n

n


161


COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES SEEING SLOWLY: THE ANTI-SELFIE - Photography



Unit Master Dr Sue Barr Term 1 &2

Credits 10/120



Learning methods


SYNOPSIS The American photographer Minor White claimed that all photographs are essentially self-portraits and the prevalence of the ‘selfie’ in contemporary culture would lead us to believe they are one and the same, but the ‘selfie’ is not reflective or a considered study, it is spontaneous and ephemeral. This course will explore the carefully composed photograph, whereby engaging with the slowness of analog photography, the photographer fully controls the image composition, embracing ideas of memory, identity and fiction within the frame.

CONTENT

• History of Photography lecture • Practical photographic workshops using analogue cameras • Weekly shooting of one roll of film • Technical camera controls • Group seminars and discussions • Weekly evaluation and presentation of photographs • Critical appraisal of final photographic series



162

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Required Assessed Communication: Verbal n Visual n n Written Self-management skills n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD techniques n Making/ fabrication techniques n n Critical skills/ability Work as part of a team

n

n


163


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA STUDIES: SUSPENSE ON A GREEN SCREEN - Digital Compositing



Unit Master Jelena Viskovic Term 1 + 2

Credits 10/120



Learning methods


SYNOPSIS The course encompasses a range of basic digital compositing techniques. We will learn camera tracking in After Effects and real-time compositing using Augmented Reality tools in Unity 3D. We will look at examples in popular sci-fi films where 'alien' objects appear in a familiar environment, creating an uncanny scene. The exercises will explore the aesthetic of ‘suspense’ by contrasting a 3D model against its background to create tension between the virtual object and its real-world environment.

CONTENT

● Discussion and film screening ● Practical workshops in camera and motion tracking ● Introduction to markerless AR development ● Aesthetic exercise ● Hands-on workshops in 3D modeling, texturing and compositing

OUTPUTS: ● Participation and discussion in lectures, group sessions, and practical workshops ● Creative application of the techniques, tools or media specific to the course ● Coherence between conceptual structure and final proposition ● Demonstration of technical facility to best represent considered intentions ● Final composition of all produced media into a coherent body of work


164

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Required Assessed Communication: Verbal ■ Visual ■ ■ Written ■ ■ Self-management skills ■ Manage time and work to deadlines ■ ■ IT/CAD techniques ■ Making/ fabrication techniques ■ ■ Critical skills/ability Work as part of a team

■

■


165


COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES FILM HOME/ FILM STUDIO- Filmmaking



Unit Master Joel Newman Term 1 + 2

Credits 10/120



Learning methods


SYNOPSIS Over an eight-week period, students on this course will make an original video with accompanying soundtrack, discovering methods, techniques and principles rooted in narrative and non-narrative film making. Emphasising performance to camera and addressing the relationship between actor and audience, we will use physical constraint and experimentation as tools in creating new worlds and escapes. All components to the final piece must be created/ authored by the student.

CONTENT

• Histories of mise en scène and cinematography talks and screenings • Onsite practical workshops around camera use, software and audio production • Group seminars and discussions • Weekly evaluation and presentation of storyboard and production/editing progress • Critical appraisal of final video piece



166

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS


n n


167


COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES: POINT REALITY - Photography + Game Engine Technologies



Unit Master Ana Nicolaescu and Sebastian Tiew Term 1+ 2

Credits 10/120



Learning methods


SYNOPSIS Lewis Baltz’s camera faces the world directly. It steps from art into reality, from modernity into its demise. Today, a new type of image has emerged: shot with a virtual camera that constructs rather than represents, which shoots at a new world that competes with reality. This course will use gaming technologies, open source workflows and camera mapping techniques to reflect back on Baltz’s photographic works while exploring their reconstruction and reshooting with a camera that now points at a new world. CONTENT

• Representation and Dioramas: Seminar and Discussion • Introduction to game technologies and 3D Workflows • Environment, Lighting, Textures • Assets, Photogrammetry and 3D Modelling • Virtual Production and Set Design: Seminar and Discussion • User Interaction, Game Navigation, Blueprints • Initial Scene Development: The Cinematic Sequence • Post processing and Effects • Final Scene Development, Screening and Review

OUTPUTS: • Participation and discussion in lectures, group sessions, and practical workshops • Creative application of the techniques, tools or media specific to the course • Coherence between conceptual structure and final proposition • Demonstration of technical facility to best represent considered intentions • Final composition of all produced media into a coherent body of work: 1-2 minute animation in

UE4 and supporting documentation


168

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Required Assessed Communication: Verbal n Visual n n Written n Self-management skills n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD techniques n n Making/ fabrication techniques Critical skills/ability Work as part of a team

n

n


169

Course Title CORE STUDIES COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES RENDERING ARCHITECTURE - Rendering with Vray


Status

Compulsory/Option

Unit Leader Matej Hosek Term 1+ 2




SYNOPSIS

Architectural visualisation has become a mainstream tool for depicting architecture. This course will be an introduction to the field and will explore overlapping of two opposites - real and abstract. We will utilise Vray for Rhino and Photoshop to create an image merging the mainstream’s craftsmanship with the sublime style of an individual. CONTENT

● Introduction to Vray for Rhino - basic settings and principles, explanation of render elements and their use in Photoshop, basics of masking, blending modes.

● Camera setup and composition, light and mood setup, frame buffer postprocess. Basic color correction and balance of rendered image in Photoshop with assistance of adjustments layers.

● Use of the Vray material library, custom material creation. Seamless texture creation in Photoshop.

● Final render output preparation and output. Texture overlays and brushes in Photoshop. ● Final image rendering, vray clipper plane for sections. Final image post process and 2D

animation in Photoshop. ● Presentation.

OUTPUTS:

● Participation and discussion in lectures, group sessions, and practical workshops ● Creative application of the techniques, tools or media specific to the course ● Coherence between conceptual structure and final proposition ● Demonstration of technical facility to best represent considered intentions ● Final composition of all produced media into a coherent body of work


170


Required Assessed Communication: Verbal Visual ■ ■ Written ■ Self-management skills ■ Manage time and work to deadlines ■ ■ IT/CAD techniques ■ ■ Information management Making/ Fabrication Techniques

■

Critical skills/ability ■ Work as part of a team


171

Course Title CORE STUDIES COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES: SHAPES OF FICTION - Reading as a thought method



Unit Master Charles Arsene Henry & Buster Rönngren Term 1 and 2

Credits 10/120



Learning methods


SYNOPSIS Reading will be considered as a partially unknown phenomenon and the vessel of a quest. What if you could access a text or a film as one enters an abandoned spaceship? With a sense of slowness, attention, wonder. A poem from Wallace Stevens or a scene from Max Ophüls will be transposed as volumes made of planes, levels, layers. A vessel named Motosong will be conceived to undertake a metafictional exploration of these volumes. Definitions of Metaphor, Analogy and Virtual will be constructed through etymologies and diagrams. These drawn definitions will compose the logics of Motosong. OUTLINE CONTENT

• Lectures on Meta defined as a state of fiction in which operations exist as entities equal to heroic characters

• Examples of Meta in poems, novels, films, comic books, video games and exhibitions • Introduction to Diegetic, Ontological Levels and Tracing Entities

OUTPUTS

• Constructed definitions • A collective stereo reading system • A special object • A deepened and layered understanding of reading


172

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Required Assessed Communication: Verbal Visual n n Written n n Self-management skills Manage time and work to deadlines n IT/CAD techniques n Making/ fabrication techniques n n Critical skills/ability Work as part of a team

n


173

SYNOPSIS The graphic novel format is a powerful temporal/spatial investigation tool in the design and understanding of space. Through its narrative lens, both architecture and life within and around its walls can be richly, evocatively distilled into a carefully composed set of fragments. Covering practical as well as stylistic methods and techniques, you will each produce a 1-4 page work to be collected into a group anthology at the end of the term.

CONTENT

• Short weekly presentations and discussions on principles involved in producing work in the graphic novel format

• Analysis and evaluation of examples from existing graphic novels & film • Guided workshop tasks each week to progress each stage of the work • Peer to peer, as well as tutor-led weekly evaluations of students’ work • Group working to edit and collect individual work into group anthology • Critical appraisal of final individual student works, and general review of group’s collected anthology.


Course Title CORE STUDIES COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES: CONSEQUENTIAL SPACES: Narrative + the graphic novel



Unit Master Anna Mill Term 1 + 2



Learning methods



174

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Required Assessed Communication: Verbal ■ Visual ■ ■ Written ■ Self-management skills ■ Manage time and work to deadlines ■ ■ IT/CAD techniques Making/ fabrication techniques ■ ■ Critical skills/ability Work as part of a team

■

■ ■


175

Course Title

CORE STUDIES COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES: INHABITANTS OF EXCLUSION ZONE (IOEZ.LIVE/21) - Online tools, remote technologies & augmented realities



Unit Master Raluca Grada-Emandi + Oliviu Lugojan-Ghenciu Term 1 + 2

Credits 10/120



Learning methods


SYNOPSIS INHABITANTS OF EXCLUSION ZONE is an online-only, remote and open-source community located on a server near you. IOEZ celebrates ‘online’ as a place. A necessity, reminiscence, not nostalgia of an isolation but embrace of the future, partly educational infrastructure partly professional collective. An updated academic framework revolving around the professionals of tomorrow while conveying the exploration of digital environments defined by the use of data and technology. Version 21 will explore new territories and data landscapes while focusing on methods of digital inhabitation. With a focus on remote locations, we are accessing exclusion zones through digital translocation. A celebratory exploration maintained by connectivity, 3d content, real-time render engines, visual scripting, remote technologies and digital tools.

CONTENT

• Collaborative design software and platforms • Product design and narrative development • Cinema4D • Unity • Prototyping • Prototyping/Animation/Illustration • Communication and representation • Present and document



176

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Required Assessed Communication: Verbal n Visual n n Written Self-management skills n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD techniques n n Making/ fabrication techniques n Critical skills/ability Work as part of a team

n

n


177

Course Title

CORE STUDIES COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES: FIXING STARS - Practical GIS and mapping



Unit Master Oskar Johanson Term 1

Credits 10/120




SYNOPSIS Fixing Stars will be a course that teaches students practical GIS (geographic information system) skills and frames them within a critical discourse on mapping. Students will learn how to search for and obtain datasets, stylise, analyse and process datasets of different formats and different scales, and how to export the results. Through a series of short readings and discussions, students will learn how to contextualise their own work within the history of data visualisation and cartography, including conceptions of landscape from outside and counter to Western frameworks as well as mapmaking’s entanglement with colonialism and violence.

CONTENT

• Practical GIS (geographic information system) skills • Critical discourse on Mapping • How to search for and obtain datasets • How to stylise, analyse and process datasets of different formats and different scales • How to export the results. • Through a series of short readings and discussions, students will learn how to contextualise their

own work within the history of data visualisation and cartography, including conceptions of landscape from outside and counter to Western frameworks as well as mapmaking’s entanglement with colonialism and violence.



178

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS


n

n


179

Course Title

CORE STUDIES COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES: INHABITING THE VIRTUAL - Virtual Reality



Unit Master Paula Strunden Term 2 only

Credits 10/120



Learning methods


SYNOPSIS The course explores forms of creating and experiencing interactive virtual spaces. Over a period of eight weeks, students will learn how to translate traditional design methods such as sketching and physical model making into immersive and interactive VR content. Different tools and methods will be explored to create real-time virtual environments ranging from photogrammetry to 3D sketching, to 360 spherical panorama rendering and interactive animation. (This course runs in Term 2 only)

CONTENT • Application of Virtual Reality in architecture lecture • Practical workshops on VR production • Group seminars and discussions • Weekly experimentation and evaluation of virtual content creation • Critical appraisal of final virtual designs



180

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS


n

n


181


COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES DATASCAPE - Data Visualisation



Unit Master Mattia Santi and Francesca Silvi Term 1

Credits 10/120



Learning methods


SYNOPSIS Contemporary spaces extend beyond physical reality through layers of virtual relations. Data interpretation is one of the most contemporary challenges within many fields and requires the capability of revealing patterns inside complex data. Designing through data allows to read understand and shape the new information driven society. Students will design and develop data sculptures to create a collective virtual museum. The workflow will engage students with the use of computational tools to express their ideas, understanding, interpreting, designing and visualizing patterns inside data. Starting from the fundamentals of programming, the students will develop Media Architecture projects using Processing and Houdini. In this course students will develop cores skills in coding and visual programming gaining experience in procedural modelling, mapping and data visualization.

CONTENT

• Key Studies of Data Visualization and Media • Fundamentals of Programming and Visual Programming • Project development and weekly reviews • Group seminars and discussions • Internal presentation of the works and self-assessment • Critical appraisal of final projects



182

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS


n

n


183

Course Title CORE STUDIES COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES TACTILE TECHNOLOGY - 3D Scanning



Unit Master Thomas Parker Term 1 + 2

Credits 10/120



Learning methods


SYNOPSIS Tactile Technology aims to create a dialogue between analogue objects and environments and their technological counterparts in contemporary high precision 3D scanning. Throughout the course we’ll explore experiential methods of photogrammetric 3D scanning, alongside a collection of contemporary software, that can be used in both digital fabrication and visual representation of 3D scanned data. We will actively seek to create complex compositions between different data sets to form new visual languages and hybrid representations of space.

CONTENT

• Tools and software • Photogrammetry session with found objects. • basic workflows with point clouds in rhino. • Using Lidar • Digital Modelling • Working with hybrid analogue/digital objects and data

OUTPUTS: • A developed object, which has been worked both digitally and physically throughout the

course. • A final image of the object in-situ, as either a 3D scan or hybrid photograph. • A simple journal, collecting together learning, research and experiments conducted over the 8

sessions.


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TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Required Assessed Communication: Verbal Visual n

n

Written Self-management skills n Manage time and work to deadlines n n IT/CAD techniques n Making/ fabrication techniques n n Critical skills/ability Work as part of a team

n n


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3.3.4 CORE STUDIES: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE A short course of seven sessions (an introductory + five seminars + one group tutorial) is offered in the first term and aims to give third year students an overview of the tasks that an architect might tackle in the practice of their profession.

The course is not claiming to be exhaustive but to help prepare students for their year out. The aim is therefore to help them gain an understanding of the professional office environment and so in turn being entrusted with more meaningful and interesting tasks during your year in practice.

The first lecture, entitled Roadmap to Architectural Registration, describes the steps required for registration as an architect. This is followed by four seminars, which cover a wide range of subjects illustrating issues with real life examples and case studies.

Students are very articulate presenting their work in an academic context. However, when in a commercial, professional environment the language and communication methods have a different emphasis and a variety of audiences including clients, colleagues and collaborators.

Very few students will have experienced an office or studio environment and so the first session is an introduction and an overview and purpose of the course and the process of become qualified. We cover the basic information a student will need to help their time in an office be as useful as possible. The breadth of topics covered by this course is wide, so we dedicate six further sessions to cover them.

The seminars are a combination of presentations by the invited speakers, all of whom are in practice, followed by a conversation, thereby giving students an opportunity to ask questions as to career path, and the associated issues and opportunities of being in practice

The tutorial is therefore aimed at providing the students the opportunity to have their questions answered in the context of a professional meeting. The breadth of topics covered by this course is so wide that students have many questions to ask particularly in relation to the topic of their assignment.

Unit Staff

Paul Crosby studied at the Polytechnic of Central London (University of Westminster). He has extensive, international experience having set up an office in Germany and having held senior positions in the offices of Zaha Hadid, David Chipperfield and Martha Schwartz. He consults small upcoming design studios on practice-related matters and has a particular research interest in the nature of future practice.

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Course Title CORE STUDIES PROFESSIONAL STUDIES: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Level Third Year FHEQ Level 6

Status Compulsory

Course Leader Paul Crosby Term 1

Credits 10/120



Learning methods Lectures/presentations/tutorials Self-directed learning

SYNOPSIS

This course prepares Third Year students for their year in practice, a time for practical training taken after completion of RIBA Part 1. It aims to provide students with an idea of what working in an architectural practice entails. Students will learn how to ‘make themselves useful’ in an office with the intention that the sooner they are perceived as useful, the sooner they will become part of the action and the more they will benefit from the experience. The first lecture describes the steps required for registration as an architect and is followed by four seminars that cover a wide range of subjects illustrating issues with real-life examples and well-known case studies. All seminars will be conducted as a conversation between the course tutors and invited practitioners all of whom are in private practice. They will discuss the issues they faced when first entering practice and give an overview of the tasks architects tackle in practice. The final session is a group tutorial giving students the opportunity to review draft submissions for formative feedback. Since AA students come from all over the world, and many intend to practise back home, the submissions are encouraged to be comparative in nature, for studies of situations arising both in Britain and in home countries. The essays should clearly and succinctly present concepts, facts and points of law in no more than 1,500 words. ARB/RIBA validation procedures for Part 1 require evidence of meeting the criteria for Professional Studies. Third Year students must achieve a pass in this course and include the assessed work in their final portfolios. AIMS The review and consideration of relevant professional, legal and statutory issues, the position of the architect in society, in the construction industry, in professional teams, and in practice, understanding and meeting clients’ requirements, financial control, and to prepare students for their first period of practical training. CONTENT

• Introduction: The 'Road Map' to Architectural Registration • In business - ethos and culture • The Role of the Architect • The Regulatory Environment • Collaboration


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• Professionalism and ethics • Group tutorials

TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES The course aims at conveying what working in an office will be like and how to make the most of it. The subject matter is made engaging by using supporting examples sourced from real life and first-hand experience and questions; debate during lectures is encouraged. Extensive use is made of selected case studies in lectures; student assignments can require visiting practices and interviewing architects. Selected reading material is set aside in the library and examples of past submissions are made available. All reference material provided by the ARB and the RIBA is available through the library and also online. Two lectures are devoted to the role and importance of communication in the work environment and the importance of using different ‘languages’ to communicate with colleagues, clients, users and consultants from other disciplines. Feedback is constantly encouraged from architectural practices to ensure the course remains relevant, appropriate and useful.

LEARNING SUPPORT

Extensive information and resources are available to all students for learning support including the school library, current and archived architectural journals, photo library, film library, school archives including past projects and taped lectures, school bookshop and the public lecture series, weekly published school events lists, bar and restaurant and woodland workshops at the Hooke Park campus in Dorset. The inter-library loan system allows students and tutors connections to a larger resource of libraries across London and beyond the school. The school also liaises closely with local architectural practices. The Professional Practice tutor is available to meet students for tutorials every week.

OUTPUTS/ASSESSMENT:

• Submission of an illustrated report of 3000 words maximum or a formal presentation focussed on a subject covered in the course

• Evidence of skills appropriate to this level to prepare architectural designs that conform to the appropriate professional and regulatory frameworks

• Demonstration of appropriate level of knowledge and critical reflection

Assessment Criteria All learning outcomes must be passed to achieve a pass in this course.

METHOD OF ASSESSMENT Formative assessment Student choice of, and outline strategy for, either preparation of written report or make a formal presentation on a subject covered in the course comprises the formative assessment.

Summative assessment Assessment is graded as follows:

• High Pass: High level of achievement overall, significantly exceeding the criteria required to attain a Pass. The submission demonstrates comprehensive appreciation of topic and application of critical reflection and insight. Developmental and final work documented clearly in a coherently structured and well-presented submission. A High Pass recommendation is only


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possible for a submission that has achieved a Pass and is made by the assessing tutor for further review by a separately convened assessment panel who will review the standard and quality of all recommendations.





TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Required Assessed Communication: Verbal § § Visual § § Written § § Self-management skills § § Manage time and work to deadlines § § IT/CAD techniques § Information management § § Critical skills/ability §

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