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AR10502: History, theory and practice 1

[Page last updated: 23 October 2023]

Academic Year: 2023/24
Owning Department/School: Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering
Credits: 10 [equivalent to 20 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 200
Level: Certificate (FHEQ level 4)
Period:
Semester 1
Assessment Summary: CW 100%, EXIC 0%
Assessment Detail:
  • Poster (CW 100%)
  • Online Quiz (EXIC 0% - Qualifying Mark: 40)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the Unit, you will be able to:
1 Describe how materials have been used historically in architecture, and how structural forms have developed over time
2. Discuss and analyse historic building design for a range of applications using appropriate vocabulary and critical approaches
3. Articulate how vernacular buildings can inspire building design, including sustainable thinking, social justice and social sustainability
4. Outline the structure of the construction industry, the role of construction professionals, governing bodies, and the responsibility and potential consequences of poor design decisions
5. Identify different types of architectural and engineering organisation and explain how a small office is organised and managed
6. Recognise the industry approach to risk management, health and safety regulations, and ethical frameworks.


Synopsis: This unit introduces you to the global historical survey of architecture and engineering in terms of materials used. You'll also learn about the development of vernacular traditions in both Western and non-Western contexts. You'll consider how architecture and engineering respond to and are informed by material choices and a designer's relationship to social, cultural, economic and environmental factors. You will also look at the contemporary practice of respective professions.

Content: This unit examines different materials and structural forms in global, historical and/or vernacular architecture to explore their contributions to architectural and engineering forms and their relationships to specific cultures and environments. The ways in which materials and forms relate to climate and context will be explored. The unit will consider the implications of historical and/or vernacular buildings for modern and contemporary architecture and use them to explore principles of sustainability in architecture. Students will analyse a case study of a building and develop skills in academic research, analysis and presentation.
The role of an architect and an engineer is introduced and defined, considering the history of the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Royal Institute of British Architects, the influence of the 1931 Architects Act, and the subsequent and relevant legislation on the role of the accrediting bodies in the governance of the two professions.

Course availability:

AR10502 is a Must Pass Unit on the following courses:

Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering
  • UEAR-ANB14 : BSc(Hons) Architecture with Thin sandwich placement(s) (Year 1)

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2023/24 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2024/25 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2023/24.
  • Courses and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.