Architectural Design Studio 4 (Construction)
Overview
This unit involves an individual or group experimental project focused on medium to large-scale design challenges across building, landscape, and urban design. Students will explore advanced design methodologies and develop project options leading to resolved outcomes, demonstrating professional-level skills in managing time, tasks, and design constraints. The design process will be supported by physical and digital model-making, site analysis, and contextual research. Students will also engage with broader issues related to ecological systems, land management, and sustainable planning. Professional practice and management processes will inform their approach throughout.
Requisites
ARC20002 Architectural Design Studio 3 (Construction)
DIA20005 Interior Architecture Studio 3: Design Exploration
Rules
Pre-requisite
ARC20001 Architectural Design Studio 2 (Socio-economic Contexts)
AND
ARC20002 Architectural Design Studio 3 (Construction)
OR
Enrolment in Bachelor of Design (Interior Architecture) (Honours) and DIA20005 Interior Architecture Studio 3: Design Exploration
Assumed Knowledge
Ability to work independently, implement and understand design practices, documentation techniques, and presentation methods to communicate advanced design and theoretical principles, including skills in CAD, computational modelling, visual representation, and physical model-making
31-May-2026
Unit learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Apply research techniques and critical thinking applicable to architectural design outcomes (including development of project brief, perform a detailed site analysis, adoption of sustainable issues) as part of the brief
- Demonstrate basic professional practice issues, personal value systems, and ethical positions, applicable to conceptualising and making architecture
- Demonstrate basic knowledge of materials, forms, and construction technology, simple engineering and construction knowledge related to the 3D design
- Communicate the design using a set of graphic and verbal techniques, and the demonstration of independent thinking to evaluate design priorities, problems, strategies, and theories
- Evaluate issues of ecological sustainability, illustrating issues of national and regional planning and their relationship to global and local demography and resources
- Propose action through knowledge of landscape design and management of natural systems of the built environment via the integration of passive systems for thermal comfort, lighting and acoustics and their relationship to active systems
- Research the history and practice of urban design and issues of city planning
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Activity Type | Activity | Total Hours | Number of Weeks | Hours Per Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus | Class | 72 | 12 weeks | 6 |
| Online | Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 24 | 12 weeks | 2 |
| Unspecified Activities | Independent Learning | 204 | 12 weeks | 17 |
| Total Hours: | 300 | Total Hours (per week): | 25 | |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation | Individual/Group | 15% | 3,4 |
| Presentation | Individual/Group | 15% | 4,6 |
| Project 1 | Individual | 10% | 1,2,3 |
| Project 2 | Individual | 60% | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 |
Content
- Exploration of architectural design, basic theory and philosophy
- Exploring design, structural and services principles
- Examination of sustainable design issues and options
- Workshop experience to develop manual 3D modelling
- Develop techniques for the presentation of form studies and modelling
- Presentation of design concepts by illustration and verbally
- Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Verbal communication
- Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Communicating using different media
- Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Collaboration and negotiation
- Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Technical literacy
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.