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Course profile

Architecture in the Western Tradition (ARCH1240)

Study period
Sem 2 2024
Location
St Lucia
Attendance mode
In Person

Course overview

Study period
Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
Study level
Undergraduate
Location
St Lucia
Attendance mode
In Person
Units
2
Administrative campus
St Lucia
Coordinating unit
Architecture, Design and Planning School

An introduction to the main theoretical issues in the history of western European architecture and how they have shaped architectural knowledge and production.

ARCH1240 is one of four core history and theory courses offered in the Bachelor of Architectural Design, introducing fundamental discussions and exemplars of past and present architecture and considering their meanings and values within relevant theoretical contexts. Students will develop skills in the analysis of buildings and texts, with argumentation through discussion, presentations and written communication.


ARCH1240 is designed to provide an introduction to fundamental architectural knowledge and skills. ARCH1240 develops knowledge of the main theoretical discussions in the history of Western architecture in a global context. It discusses some of the main and most updated themes on how architectural knowledge and production have been shaped, influenced and became influential. ARCH1240 also provides an introduction to the conventions of critical thinking and written communications in architecture.

Course requirements

Assumed background

Students are assumed to have Year 12 English. Visual communication skills gained from the study of art, graphics or other design-based subjects may be of benefit but are not assumed knowledge.

Recommended companion or co-requisite courses

We recommend completing the following courses at the same time:

ARCH1201 and BLDG1220

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

ARCH2110

Course contact

Course staff

Lecturer

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Aims and outcomes

This course aims to introduce students to the main theoretical frameworks and discussions in the history of global architecture, with some emphasis on Western architecture and how they have shaped architectural knowledge and production.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

LO1.

State the principal division and time-cuts in the history of global architectural history, with some emphasis on European architecture, and recall and discuss the canonical examples within the postulated topics.

LO2.

Discuss selected issues in the theory of architecture, and their relationship to wider issues of cultural and intellectual history.

LO3.

Compare architectural works by situating them within their context in relation to the theories presented.

LO4.

Formulate simple yet critical arguments about architecture in response to defined topics.

LO5.

Independently use the information and apply writing conventions to prepare an essay using critical tools and verbal and written communications.

Assessment

Assessment summary

Category Assessment task Weight Due date
Tutorial/ Problem Set Tutorial Activities 20%

4/09/2024 3:00 pm

Essay/ Critique, Presentation Essay Plan
  • Hurdle
  • Identity Verified
  • In-person
30%

30/09/2024 3:00 pm

Essay/ Critique Final Essay 50%

11/11/2024 1:00 pm

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

Tutorial Activities

Mode
Written
Category
Tutorial/ Problem Set
Weight
20%
Due date

4/09/2024 3:00 pm

Learning outcomes
L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Assessment Rationale:

The Tutorial Activities facilitate active engagement with course content during scheduled tutorials and provide an opportunity to engage with both primary and secondary sources on the historical periods covered in the Lecture Series. They also build knowledge and skills in preparation for the Essay Assessment, including skills in research, analytical reading, precis writing, understanding scholarly arguments, appropriate utilisation of AI, and correct referencing practices.

The Tutorial Activities are progressive assessments and you should undertake the activities during the tutorial. Each activity requires you to come to the tutorial having done the required reading, be prepared to participate in a discussion and undertake the task. You can polish your work outside of tutorial time prior to submission. The tutorial activities are an opportunity for peer-to-peer learning, but the assessment submission is individual work.

Complex/Authentic assessment using AI and/or MT to support learning: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.

A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Submission guidelines

The School of Architecture, Design and Planning uses Blackboard and Turnitin for assessment submission. Turnitin is accessed through the course Blackboard site. Turnitin also checks for plagiarism or instances where the original work of others is not appropriately acknowledged.  

Students are advised to commence assignment uploads with sufficient amount of time (consider possible technical problems with computers, internet speed, etc). After successfully submitting an assignment through Turnitin, a ‘Submission Complete!’ screen will be displayed. It is the student’s responsibility to check assignment preview and confirm successful submission. If the ‘Submission Complete!’ screen isn’t displayed, the student should regard the submission as unsuccessful. Students should download a copy of the digital receipt as proof they have submitted the assignment. Students who are experiencing upload issues must advise the Course Coordinator immediately by email and should include screenshots and a copy of the assessment for submission.

To meet professional accreditation, public engagement and quality assurance obligations, digital copies of all course assessment items must be submitted in addition to any hard copy submission requirements specified in individual Course / Studio Outlines.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

If a student wishes to apply for an extension, they must apply on or before the assignment due date. When possible, it is suggested that extension requests are submitted 2 business days prior to the submission due date for the assignment to allow processing time. Students with outstanding applications for extensions are advised to submit their assessment by the original due date, irrespective of whether the work is complete, so that what has been done can be graded.

Late submission

The late penalty for this assessment item will be calculated as follows: 

First 1-hour block - initial 1 hour grace period no penalty.

Second 1-hour block - An penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted

Third 1-hour block - An additional penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted. (adding up to a total penalty of 20% of the maximum possible mark)

Any submissions received after three hours will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each one-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due. 

Essay Plan

  • Hurdle
  • Identity Verified
  • In-person
Mode
Oral, Written
Category
Essay/ Critique, Presentation
Weight
30%
Due date

30/09/2024 3:00 pm

Learning outcomes
L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Assessment Rationale: 

The Essay Plan is a written submission and an assessed stage of the final essay, which is due during the exam period. The Essay Plan is accompanied by a verbal presentation that must demonstrates the student's critical reasoning and analytical process. WRITTEN SUBMISSION due on Turnitin immediately after presentations. There will not be time to edit the submission based on feedback from the crit.

Students make a short presentation of their essay plan and clearly explain how they deviated from their AI model.

Tutors will project each student's Essay Plan submission of four pages, and students will present their AI generated outline and show how they developed the the outline into their essay plan. The Essay Plan should include a structured outline, list of references and short texts on relevant buildings. The time allowed for the presentation is 3 mins. The verbal presentation itself is not assessed. The presentation is to verify the identity of the student writing the essay and to provide an opportunity for peer-group learning. The Essay Plans will be assessed, and brief feedback can be reflected on the submission of the Essay plan. Essay Plans should include: AI generated outline including student's prompts, the student's outline and any sketches and/or argument maps.

Recordings of the presentations will be kept securely and not referred to unless questions of integrity arise in the marking of the Essays. Recordings will be deleted after 12 months as per the Retention and Disposal Schedule.

Complex/Authentic assessment using AI and/or MT to support learning: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.

A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Hurdle requirements

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied to receive a specific grade in the course. Essay Plan assessment item is designated as a Hurdle in this course. This means a minimum achievement of 50% (a grade of 4) is required for this assessment item in order to pass the course. Meeting the hurdle requirement for a course does not guarantee a passing grade for the course and in order to pass this course, students also need to achieve a minimum grade of 4 overall.

Submission guidelines

The School of Architecture, Design and Planning uses Blackboard and Turnitin for assessment submission. Turnitin is accessed through the course Blackboard site. Turnitin also checks for plagiarism or instances where the original work of others is not appropriately acknowledged.  

Students are advised to commence assignment uploads with sufficient amount of time (consider possible technical problems with computers, internet speed, etc). After successfully submitting an assignment through Turnitin, a ‘Submission Complete!’ screen will be displayed. It is the student’s responsibility to check assignment preview and confirm successful submission. If the ‘Submission Complete!’ screen isn’t displayed, the student should regard the submission as unsuccessful. Students should download a copy of the digital receipt as proof they have submitted the assignment. Students who are experiencing upload issues must advise the Course Coordinator immediately by email and should include screenshots and a copy of the assessment for submission.

To meet professional accreditation, public engagement and quality assurance obligations, digital copies of all course assessment items must be submitted in addition to any hard copy submission requirements specified in individual Course / Studio Outlines. Any physical models should be photographed and a minimum of two photographs describing the complete and full model must be included in the digital submission.  

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

If a student wishes to apply for an extension, they must apply on or before the assignment due date. When possible, it is suggested that extension requests are submitted 2 business days prior to the submission due date for the assignment to allow processing time. Students with outstanding applications for extensions are advised to submit their assessment by the original due date, irrespective of whether the work is complete, so that what has been done can be graded.

Late submission

The late penalty for this assessment item will be calculated as follows: 

First 1-hour block - initial 1 hour grace period no penalty.

Second 1-hour block - An penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted

Third 1-hour block - An additional penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted. (adding up to a total penalty of 20% of the maximum possible mark)

Any submissions received after three hours will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each one-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due. 

Final Essay

Mode
Written
Category
Essay/ Critique
Weight
50%
Due date

11/11/2024 1:00 pm

Learning outcomes
L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Assessment Rationale: 

The essay of 2500-3000 words will answer one of a set of questions concerning the overarching themes of the course, usually drawing upon more than one of the historical periods studied. It is expected that the essay will be illustrated as necessary, fully referenced, and include a bibliography. Essay Questions will be provided on the Course Blackboard site.

The essay must develop an argument in response to the selected essay question, and this will generally involve a comparison of buildings and ideas of one historical period with another. Students cannot change their essay question midway through the semester as tutorial activities and the Essay Plan IVAH hurdle assessment from the course will carry through to the student's Final Essay. While a range of buildings and writings should be referred to in order to establish your argument, your main focus should remain on a specific comparison between two buildings or texts / concepts as established in your Essay Plan assessment. Remember, if you are comparing texts/concepts, example buildings must be given to explain these ideas. If it is a comparison of buildings, important thinkers and writers will need to be used to examine the built works.

Feedback: There is formal summative feedback on the assessment item Essay Plan and Presentation. Formative feedback from tutors is available during tutorials in Week 12.

Complex/Authentic assessment using AI and/or MT to support learning: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.

A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Submission guidelines

The School of Architecture, Design and Planning uses Blackboard and Turnitin for assessment submission. Turnitin is accessed through the course Blackboard site. Turnitin also checks for plagiarism or instances where the original work of others is not appropriately acknowledged.  

Students are advised to commence assignment uploads with sufficient amount of time (consider possible technical problems with computers, internet speed, etc). After successfully submitting an assignment through Turnitin, a ‘Submission Complete!’ screen will be displayed. It is the student’s responsibility to check assignment preview and confirm successful submission. If the ‘Submission Complete!’ screen isn’t displayed, the student should regard the submission as unsuccessful. Students should download a copy of the digital receipt as proof they have submitted the assignment. Students who are experiencing upload issues must advise the Course Coordinator immediately by email and should include screenshots and a copy of the assessment for submission.

To meet professional accreditation, public engagement and quality assurance obligations, digital copies of all course assessment items must be submitted in addition to any hard copy submission requirements specified in individual Course / Studio Outlines. Any physical models should be photographed and a minimum of two photographs describing the complete and full model must be included in the digital submission.  

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

If a student wishes to apply for an extension, they must apply on or before the assignment due date. When possible, it is suggested that extension requests are submitted 2 business days prior to the submission due date for the assignment to allow processing time. Students with outstanding applications for extensions are advised to submit their assessment by the original due date, irrespective of whether the work is complete, so that what has been done can be graded.

Late submission

The late penalty for this assessment item will be calculated as follows: 

First 1-hour block - initial 1 hour grace period no penalty.

Second 1-hour block - An penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted

Third 1-hour block - An additional penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item will be deducted. (adding up to a total penalty of 20% of the maximum possible mark)

Any submissions received after three hours will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each one-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due. 

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Grade Cut off Percent Description
1 (Low Fail) 0 - 24

Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes.

2 (Fail) 25 - 44

Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes.

3 (Marginal Fail) 45 - 49

Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes

4 (Pass) 50 - 64

Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes.

5 (Credit) 65 - 74

Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes.

6 (Distinction) 75 - 84

Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes.

7 (High Distinction) 85 - 100

Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes.

Additional course grading information

Identity verified assessment with a Hurdle (IVAH):

To meet assessment validity and integrity obligations, this course includes at least one piece of individual Identity Verified Assessment with a Hurdle (IVAH) that is unambiguously completed by that student, and in which a minimum level of achievement is reached. IVAH assessment item(s) contribute at least 30% towards the final grade. Examples of IVAH items include any activity in which a student’s individual performance is directly monitored, such as performances, fieldwork, oral assessment (including design critiques), design studio project work and invigilated exams. In order to pass this course students must achieve a minimum grade for the IVAH designated assessment item(s) as stated in the Assessment Task Description in the ECP. 

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

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Learning period Activity type Topic
Multiple weeks
Tutorial

Tutorial

Week 1 - No Tutorials

Week 2 - Tutorial Activity 1 and discuss readings

Week 3 - Discuss readings and final questions for Activity 1

Week 4 - Tutorial Activity 2 and discuss readings

Week 5 - Discuss readings and final questions for Activity 2

Week 6 - Tutorial Activity 3 and discuss readings

Week 7 - Discuss readings and final questions for Activity 3

Week 8 - Discuss readings

Week 9 - Argument mapping and discuss readings

Week 10 - Student Presentations 

Week 11 - Public Holiday – No Class

Week 12 - Final Essay consultation

Week 13 - Design – No Class

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Multiple weeks

From Week 1 To Week 13
(22 Jul - 27 Oct)

Lecture

Lecture

Week 1 - Course Introduction and A look at the Globe: What is an Architectural history?

Week 2 - Notions of Architecture: Architecture of the 12th – 15th century and Western Gothic Architecture

Week 3 - Global Architecture of the early 16th Century and The Renaissance: Architecture and the Body

Week 4 - Global Architecture of the late 16th Century and The Renaissance Continued: Architecture and the Body

Week 5 - Global Architecture of the early 17th Century and Baroque: Experience and Invention

Week 6 - Global Architecture of the late 17th Century and Baroque: Experience and Invention

Week 7 - Global Architecture of the early 18th Century and Neo-Classical Architecture: Architecture and History

Week 8 - Global Architecture of the late 18th Century and Neo-Classical Architecture Continued: Architecture and History

Week 9 - Global Architecture of the 19th Century and Western Perspectives on Architecture and Morality plus a lecture on Essay Writing and the Use of AI Tools 

Week 10 - Student Presentations

Week 11 - Public Holiday – No Class

Week 12 - Continuation of Architecture of the early 19th Century and Western perspectives on Architecture and Morality

Week 13 - Design – No Class

Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.