Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2026 (23/02/2026 - 20/06/2026)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Architecture, Design and Planning School
An advanced critical analysis of world architecture in the aftermath of modernity considering the interplay between ideologies and practices.
ARCH7014 is the core history and theory course offered in the Masters of Architecture. It offers a critical analysis of contemporary world architecture in the aftermath of modernity (late 1980s to the present), tracing ideas emerging from the post-war period and the transformations in the theory, ideologies and practices of architecture. This course will develop students’ abilities to formulate and complete an advanced research project as they acquire skills in the analysis and evaluation of architecture.
Course requirements
Assumed background
A Bachelor of Architectural Design or equivalent with either a GPA of 4.5 or above, or a GPA of 4.0 with 6 months post graduate full-time experience to the satisfaction of the Executive Dean.
Restrictions
MArch students only
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Tutor
Dr Natalie Lis
Miss Yolande Vorster
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to develop students’ ability to analyse, synthesise and evaluate issues in contemporary architectural discourse, and develop an account of the opportunities and constraints of contemporary practice.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Identify and compare the varied approaches and ideologies in contemporary architecture.
LO2.
Explain and evaluate issues in contemporary architectural discourse in relation to the history of architecture, and external forces in culture and society.
LO3.
Analyse and evaluate the opportunities and constraints of contemporary practice.
LO4.
Individually and/or collaboratively develop and conduct a research project using advanced modes of inquiry.
LO5.
Independently argue an account of contemporary architecture for both specialist and general audiences.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creative Production/ Exhibition, Essay/ Critique, Presentation, Product/ Design | La Strada Novissima Redux (Facade Model and Essay) | 50% |
Submission 16/04/2026 2:00 pm Presentations 17/04/2026 12:00 pm |
| Examination |
Final Exam
|
50% IVAH |
End of Semester Exam Period 6/06/2026 - 20/06/2026 |
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
La Strada Novissima Redux (Facade Model and Essay)
- Mode
- Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Creative Production/ Exhibition, Essay/ Critique, Presentation, Product/ Design
- Weight
- 50%
- Due date
Submission 16/04/2026 2:00 pm
Presentations 17/04/2026 12:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Assessment Rationale:
This assessment item is made up of three main tasks with writing, design and presentation components that together form a critical analysis of a single building from the 1980s or 1990s. All tasks are to be completed individually.
TASK 1: Essay (Digital Submission)
Students will research a nominated building from the 1980s or 1990s to develop a critical essay that situates the project in the architectural discourse and practice of the time.
TASK 2: Facade Model (Digital Submission)
Based on their research, students will design and build a physical facade model (or maquette) in the manner of the abstracted "facades" seen in the "La Strada Novissima" exhibition at the first Venice Architecture Biennale in 1980--a key moment in the history of Post-Modern architecture.
Facade models will be submitted for assessment with the Essay via photographic documentation uploaded to Ultra. Physical models will not be accepted.
TASK 3: Facade Model (Presentation)
Physical facade models will be exhibited and presented to peers during class time. While the models should require little (if any) verbal explanation, students should be prepared to briefly introduce their projects to their group (1-2 min), and to discuss the key ideas and themes of the project with teaching staff and peers (max. 3-4 mins). Note that no formal feedback will be provided during the presentation, nor is the oral presentation assessed. Rather, the presentation is to demonstrate the student's understanding of a given building and, more importantly, to share this research with the group in a collaborative learning environment.
Formative feedback and advice on the development of Assignment 1: La Strada Novissima Redux (Facade Model and Essay) will be given in the weekly tutorials and during the presentations. Summative feedback will be given on the rubrics provided on Ultra.
Complex / authentic assessment using AI and/or MT to support learning:
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
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. Uploaded files must contain readable text and not be rasterised. 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.
Discretionary extensions are not available for this task.
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 online on or before the assignment due date. When possible, it is suggested that 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.
No Discretionary Extension will be available for the presentation or associated component of this assessment (e.g. Presentation Slides submitted the day before).
Late submission
The late penalty for this assessment item will be calculated as follows:
Standard 10% (or 1 grade) per day for 7 days
Final Exam
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 50% IVAH
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
6/06/2026 - 20/06/2026
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L05
Task description
Assessment Rationale:
The final exam will be conducted on-campus during the Central Exam Period. It will be a closed-book, invigilated exam on the Inspera exam platform. Students will need to bring their own suitable laptop device. The exam will consist of short answer questions and short essay tasks covering topics, concepts, buildings and ideas discussed in lectures and required readings. NOTE: Knowledge of supplementary readings is not required, but will assist higher level achievement in short essay tasks.
In-person assessment not permitting use of AI or MT: This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT 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. This assessment item is designated as a Hurdle in this course. This means a minimum achievement of 45% (a grade of 3) 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.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 180 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Inspera |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Late submission
Exams submitted after the end of the submission time will incur a late penalty.
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
Library resources are available 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.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 12 |
Lecture |
Lecture Lecture information is available in Blackboard Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Multiple weeks From Week 2 To Week 12 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial Lecture information is available in Blackboard 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:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
- AI for Assessment Guide
- Recording of Teaching Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.