Subjects overview
This program can be completed in 1 year 4 months (4 semesters)
Required Subjects
Students must complete the following one hundred and thirty credit points (130CP) of subjects.
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ARCH71-112: Contemporary Theory of Architectural Design and Urbanism (10CP)
This subject exposes students to the current architectural and urban theories in contemporary practice and disciplinary discourse, which builds upon knowledge that students have acquired during undergraduate studies on the 20th and 21st century architecture and urban planning within their wider historic context. Knowledge of contemporary theoretical and conceptual frameworks is intended to inspire creative topic development for a forthcoming Master of Architecture Design Thesis in developing one’s own architectural position. This helps each student to contextualise a future proposal for the Master of Architecture Design Thesis by providing theoretical foundation for it through readings, precedent/ case study investigations, speculation, reflection, critical thinking and rigorous analyses of relevant concepts and emerging trends in the discipline of architecture and environmental design. The goal is to acquire skills in gathering information from various sources, defining the relevant key concepts, and synthesising the existing body of knowledge to support the theoretical foundation of each student’s subsequent design thesis project.
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ARCH71-118: Architectural Practice: Management and Procurement (10CP)
Architectural Practice: Management + Procurement develops knowledge and skill in the fundamental skills, strategies, and relevant information to conduct professional architectural practice, focusing upon project management and project procurement. The subject is run in a seminar format including lectures, discussion, guest talks, and various assessment tasks including reports and student presentations. Project management skills and procedures, including attention to contracts, legislation, codes, standards, and other frameworks for the procurement and delivery of projects shall be covered. Project lifecycle, including pre-design, brief writing and checking, schematic, developed, and contract documentation phases and contract administration are also addressed. An understanding of how to organise project documentation - drawings and specifications - as well as contractual agreements, shall be developed.
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ARCH71-119: Architecture and Urbanism Studio: Designing the City-Region (10CP)
This subject is an advanced Architecture and Urban Design project, supported by seminars presented by staff, students, and visiting lecturers and distinguished practitioners. The studio uses South East Queensland and North East NSW as the focus of a practical examination and intervention into regional planning, urban design and architectural interventions issues of regional significance, in the light of global growth in coastal city regions and various efforts to plan for this growth. Where possible, planning and design problems peculiar to cross-border regions will be the focus of the studio. This Studio is co-delivered with Bond’s Master of City Planning program to understand urban planning strategies and architectural and urban design processes that support the subsequent design of a framework and urban architecture propositions. Those are geared to solve many of the problems that cities are facing, and lead them to prosperity under the goals of sustainable development.
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ARCH71-120: Architecture and Urbanism Studio: Global Cities (15CP)
This travelling studio offers the unique experience for students to explore the inseparable interplay between urban form, architecture and social life beyond the national context. As urban challenges become central issues across disciplines, space-making is increasingly evolving into a trans-disciplinary task. This studio facilitates a collaborative problem-solving through an international exchange of ideas. The students visit global cities and have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and contribute in an active discourse with a broad range of students, researchers and practitioners from the fields of architecture, urban planning and related disciplines. Facilitated design studios advocate a debate on a diverse range of subjects relevant to the global city. Students develop architectural responses to global challenges facing our urban environment, such as population increase, ecological crisis, automation, digitalisation, waste, conflict, water and diminishing resources. Relevant design methods and concepts are developed to emphasise the agency of architecture in effecting change. (e.g. Identity appropriating spaces; Combining Local Knowledge with Digital Systems; Interdisciplinary Perspectives to Explore Spatial Character; co-producing the built future; Negotiating Between Growing Demands and Depleting Natural Resources; Unequal access and Urban wellbeing). Student participation in the International study tour is subject to VISA approval, alternative teaching activities will be organised for students not able to travel.
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ARCH71-123: Architecture and Urbanism Studio: High Performance Building (15CP)
Architecture + Urbanism Studio: High Performance Buildings focuses upon the research and design of a single, comprehensive architectural project over the duration of the semester through either a civic or hybrid typology. Students will engage with a broad community of professionals, stakeholders, and programmatic conditions. Students shall conduct rigorous analysis and research to inform high-quality design outcomes that are attendant to social, ethical, regulatory, technical, procurement, and environmental issues. Students are expected to develop projects to a high degree of resolution in terms of spatial and experiential quality, technical proficiency, and conceptual rigour, underpinned by theoretical and historical knowledge, and communicated clearly. The work of the studio will demonstrate competency across fundamental architectural skills including brief writing and analysis, site analysis, conceptual and design development, detailed documentation, and integration of building services and structures to result in a highly-resolved and technically proficient proposal. Projects in the studio will be of a large scale, urban setting, and complex building type with a thematic emphasis that will change from year to year under the umbrella of contributing to the overall research direction of the School of Architecture. Students will be expected to engage in the studio with a high degree of individual motivation, resourcefulness, and inquisitiveness as would be expected of professional level studies.
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ARCH71-124: Design Practice Futures and Frameworks (10CP)
This subject will focus on the business of architecture through the application of creative and speculative design methods to the development of an emergent model of architecture practice. The model will be informed by the synthesis of an architect’s role as public advocate, understanding of the architects act, the development of a set of ethical values and critical analysis of precedent research in the context of contemporary challenges and opportunities of technological disruption, climate change, risk, population displacement, staff resourcing and management, finance, health and safety and quality assurance. Values explored in the Architectural Design and Urban Thesis subject will provide a further line of inquiry and focus.
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ARCH71-126: Design Systems for Environmental Sustainability (10CP)
This course provides an introduction to the principles of architectural science (energy, climate and comfort), materials science (embodied energy and energy transfer), building envelopes and (passive) design for a sustainable built environment. Considerations of bio-climatic and socio-cultural environment and context complement and eco-logical understanding. Beyond a building physics and energy efficient building design approach, this course encounters also the physiological and socio-cultural responsibility of the built environment. Topics relating to environmental design include a critical analysis of environmental design theory and concepts of ‘sustainability’. Strategies and propositions for the design of low-carbon and resilient environments are developed to contribute to solutions to the UN SDGs. In an inclusive seminar environment, students examine (individually and collectively) the principles of environmentally responsive design principles and develop skills in the design of sustainable architecture and urban design. Invited guest speakers and field trips complement a real-world engagement with industry, government, cultural organisations and allied stakeholders.
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ARCH71-127: Design Thesis Research and Development (10CP)
This subject focuses on each student’s forthcoming Master of Architecture Design Thesis as its subject matter relates to design research, also called evidence-based design. The goal is to introduce methodological, representational, and intellectual means of innovative and critical thinking in order to inspire design excellence. Students are assessed based on investigatory assignments which involve developing theoretical framework and design concepts relevant to one’s Master of Architecture Design Thesis through reading, reflecting, writing and visual representation. This includes explorations of such issues as conceptual ideas, initial design hypotheses and options, site selection and analysis, programming, brief development, and other pertinent tasks in the evolving thesis proposal. The outcome is presented to a review panel at the end of the Design Thesis Research + Development subject for evaluation and approval, as a foundation for the design solutions in the subsequent stages. The aim of the coursework is also to produce most of the written part of the Master of Architecture thesis prior to the thesis semester.
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ARCH71-139: Digital Design and Intelligent Construction (10CP)
This subject introduces the evolving trends and technologies that are challenging the traditional methods that constitute architectural and construction practices. Through a combination of lectures, workshops, guest speakers, field visits, and case studies, this subject will facilitate critical thinking about how emerging technologies can be meaningfully deployed in the built environment industries. Case studies of international firms and projects that exemplify new approaches shall be highlighted and examined. Principles and concepts to be introduced include information modelling, lean production, products of service, life cycle analysis, technical nutrients, embodied energy, off-site manufacturing, design for manufacture, blockchains, digital twins, mass customisation, and augmented reality.
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ARCH72-502: Architecture and Urbanism: Design Thesis Studio (20CP)
The Architecture and Urbanism: Design Thesis Studio is the final studio project in the Masters sequence and represents a synthesis of comprehensive architectural understanding. This studio-based subject shall focus upon the development of a single project over the duration of the semester which explores subjects related to a contemporary cultural, environmental, technical or social context. This subject builds upon skills and concepts developed in the Studios and other complementary subjects in the Master’s program. The subject matter for this project will already have been agreed during the Design Thesis Research and Development subject, during which students will have undertaken a significant amount of research, site analysis, brief development, and concept design work. Projects are required to be developed to a high degree of resolution in terms of tectonic, spatial and experiential quality, contextual, cultural, social and environmental considerations, technical proficiency, and conceptual rigour to demonstrate the potential significance of the thesis proposition. Projects may vary in scale, site, project brief, and complexity per topic. Students will be expected to engage in the work of the thesis at the highest level of individual motivation, resourcefulness, and inquisitiveness as would be expected of professional level studies. Students shall develop and submit a written account and critical reflection of their thesis investigation of a minimum of 3000 words. This work will have been started in the Design Thesis Research and Development subject, and aims to situate the work into a broader context to demonstrate, reflect, or question the validity of the thesis proposition and its impact upon the field and/or society at large. The thesis design is to be presented to fully communicate the nature of the project according to its context and theoretical underpinning.
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DIGM70-202: Creating AR and VR for Design (5CP)
Creating AR and VR for Design will investigate emerging technologies, such as 360 video, VR, AR, and mixed reality. Students will learn fundamental human-centered design principles, including affordance theory and user interface design as it applies to HCI (human-computer interaction). Students will use Unity3D and other supporting software.
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SDCM70-309: Building Services (5CP)
This subject provides an introduction to building services which include electrical, mechanical (HVAC), hydraulics, fire protection and vertical transportation services for medium to large scale, multi-storey buildings. After this subject, you will be able to identify the appropriate services to a particular building, estimate spatial requirements and distribution paths for various systems and have the base knowledge for effective communication with building services professionals.
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Alternate Choice
Students must choose ten credit points (10CP) of the following subjects.
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SSUD71-215: Urban Design and Place Making Principles (10CP)
Urban Design is the field that brings together the contributions of the built environment professions to shape the urban form and quality of life offered by our cities and towns. This subject introduces key urban design ideas, using existing urban areas as the vehicle for analysis and understanding. Students will get to know and develop knowledge and skills needed by built environment professionals for the creation of urban places that are environmentally, economically, socially and culturally rich and sustainable.
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SSUD71-237: Infrastructure and City Economics (10CP)
The subject explores the role of economic development and city planning in the development of soft and hard infrastructure that leads to economic prosperity for urban centres. The subject develops a comprehensive understanding of land development markets within cities. It then focuses on levels of governance and private investment responsible for infrastructure development and evaluates key drivers including political, social and environmental challenges in the realisation of infrastructure implementation. This subject will enable you to critically assess the socio-political context and explain key urban theory such as urban consolidation, environmental conservation offsets and the imporatance of building future capacity within infrastructure. You will engage with real live projects, stakeholders and a range of practitioners while participating in interactive lectures and blended learning activities. You will also participate in online activities and reflective professional practice activities to build relevant experience in the design and land development industry.
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General Electives
Students must choose twenty credit points (20CP) of postgraduate subjects from across the University.
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University Postgraduate Electives
Students may choose from all postgraduate subjects across the University that are available as general electives.
Study plan
Take the guess work out of planning your study schedule. Your program's study plan has been carefully curated to provide a clear guide on the sequential subjects to be studied in each semester of your program. Your study plan is designed around connected subject themes to equip you with the fundamental knowledge required as you progress through your course.
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