ARCH72-502: Architecture and Urbanism: Design Thesis Studio

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 upon and explored during the Design Thesis Research and Development subject, during which students will have undertaken significant research, site analysis, brief development, and concept design. 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. The proposal's ambition and architectural scale must demonstrate societal and cultural benefits contributing to contemporary architectural discourse beyond the individual dwelling typology. 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 design document and critical reflection of their thesis investigation - 3000 words minimum or equivalent. This work is a continuation of the design report commenced in the Design Thesis Research and Development subject. It aims to situate the work into a broader context to demonstrate, reflect, or question the validity of the thesis proposition and its impact on 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.