Students work in teams of four or five to collate and critically analyse a building site that they will use for an individual design later in semester. They work quickly in the architectural studio setting to find, critically analyse and curate information about the building site, and the strategies used by precedent buildings which will assist them with their later design. This process aims to help students deal collectively with large amounts of information in a short period of time. Groups then work to develop design strategies for the site based on the site analysis and precedent studies, which are shared with the whole studio group (about 26 students) and can be taken up by any other student in the studio. The presentations are a modified 'pecha kucha' style of 20 slides of 30 second each, meaning a group presentation of 10 minutes. This hones the presentations skills required for later presentation of individual designs at critiques, and shares large amount of analysis with the whole group quickly. Both graphic and verbal communication is used, and a written analysis is also presented for integrity testing and written feedback.
Details
- CLASS SIZE
- 40-60
- CLASS LEVEL
- Post-graduate
- ASSESSMENT SECURITY
- Medium security
- TIME REQUIREMENTS
- Medium time
- GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES
- In-depth knowledge in the field(s) studied, Effective communication skills
- CONDITIONS
- Work-related, Group, Sequence
- FEATURES
- Authentic, Problem based
- TAGS
- presentation, object-centred learning, active learning, collaborative learning, reflective/reflexive, analysis
Advantages
Students achieve a large amount of analysis as a group, learning that team work can be efficient and beneficial to all. Ideas are shared quickly and to the entire student group, becoming available for all to take up into their next stage of design. Presentation skills - essential to later tasks - are tested and reflected on in a low-stress setting. Assessment specifically references the National Competencies for Architectural Education, reinforcing the importance of these to students, as well as demonstrating to assessment panels that these have been tested.
Challenges
Students who struggle with presentation timeliness can struggle to meet the time constraints of the task. The composition of groups can be problematic and requires specific coaching and management.
Tips for implementation
Encourage students to work together to present a genuinely diverse set of ideas, beyond their own personal preferences.
How it supports academic integrity
Pairing written and spoken components serves to verify students' engagement, and will alert the studio leader or tutor in the case of marked discrepancies between written and spoken delivery. Students learn that referencing precedent designs is also an important part of academic (and future professional) integrity.
Dr Kelly Greenop
k.greenop1@uq.edu.au
Dr Kelly Greenop is a senior lecturer within the School of Architecture and is affiliated with both the Architecture Criticism Theory History (ATCH) and Aboriginal Environments Research Centres (AERC) within the School. Her research has focused on work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in urban Brisbane, using ethnographic techniques to document the place experiences and attachment, and the importance of architecture, place, family and country for urban Indigenous people. She also conducts research into the intercultural place heritage of the Brisbane region, and the urban cultural history of Brisbane's suburbs. Kelly's latest research is in Digital Cultural Heritage, utilising 3D laser scanning of heritage environments and buildings in South East Queensland. She has been working with researchers from ATCH, School of Architecture, CSIRO and site managers at Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to scan and archive fragile, remote and at risk sites, and research the use of scanning in architectural heritage practice. With colleagues from AERC she has also conducted research into Aboriginal housing, particularly with respect to crowding and homelessness. Kelly's research has been supported by grants from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), the Queensland Government, the Australian Federal Government and the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI). Find out more