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Unit of study_
ARCH9001: Urban Design Studio: Urban Precinct
2025 unit information
Design studios are the heart of the urban design program. Values, knowledge and skills acquired in other units and from previous experience are supplemented and enhanced, and applied creatively to both the investigation and development phases of design projects at an urban scale. Urban Design Studio: Urban Precinct is concerned with developing design propositions that respond to the changing environmental, economic and social context of the city and that challenge 'business as usual' practice. Projects are carefully chosen to explore large complex urban areas, such as urban centres, waterfront precincts, renewal precincts, institutional campuses or major infrastructure interventions. The studio will generate proposals for major urban structures, spaces and forms which are rigourously informed by design methodologies. Inter-disciplinary group work is an essential part of the studio and integrates the broad range of backgrounds and skills of the students while mimicing the reality of practice. The central aim of this unit is to develop illustrative, writing and verbal skills which will enable students to carry out urban design projects such as the preparation of strategies, frameworks, master plans and public domain concepts in a professional and visionary manner. Students will be expected to demonstrate appropriate problem recognition, investigative, analytical, interpretative, design and presentation skills and abilities on projects of major urban scale. Assessment may also embrace abilities to prepare and interpret project briefs, program proposals and work in groups.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning
| Study level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Urban and Regional Planning and Policy |
| Credit points | 12 |
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Prerequisites:
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ARCH9100 |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. investigate, understand, and communicate key features and characteristics of urban settings, and summarise the opportunities and constraints to be considered for urban design proposals
- LO2. research and critically analyse current planning policies and strategic plans to understand planning context for the study area relevant to the design project
- LO3. develop an appreciation for Country and opportunities for First Nations People's in the design process and its outcomes
- LO4. identify users needs from available data, background reports, and site observations
- LO5. define strategic objectives and design principles to support a clear urban proposition for the study area
- LO6. demonstrate a basic understanding of movement networks across modes to inform street layout, street scape and building use distribution.
- LO7. demonstrate an awareness of building types as a design tool for shaping local activity, diversity, and character
- LO8. demonstrate the use of precedents to evaluate design ideas and to communicate design intent
- LO9. quantify floor space, housing, and jobs projections
- LO10. recognise the basic processes of land development, subdivision, and forms of tenure and ownership, and their implications for urban design
- LO11. demonstrate a considered approach to the spatial definition, qualities, and uses of the public realm and its nexus with building form
- LO12. describe and prioritise design criteria and recommendations to guide the evolution of the project over time
- LO13. consolidate design investigations across the term, and present compelling urban design propositions in drawings with supporting diagrams and text
- LO14. demonstrate effective contribution to group work and capacity to deliver studio outcomes through group collaboration.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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