Architecture Theory: Built Environments unit (KDA235)

Launceston

Introduction

Architecture Theory: Built Environments explores political, cultural, environmental and historical contexts and their relation to the production and inhabitation of the built environment. A series of thematic discussions introduces you to ideas and precedents in spatial design disciplines across a range of scales and a breadth of historical and cultural contexts. Presentations on strategies for analysing the built environment will give you tools to investigate precedents of your own choosing throughout the semester. At the end of the unit, you will be familiar with both visual and textual means of communicating about how the built environment relates to its varied contexts. This unit is part of a suite of Bachelor of Architecture and Built Environments Architecture Theory units, which focus on establishing and enhancing students’ capacity to think with clarity and rigour to ensure solid bases for research inquiry and design practice. At Intermediate level, these units provide foundational understandings of the history and lived spaces of architecture and built environments. This unit is part of a suite of four units in the degree core of B.ABE and the Spatial Design practice specialisation in the Bachelor of Design.

Summary

Unit name	Architecture Theory: Built Environments
Unit code	KDA235
Credit points	12.5
College/School	Sciences and Engineering School of Architecture and Design
Discipline	Architecture & Design
Coordinator	Doctor Georgia Lindsay
Available as an elective?	Yes
Delivered By	University of Tasmania
Level	Intermediate

Availability

Specific information on 2027 unit availability will be available in August

Key Dates

Study Period	Start date	Census date	WW date	End date
Semester 1	21/2/2027	15/3/2027	18/4/2027	12/6/2027

* The Final WW Date is the final date from which you can withdraw from the unit without academic penalty, however you will still incur a financial liability (refer to How do I withdraw from a unit? for more information).

Unit census dates currently displaying for 2027 are indicative and subject to change. Finalised census dates for 2027 will be available from the 1st October 2026. Note census date cutoff is 11.59pm AEST (AEDT during October to March).

About Census Dates

Learning Outcomes

• Describe the relationships between historical contexts and the built environments to inform precedent investigations
• Visualise the ‘use of space’ by applying design analysis methods to built environments
• Explain the interactions between historical context, built form and building uses to inform ongoing design practice

Fee Information

2027 fee information will be available in August.

Teaching

Teaching Pattern	1 hour / week of lectorial content 2 hours / week of workshop interactive content
Assessment	Precedent studies (30%)|Lightning talk (35%)|Report (35%)
Timetable	View the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable

Textbooks

Required	Ching, Francis D. K., Mark M. Jarzombek, and Vikramaditya Prakash. 2017. A Global History of Architecture. 3rd edition. Wiley. Available as an ebook.
Recommended	Ingersoll, Richard. (2018). World Architecture: A cross-cultural history. Oxford University Press. -- Supplementary textbook. Available as an ebook.

The University reserves the right to amend or remove courses and unit availabilities, as appropriate.