Module manager: Yasar Awais
Email: y.awais@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
The standard qualifications (or equivalent) set by the School of Civil Engineering for entry to any of its JBM accredited UG programmes.
CIVE3851 - Architectural Engineering Design Studio 3.2
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module will demonstrate the students’ ability to create architectural designs that satisfy both aesthetic and technical requirements.
Knowledge developed in this module includes an appreciation and understanding of theoretical design concepts as applied to practical design consideration; further development of an understanding relating cultural and technological context to the built environment; a wider understanding of building types and precedent. There is also knowledge gained relating to statutory regulations including the processes of planning policy and building control, as well as a critical appraisal of structural, building physics and construction approaches. These appraisals of technologies are developed into specific proposals.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject (contributing to the AHEP4 outcomes in brackets and ARB competences in square brackets):
1. Prepare and present an architectural design project of intermediate complexity, responding to a defined context and to a given outline brief, using a range of media [D1]. The project will consider ways in which diverse global, cultural, social, technological, economic factors and building technology influence aspects of architecture [CK1] (M7)
2. Show some knowledge of the consequences of design decision making on value to building users over the life-cycle of built projects and the costs to the environment [D7] using simple techniques enquiry and experimentation to develop effective solutions to architectural and engineering problems from sometimes uncertain sources (M2) and to broaden their knowledge base [RE1] (M4), showing an understanding of the needs of stakeholders in the development of appropriate briefs for projects [RE2 part] alongside the principles of sustainable, responsible and ethical practice [M1 part] (M5, M8), adopting a committed approach to equity, diversity and inclusion in designing environments [PE2 part] (M11)
3. Demonstrate a critical and creative approach to architectural design [D3] and prepare, appraise, refine and engage with a building brief, accounting for client, user, site, environmental and contextual requirements [D2], producing designs that integrate the artistic, spatial, environmental, social and experiential aspects of a building with the technical requirements of its construction [D4] including outline strategies for structure, construction technology, materials, services, ventilation, thermal environment and lighting and acoustics that are appropriate to the project’s brief and context, [D5] (M1, M2, M6)
4. Propose a design solution that shows some knowledge of relevant performance standards and requirements [D8], including relevant legislation, regulations, standards, codes of practice and policies related to the development of the built environment [RE4]
5. Show knowledge of the architect’s obligations to the health and safety of the public and building users and building constructors [PE4] through an understanding of building safety and risk management principles (M9, M10 part) and demonstrate appropriate consideration of fire safety, life safety and wellbeing and inclusivity of users, the public and building constructors [D11] in the context of current legislation [M9 part]
6. Produce a design that considers the relationship between people and built environment, between buildings and their context, and the need to relate buildings and the spaces between them to human needs, inclusivity, user experience and scale [D6] (M11), critically evaluating architectural precedents in order to inform design thinking [RE3]
7. Work constructively with and within a broader team, exercising leadership, effective communication and personal responsibility [PE3 part]
8. Use appropriate digital systems for creating, modelling, processing, presenting, and sharing design, building and project information [D12], discussing the limitations of techniques (M3) communicating effectively with both specialists and non-specialist audiences through a range of media [M11 part] (M17) including physical modelmaking to investigate complex problems (M12)
Team working and collaboration in a creative context, individual graphic presentation skills, hand drawing, CAD modelling, building information modelling (BIM) and physical modelling skills. Site appraisal and precedent research skills.
This second semester project studio is a comprehensively integrated building design. A typical brief suggests a three or four storey office building of around 2,000m2 in a restricted urban setting. The project is designed to allow students to develop and explore their architectural design skills, while at the same time applying and demonstrating the learning they have gained from other modules in the year, including urban theory and technical design.
Students work in small groups to gather background information, for the site – including the urban context in terms of site analysis, population and economic activity in the local area, architectural character, historic development and regulatory frameworks such as local planning guidance, as well as assessments of construction risks, ground conditions. A precedent study is then made, to present information about the history of the building type, current ‘state of the art’ and recent design directions, key technical issues such as dimensional norms and why they are adopted, environmental control systems and the relative merits of different systems, appraisals of different constructional / structural strategies. These findings are presented to the rest of the group in an interactive seminar.
Students then work individually to develop their own interpretation of the deliberately open-ended brief. They have to challenge the given outline area and height in terms of appropriateness for the given setting and their own vision based on their ongoing background research, proposing a vision of what their interpretation of the building type is. From this, a detailed brief is developed and tested through the design process. As well as a creative vision, students develop technical solutions to the spatial and environmental requirements they propose, including a structural strategy and sample calculations, a building physics scheme with a simple thermal model and drawings of how these elements come together in sample construction details. Students work towards producing models, drawings and an illustrated report which describe the design scheme. The emphasis is very much on applying an integrated and concurrent approach to all aspects of design as a creative and technical unity.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group learning | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| Lecture | 10 | 2 | 20 |
| Tutorial | 9 | 2 | 18 |
| Private study hours | 254 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 46 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 300 | ||
Individual and group research for background studies, including: informal site surveys, precedent gathering from online, journal or book sources. Group and individual collation, analysis and critical evalulation of information. Group and individual development of creative design ideas, presentation materials.
Through regular small group tutorial sessions.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Design report (including drawings, sketchbooks and a physical scale model) | 80 |
| Group Project | Site analysis presentation | 10 |
| Group Project | Precedent study presentation | 10 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Resubmission of design report.
There is no reading list for this module
Last updated: 30/04/2025
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