Architecture Design Studies BA (Hons)

History of architecture survey course.

The module introduces students to ways of looking at and understanding the architectural credentials of buildings. It is based on the German concept of ‘Gebäudelehre’, which translates into English as ‘building studies’. The module sits between, and is aiming to support the other module strands in year one, namely studio design; history and theory; and technology. Students are shown a series of buildings of varying sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL) and in the lectures these buildings will be presented by looking at and analysing their plans, sections, elevations, context, internal and external space, type, circulation and materiality. Furthermore, issues of private and public space and public and private buildings, ensembles, composition, symmetry / asymmetry, the repetition of elements and spaces, and fronts and backs, will be discussed. The module is aiming to equip students with tools to independently analyse and understand buildings, also with a view to enhance their design abilities. The module is delivered as a series of lectures, seminars, and (Covid-19 permitting) building visits on Campus. Assessment will be via submission of coursework.

The module is an introduction to the principles of net zero carbon design.
It aims to give students an understanding of the role of a building as a modifier of climate with reference to traditional climatically responsive architecture, and the role of buildings in the context of global energy usage, environmental impact, climate change and net zero carbon design.

Studio Design Module

Architecture Studio Design

Architectural design studio

This module introduces the principles of structure and construction and the structural design, constructional and engineering problems associated with building design. Students gain an overview of fundamental structural and constructional systems, as well as the regulatory requirements that apply to the design of building.
Teaching is delivered in a series of lectures, which explain the core principles of stability, load transfer and structural systems, as well as the fundamental construction requirements of thermal insulation and waterproofing. The course illustrates these ideas using historic precedents and contemporary examples, while emphasising their impact on architectural design. As part of the module, students are guided through the construction process from substructure, superstructure, to envelope, roof and finishes. As well as gaining fundamental knowledge, students are expected to apply this understanding to the design of a technical design detail.

Architectural History and Theory module on Modern Architecture.

The objective of the module is to promote an understanding of the forces that shape the human-made environment and the role played by design professionals. It aims to help students as future designers to understand that the city is a complex and dynamic system. It also aims to stimulate their active thinking and positive responses to various urban phenomena in order to generate appropriate strategies that can effectively solve design problems and facilitate the city’s sustainability. Through a series of lectures on urban history, case studies, urban design theories and methodologies, as well as debates on urban sustainability, this module is to enhance students’ awareness of the nature of cities, the formation and transformation of their urban forms and to obtain basic urban design skills.

​This module introduces students to energy and environmental issues, particularly those that must be faced by the discipline of architecture.    The aim of this module is to provide an introduction to design of passive environmental systems for buildings, their integration into building fabric and structural systems, and selection of appropriate equipment and materials. Both the fundamentals and presentations of case studies (including lessons from the vernacular) will be used to enhance the understanding environmental simulation.​ The module will be delivered by weekly 2-hour lectures, and assessed . There are two mandatory assessments: a Group Report on Vernacular Architecture and the Application of Passive Strategies (50% of total mark), and an individual report (50% of total mark) showing evidence of applying passive strategies for the students’ design studio project (for students taking Year 2 Design Studio) or a critique of a contemporary building .on its potential to use appropriate passive strategies for the climate it resides in.

Lecture based technology module.
This module explores the design collaboration between architects and engineers and its impact on architectural design.

This module introduces students to the study of globalisation in the early 21st century. In the 19th and 20th centuries there were big debates between those who think things work best when people are left to decide how they want to live and get what they need by trading with each other, and those who wanted a communist society where people get what they need and contribute what they can to the common good. Of course it did not work out that way, and now for many people free markets, or neoliberalism is the only serious game in town. The course examines those debates before moving on to examine case studies of how they have worked out in practice.

​In Urban Morphology & Place-Making various approaches to place-making are discussed in the light of social, aesthetic, functional and environmental aspects. The module introduces urban history and design theories, and you will be assessed on your working knowledge of these throughout the semester via mini quizzes. In hands-on lab and seminar-style sessions you will acquire basic urban design appraisal techniques as well as modelling and presentation skills, used by planners, urban designers and architects today. In small groups, you will undertake an appraisal of an area in central Liverpool. Independent site visits will allow you to evaluate the various qualities of the area. You will express your findings through professional-style plans, 3D models and site photographs and present these in seminar-style sessions.

Cities and regions have undergone tremendous changes over the past decades. In this module students will explore the process of urban restructuring from a social, economic and environmental perspective and its spatial manifestations, looking at the drivers, consequences and policy implications of urban and regional change. The module teaches students the concepts and methods to analyse change and current policy responses. This module will be delivered through lectures, each highlighting a specific theme of urban and regional change and through self-directed learning. The module is assessed through a seminar paper and a written exam.

Environmental concerns have become increasingly pressing over the last few decades, covering pollution, resource depletion, loss of biodiversity and poor quality of life. Overarching all these concerns is the global challenge of climate change. We need to find new approaches to our way of life. This module explores the notion of environmental sustainability particularly from the point of view of urban planning. It is taught through lectures and assessed through an exam focusing on the principles and practices of environmental sustainability, and an individual project in which students develop their own imaginative idea for tackling a particular sustainability problem.

Plans and policies are key instruments of the planner’s toolkit. This module provides an introduction to the methods and techniques that are used in the preparation and implementation of strategic plans and policies and how these have evolved in time. The module will be delivered through interactive lectures focussing on the theory of plan making drawing on practical examples. The module is assessed through a more theory-focused short essay and a plan review reflecting on the practice of strategic plan making.

The module aims to prepare students for a smooth transition into a work placement year and, more broadly, to develop lifelong skills, attitudes and behaviours and support students in their continuing professional development. This will help students lead flexible, fulfilling careers working as a professional in their field, and enable them to contribute meaningfully to society.

The module uses lectures from staff to introduce specialised research themes and topics in architectural history and theory, and is supported by group and individual research. Students are able to choose topics for which they would like to attend further group tutorials / seminars. The module is assessed by an MCQ exam (50%) and a 2,000-word essay (50%).

The aim of the course is to develop from user requirements an introduction to design of environmental systems for large buildings, selection of appropriate equipment and materials, and their integration into building fabric and structural systems. The three topics are Artificial Lighting, Acoustics, and Thermal Environment and are delivered by a mixture of lectures and case studies.

The objective of the module is to provide a basic understanding of practice management and the role architects play in the procurement of buildings. It aims to provide a context for the professional life of an architect and explain the functions of the other key players.

The module covers the broad spectrum of construction technologies, materials and methods – from intermediate to current to emerging – by presenting the work of internationally respected architects operating in different geographical, cultural and economic contexts. Key aspects of architectural technology are discussed through precedents, with the aim to understand how material and technical choices are impacted by – and in turn able to impact – design, from concept to detailing.

The module reflects upon the multiplicity of ways in which technology can respond to site, programme, budget and users, act as a vehicle to articulate typological, spatial and haptic qualities in design, and address sustainability in the broadest sense.

The module consists of lectures, drop-ins and tutorials. The assessment is based on an individual exam, an individual peer assessment and a group coursework assignment.

The dissertation offers students the opportunity to carry out an investigation on a topic of their own choice, under the guidance of a member of the academic or research staff of the School. The exact details of the topic of the investigation will be agreed between the student, the module coordinator and the supervisor. The normal means of presenting the investigation will be by a written dissertation of around 8,000 words (plus references, appendices etc…). However, in exceptional circumstances, the module coordinator will consider a student’s proposal for an additional method (with appropriately reduced written submission) – such as software, website, video or design.

This module is designed for students seeking nuanced understandings of the drivers of various struggles for social change and environmental justice, as well as ways in which resistance, contestation, and alternatives are practised. Readings will provide a critical overview of the historical and sociopolitical forces that continue to generate inequality, damage the environment, escalate the climate crisis, and impact the world. Students will examine the complex dynamics and contentious politics that emerge across differing environmental, political, and economic conflicts, as well as evaluate the role of social movements, mutual aid, and collective action in advancing transformative change. Content will also cover various activist strategies, tactics, and forms of protest, revolt, and rebellion.

The module provides students with an introduction to the principles of real estate valuation before going on to pose and answer a series of questions about how the state might regulate built environment outcomes. Having completed this module students will have acquired an in-depth understanding of how real estate developers evaluate site viability and how government’s work with developers to ensure consented development is accompanied by the requisite infrastructure. The module is evaluated by a piece of coursework centred around the evaluation of development proposal and an unseen written examination.

Understanding how the different parts of the planning system relate to each other and to the legal and constitutional framework which underpins that system is a critical part of planning education. This module aims to provide that understanding from both theoretical and practical perspectives, by bringing in practitioners to deliver different sessions and by asking students to research different aspects of planning law and governance in theory and practice.

Increasingly recognition of the environmental threats that we all face means that responding to this crisis affects the decisions we all make at a variety of different scales. This module explores the extent to which environmental concerns are taken into account in various decision-making processes involving the public (government), private and third sectors at a variety of different scales, global, European, national and local. The module is assessed by an essay and an open-book exam, which provides students with significant choice to explore those parts of the module they find most interesting.

What should planners do when things go wrong? What happens to places that have experienced decline? Who is responsible for responding to this decline? The module discusses a broad range of urban issues related to regeneration (e.g. housing, community, health, economies) and equips students with an in-depth understanding of the theory and international case studies of urban regeneration and the ability of planners to generate effective policy responses to areas of decline.

This module is designed as a follow-on to ENVS256 ‘Urban Morphology & Place-Making’. Here you will explore some of the themes of urban design and place-making in further depth. Topics covered in this context include health, site planning, inclusive design, sustainability and public realm design. You will develop your design skills and will learn about concepts such as ‘social’ and ‘healthy’ places. You will learn to develop positive design responses and acquire a range of analytical, design and presentational skills required for urban design projects. Assessments are based on, and closely linked to, the knowledge and skills developed in the classroom. You will prepare a contextual study in a small group. Also, as an individual piece of work you will prepare an indicative masterplan for a smaller part of the area. This interactive module is delivered through illustrated lectures, guest talks, design workshops, IT lab sessions, tutorials and a design crit.

​The module will consider how popular music is presented as heritage in different contexts such as museum exhibitions, library collections and DIY online archives. It will examine the different ways in which popular music heritage has been represented, mobilized and interpreted. Taking a case study approach, it will explore who is invested in discussions of heritage, how heritage is defined, and what this can tell us about representations of the popular past. The module will have a particular focus on the context of gallery and museums and will examine curatorial approaches to popular music and its related cultures.​

This module is an opportunity for you to undertake a placement in a setting which matches your academic and possible career/industry interests, develop materials and/or undertake tasks within a practical or vocational context, apply academic knowledge from your degree, and develop your personal and employability skills within a working environment. SOTA300 is not open to students who have taken SOTA600.