Master of Architecture and Urban Design

Cities are growing faster than ever, with over fifty per cent of the world’s population now living in one.

Gain the skills and knowledge required to respond to this challenge of mass urbanisation with our Master of Architecture and Urban Design.

You’ll learn how to design for healthy city futures by embracing creative and speculative design thinking, alongside engaging with people, data and advanced technologies.

Studying units including research, modelling, theory, and professional practice, you’ll be equipped with the much-needed skills to work at a range of scales as a design professional.

Graduates may pursue careers working in urban design, architecture and landscape architecture.

Cities are growing at an unprecedented rate with over fifty per cent of the world’s population now living in cities. This mass urbanisation presents urgent challenges, such as accommodating dense populations, responding to climate change, public health, housing affordability, urban mobility, and growing spatial complexity. These challenges cannot be addressed using traditional silos using twentieth century architectural and urban planning methods – new multi-dimensional approaches are needed by professionals that embrace three-dimensional space, big data along with change over time, temperature, humidity, sun and shade, air quality, land-use, safety, alongside economic, environmental, social and cultural aspects of the city. There is a growing need for design professionals that are skilled at working at a range of scales – from the individual building scale through to whole cities and regions.

To qualify for the award of Master of Architecture and Urban Design, students must complete 200 credit points:

• 12 Core units of study (200 credit points)

Units of study

Students must complete the following twelve units:

ARC70004 Theories of Buildings and Cities ARC80001 Dynamic Modelling of Cities ARC70001 Design Research Studio A ARC70005 Urban Informatics and Modelling ARC80004 Fabrication and Creative Processes ARC70003 Design Research Studio B ARC70002 Professional Practice Management ARC80002 Design Research Studio C ARC80003 Design Research Studio D ARC80005 Professional Practice ARC80006 Urban Economics and Governance ARC80007 Planning Law, Strategic & Statutory Planning

Admission to the Master of Architecture and Urban Design will require one of the following:

• successful completion of the Swinburne Bachelor of Design (Architecture) or
• successful completion of the Swinburne Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) with a major in Architecture or
• successful completion of the Swinburne Bachelor of Design (Interior Architecture) (Honours) with an Advanced Minor in Architecture or
• successful completion of another three year undergraduate architectural course*.

. These would include (but not be limited to):

• a preselection kit requiring submission of an on-line portfolio (between 10 and 20 pages) **
• a personal statement and University transcripts.

**Pre-selection kit: Applicants are required to submit a portfolio of between 10 and 20 pages, which must address architecture- and/or urban design-related questions and include visual examples; and provide a 200-400 word written statement, the prompts for which can be found on the application portal.

• conceptual thinking and level of ambition in your projects;
• spatial thinking, planning and a sense of scale;
• digital and analogue communication skills, including the use of architectural drawing conventions; and
• construction and environmental technology.

Think carefully about how you present your portfolio as we will also consider how you structure your content into a clear, compelling story about yourself and your passion for, and commitment to, architecture and urban design.

A review of prior learning in relation to the Swinburne Bachelor of Design (Architecture) will be necessary, and supplemental transitionary classes may be required.

• critically reflect on and apply knowledge of contemporary urban design theory and practice demonstrating comprehension of international and local planning theory and history, planning law and statutory planning, urban economics, sustainability, land use and urban design, and strategic planning
• apply analytical design research methods with an understanding of sourcing credible, relevant data to investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories and apply these to the broader social, economic and environmental urban processes
• apply creative spatial thinking and innovation approaches in a range of settings and scales while critically presenting design ideas and research results to explain, interpret and evaluate the impact of a specific complex architecture and urban design solution
• communicate clearly and concisely using a range of media to present, explain, document and interpret design propositions, methodologies, conclusions, professional decisions and urban analysis to diverse audiences
• apply technical design modelling, construction knowledge, fabrication and planning skills to research, analyse, design, and evaluate plans, policies, strategies and guidelines, land uses allocations, resources and manage implementation processes
• apply a high standard of professional ethics and managerial knowledge in a variety of environments, meeting conduct and ethical behaviour standards relevant to a variety of circumstances
• undertake independent scholarship demonstrating the capacity to plan and execute a research-based urban design project and properly use a vocabulary of urban design paradigms and case studies to contextualise their proposition.

Course Learning Outcomes are based jointly on the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) Education Committee;s Policy on Tertiary Education of Architects – Standards for Programs in Architecture (2009) as well as the core capabilities and competencies set out by the Planning Institute of Australia.

The Swinburne Graduate Attributes signify that Swinburne intends that its teaching courses assist all its graduates to be:

• capable in their chosen professional, vocational or study areas
• entrepreneurial in contributing to innovation and development within their business, workplace or community
• effective and ethical in work and community situations
• adaptable and able to manage change
• aware of local and international environments in which they will be contributing.