VSA1003 Soft Architecture

VSA	1003	2, 2010	ONC	Soft Architecture	1	Toowoomba
Subject	Cat-nbr	Term	Mode	Description	Units	Campus

Academic group:	FOART
Academic org:	FOA005
Student contribution band:	1
ASCED code:	100301

Staffing
Rationale
Synopsis
Objectives
Topics
Reference materials
Student workload
Assessment details
Graduate qualities and skills
Important assessment information
Assessment notes
Other requirements
Production date
PDF version

STAFFING

Examiner: Kyle Jenkins
Moderator: David Akenson

RATIONALE

'Soft Architecture' involves a site of artistic hybridised disciplines and exhibition studies. This is done through the investigation of materials, artists, art works, art processes and theoretical developments within a technological and cultural context. This course will encourage students to achieve a greater understanding and awareness of, the broad spectrum of design and architecture and the intuitive nature of constructed and virtual worlds. Students studying this course will develop an understanding of the reflexivity and criticality of materials and their reason for being constructed in particular ways. The role of the artist and architect in the context of society, the influence of philosophical concepts, politics, culture, and the environment will be discussed and students will be encouraged to develop imagery and ideas which encourages an emerging personal philosophy based on the application of research, analysis and experimentation.

SYNOPSIS

Soft Architecture is the art of spatial investigations and interventions and as a result this course discusses how interiority is a physical, virtual, perceptual, experimental space, negotiating between the natural and the artificial. Students in this class will be experimenting with materials as well as developing theory which will increase understanding of construction and how and why objects are built in a certain way. Students will develop work being presented in an essay, practical work involving design, objects and architectural models, drawings, books and tutorial answers. The overall aim of this course is for students to experiment with ideas and materials ant to develop an intuitive methodology of working which allows them to construct their own response to a definition of what space means historically as well as within their own personalised ideas.

OBJECTIVES

On completion of this course students will be able to:

1.: develop an awareness of the role of artistic concerns in forming the aesthetics of visual arts, architecture, design and experimental forms and concepts;
2.: acquire a knowledge of the development of contemporary aesthetics and concepts through a broad survey of historical and current contemporary thought;
3.: recognise the underlying aesthetic conventions within works of art in their varying contexts;
4.: clearly and logically communicate personal ideas orally and in writing pertaining to aesthetic and conceptual perspectives as they relate to the visual arts, architecture, design and experimental concepts;
5.: undertake the research and exploration required to successfully fulfil the requirements for assignments 1, 2, 3 and 4.

TOPICS

	Description	Weighting (%)
1.	Architecture and fake facades	11.00
2.	Interior/exterior design: reconceptualising landscapes for living	11.00
3.	Furniture design and the lived experience	11.00
4.	Art and architecture	11.00
5.	Hand made type	11.00
6.	New technologies and virtual worlds	11.00
7.	Sound waves and perceptual experience	11.00
8.	Integrated relationships and reflex activities	11.00
9.	Art and institutions: museums, galleries and ARI's	12.00

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Benjamin, A & Osborne, P (eds) 1991, Thinking art: beyond traditional aesthetics, Institute of Contemporary Art, London.

Bryson, N, Holly, M A & Moxey, K (eds) 1991, Visual theory: painting and interpretation, Polity Press, Cambridge.

Collinson, D 1988, Fifty major philosophers: a reference guide, Routledge, New York, London.

Cooper, D 1996, World philosophies: an historical introduction, Blackwell, Oxford, Cambridge, MA.

Danto, A C 1986, The philosophical disenfranchisement of art, Columbia University Press, New York.

Eagleton, T 1990, The ideology of the aesthetic, Basil Blackwell, Cambridge, MA.

Felski, R 1989, Beyond feminist aesthetics: feminist literature and social change, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass.

Flew, A (ed) 1999, A dictionary of philosophy, 2nd edn, Gramercy Books, New York.

Gandhi, L 1998, Postcolonial theory: a critical introduction, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.

Gelder, K & Jacobs, M 1998, Uncanny Australia: sacredness and identity in a postcolonial nation, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne.

Grosz, E 1989, Sexual subversions: the French feminists, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.

Harrison, C & Wood, P (eds) 1993, Art in theory 1900-1990: an anthology of changing ideas, Blackwell, Oxford, Cambridge, MA.

Kenny, A (ed) 1994, The Oxford illustrated history of western philosophy, Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York.

Kolocotroni, V, Goldman, J & Taxidou, O (eds) 1998, Modernism: an anthology of sources and documents, Chicago University Press, Chicago.

Mulvey, L 1989, Visual and other pleasures, MacMillan, Bassingstoke, Hampshire.

Nalbantoglu, G & Wong Chong, T (eds) 1997, Postcolonial spaces, Princeton Architectural Press, New York.

Preziosi, D (ed) 1998, The art of art history: a critical anthology, Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York.

Ross, S (ed) 1994, Art and its significance: an anthology of aesthetic theory, 3rd edn, State University of New York Press, Albany, New York.

Solomon, R & Higgins, K M 1996, A short history of philosophy, Oxford University Press, New York.

Tuana, N & Tong, R (eds) 1995, Feminism and philosophy: essential readings in theory, reinterpretation, and application, Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado.

Warnock, M (ed) 1996, Women philosophers, JM Dent, London.

Wartenberg, T (ed) 2002, The nature of art: an anthology, Harcourt College, Fort Worth.

West, D 1996, An introduction to continental philosophy, Polity Press, Cambridge, UK.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ACTIVITY	HOURS
Lectures	26.00
Private Study	126.00
Tutorials	13.00

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Description	Marks out of	Wtg(%)	Due date	Objectives assessed	Graduate skill	Level assessed	Notes
ASSIGNMENT 1	100	15	09 Aug 2010	1, 2, 3, 4	U1, U4	1, 1	(see note 1)
ASSIGNMENT 2	100	15	06 Sep 2010	1, 2, 3, 4	U1, U4	1, 1	(see note 2)
ASSIGNMENT 3	100	40	11 Oct 2010	1, 2, 3, 4	U1, U4	1, 1	(see note 3)
ASSIGNMENT 4	100	30	01 Nov 2010	1, 2, 3, 4	U1, U4	1, 1	(see note 4)

NOTES

1.: . This assessment item is aligned with Objectives 1 to 4.
2.: . This assessment item is aligned with Objectives 1 to 4.
3.: .This assessment item is aligned with Objectives 1 to 4.
4.: .This assessment item is aligned with Objectives 1 to 4.

GRADUATE QUALITIES AND SKILLS

Elements of the following USQ Graduate Skills are associated with the successful completion of this course.

Ethical Research & Enquiry (Skill U1)	Introductory (Level 1 )
Written & Oral Communication (Skill U4)	Introductory (Level 1 )

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

Attendance requirements:
It is the student's responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. For this course, normal class attendance consists of one 2 hour lecture and one 1 hour tutorial per week.
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To successfully complete an individual assessment item, a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks or a grade of at least C-. This statement must be read in conjunction with Statement 4 below.
Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without extenuating circumstances and without prior approval, then a penalty of a maximum of 5% of the assigned mark may apply for each working day late, up to a maximum of 10 working days, at which time a mark of zero can be recorded for that assignment.
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade, a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
Examination information:
There is no exam for this course.
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Given the details under (6) above, there are no deferred exams for this course. However, if any deferred/makeup work is granted, it would have to be submitted by a date set by the examiner.
University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These polices can be found at the URL http://policy.usq.edu.au/portal/custom/search/category/usq_document_policy_type/Student.1.html.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

(a) The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must lodge the assignment at the USQ. (b) All Faculty of Arts assignments must be lodged in the Faculty Assessment Centre on the Ground Floor of Q Block no later than 12 noon on the due date. (c) In the event that a due date for an assignment falls on a local public holiday in their area, such as a Show holiday, the due date for the assignment will be the next day. Students are to note on the assignment cover the date of the public holiday for the examiner's convenience. (d). Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be despatched to USQ within 24 hours if requested by the Examiner. (e) In accordance with University's Assignment Extension Policy (Regulation 5.6.1), the examiner of a course may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances such as documented ill-health. (f) Students who have undertaken all of the required assessments in the course but who have failed to meet some of the specified objectives of the course within the normally prescribed time may be awarded the temporary grade: IM (Incomplete-Makeup). An IM grade will only be awarded when, in the opinion of the examiner, a student will be able to achieve the remaining objectives of the course after a period of non-directed personal study. (g) Students who, for medical, family/personal, or employment-related reasons, are unable to complete an assignment or sit for an examination at the scheduled time, may apply to defer an assessment in the course. Such a request must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. One of the following temporary grades may be awarded: IDS (Incomplete - Deferred Examination; IDM (Incomplete Deferred Make-up); IDB (Incomplete - Both Deferred Examination and Deferred Make-up).

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

All assignments must be fully and correctly documented. You must use Oxford Referencing System as well as coloured images throughout the writing.

This version produced 17 May 2011.