This module is an introduction to the construction of thought on architecture and landscape architecture; as discourse that describes the practice and identifies challenges to it, lines of thought that may not be initially visible in the built world are explored, and access to alternative design strategies to which frame inquiry are introduced. The module explores ideas that lie behind the appearances of buildings, buildings within their landscapes and architectural landscapes through a number of lenses, interrogating how they relate to their specific historical and cultural contexts, in addition to where they sit in global discourse.
Scaling Sustainability combines the theoretical underpinnings and practical application of sustainable design. The module is intended to broaden the perspective of students beyond only physical building to include ways of thinking about sustainable systems on the micro and macro level. Its focus is on raising awareness of the connection between human environments – both urban and rural - and environmental issues, providing an overview of sustainable issues as they relate to these environments. Various philosophical positions on sustainability will be presented, explored and discussed, including not only ‘environmental’ but also political, resource, cultural, social, economic, institutional and professional.