Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

The aims of the module are to enable students to understand and create digital communication methods for architectural design and practice, specifically:

1. Create a 3D digital model of an existing building from plans, sections, elevations, and photographs in a CAD application such as SketchUp (or equivalent).
2. Create sheets of 2D drawings (plans, sections, elevations, 3D views) from the model to communicate the design of the building and its context.
3. Understand the role of digital communication tools in architectural practice.
4. Core computer skills for an architectural context.
5. To understand and practise key architectural communication ideas in a digital context, such as scale, lineweight, drawing composition.

Outline Of Syllabus

Students will be offered a range of 20th-century buildings of various complexities to model and will choose 1 to represent digitally.
They will build a digital 3D model of the building from given drawings and photographs and their own research.
They will then create a set of 2D drawings taken from the 3D model to communicate the building appropriately.
Teaching will be hands-on with demonstrations of the 2D and 3D CAD packages used, and workshops for the creation of the digital representations.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

Students are enabled to:

• Identify and choose appropriate digital modes of information and communication.

• Produce structured and appropriate digital presentations.

• Apply appropriate computer-based tools and techniques to design projects.

• Operate in a team.

• Demonstrate key transferable skills.

Intended Skill Outcomes

• Core computer skills including file management
• Ability to create a basic-to-advnaced 3D digital model of a building of reasonable complexity
• Ability to lay out drawings digitally to a professional architectural standard
• Ability to create 2D drawings to communicate a building of reasonable complexity
• Ability to use appropriate scales, lineweights, shading and drawing composition
• Ability to read historic drawings and photographs to understand a building of reasonable complexity

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

This is primarily a skills-building module where students are taught how to use a computer for 2D and 3D digital representation and communication of a building in a professional architectural context.

The rationale is therefore to teach through online demonstrations which can be recorded for re-viewing, and hands-on practice in a supervised workshop environment. The module relies on specialist teaching knowledge and practice from both internal staff contributors, as well as external contributors from professional architecture practice and/or contributors with specialist knowledge of 2D and 3D digital representation and communication software.

Relevant supportive online tools (such as LinkedIn Learning and/or Youtube) are also curated and made available for students.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

A structured approach to 2D CAD drawings, 3D computer modelling, image manipulation, and rendered videos is assessed focussing on key architectural communication attributes such as drawing composition, lineweights, control of scale, shading.

Additionally, a journal is submitted to assess the learning process.

General Notes

This module contributes towards delivering the following RIBA/ARB Prescription Criteria for Qualifications:

GC3.1; GC6.1

Details of the Criteria are available at: http://www.arb.org.uk/qualifications/arb_criteria/arb_criteria.php