On the edge: Design & Contextual unit
Typology Review (2,500-3,000 words ±10%)
The Typology Review is a study of a particular building type, based on analysis and critical
examination of relevant examples. The question of type has generated broad discussion in
architectural studies. The type of an architectural project/building may be defined with
respect to various of its characteristics (urban, programmatic, spatial); most commonly,
buildings are classified in types according to use (churches, hospitals, town halls, etc) or form
(morphology) (Forty, 2000, p. 304). Thus, the term typology may refer both to the study of a
specific building type and its representative features, and to the comprehensive study of a
relevant/exemplary project.
In this unit we focus primarily on housing i.e., residential typology; we will study housing
designs with respect to their form and according to the following broad categories: block,
tower, slab, urban villa, terrace, courtyard, etc.
Collective housing and the question of density
Following the industrial revolution and especially since the end of 18th century / beginning of
19th, accumulation of people in cities intensified and housing design focused mainly on
different forms of collective housing. In collective housing, each household / housing unit
(apartment, loft, duplex) makes part of a bigger community, the residential complex, where
certain aspects of living (access, recreation, amenities, working spaces, etc.) are shared.
Rising of urban populations has created a rupture between the urban (condensation) and the
rural (dispersion) and created liminal zones with varying density (of both people and
activities), and lesser defined characteristics comparing to urban centres. Housing on the edge
of the city has become synonymous with suburban, ‘cookie-cutter’ designs and urban sprawl,
the ‘spilling’ of lower density urbanisation (single-family housing) onto large zones of land,
leading to the destruction of wild-life habitats and unsustainable developments.
In this unit you are required to analyse the question of density with respect to a chosen
historical precedent of collective housing (see list of housing projects on Canvas), as well as in
relation to Canford Heath area, situated on the edge of Poole.
You are asked to write a 2500-3000 typology review, critically presenting the design vision of
your chosen precedent. Your essay need be illustrated with analytical material (sketches,
drawings, visualisations) produced during the design studio workshops throughout the term,
as well as with appropriate imagery, extracted from reliable academic sources. Your analysis
should draw on available literature (see relevant Key Texts on Canvas) and tackle all scales of
the project (urban; neighbourhood / building; unit).
AIM
A5: Professional & ethical practice: Understand the role of the architect within the design
team and construction industry, including current and emerging trends and the basic
principles related to running a practice.
LEARNING OUTCOME
LO5 Professional & ethical practice: understanding of the context and role of the architect,
including current and emerging trends and the business principles related to running a
practice. (GA1.5, 1.6, GC6.1, GC6.2, GC11.3, FA3, SC4)
ASSIGNMENT
You will prepare an Expression of interest document (A4) and 2-minute video. The
document is to be completed individually, while the video element will be a group task.
Group collaboration regarding aspects of your architectural practice, and therefore the
document, is encouraged. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited.
Front cover
P1 Letter of interest to BCP Council.
P2&P3 Practice ethos and background, members and their roles (including any
consultants and collaborators).
P4&P5 Services offered – including health and safety, approach to sustainability,
social and ethical responsibility and post occupancy evaluation.
P6&P7 CV
P8 Legal aspects – business structure, contracts & professional
indemnity insurance.
P9&P10 Relevant project experience (examples taken from design studio research or
precedent studies that you have analysed). Up to 3 relevant examples.
P11 Project management and quality assurance.
P12 Conclusion – why BCP Council should choose your practice? would the life reusing posidonia project be a good case study for this essay