BENV1015 History of Design Thinking Assignment 1 Brief Term 2 2025 | UNSW

BENV1015 Assessment Details 

You will produce drawings with text articulating a human being's appreciation of a building or an interior. The assignment includes 3 tasks, each comprising text and accompanying sketches. 

BENV1015 Purpose 

The assignment develops your knowledge of historical design ideas and communication skills corresponding to the course learning outcomes below. It aims to give an appreciation of the implications of past movements, practitioners, and projects for current challenges. 

BENV1015 Learning Outcomes Assessed 

• CLO1: Analyse and critique a range of significant historical design ideas and practices within their social, cultural and technological contexts.
• CLO3: Communicate historical design ideas through text and visuals. 

BENV1015 Assessment Requirements 

It is expected that you work on 1 task per week. Each is worth 1/3 of the 20%. Sketches are to be made freehand. 
Word limits: 100 words/task. Annotations on sketches and referencing do not contribute to the word count. 
Page limits: 2 sheets of A3 paper/task. 

Referencing 

This course does not mandate the use of a particular referencing style. APA, Chicago or Harvard are recommended. Please use the referencing lesson (in Moodle under Course Information Hub - Resources) to inform your understanding, and remember to maintain consistency through your assessment work. 

Task 1: The Art Gallery of NSW (Vernon, Sydney, 1904-6) 

This task is to be shown to your tutor in Week 2. 

You could start work on the task before the tutorial in week 1, so that you can ask your tutor questions. 

The task concerns the Art Gallery of NSW. The part of the building that you will be studying is made of sandstone. It was designed in the early 20th century by the architect Vernon. 

On 2 sheets of A3 paper, produce sketches of the exterior of The Art Gallery of NSW with annotations.

You may address some of the following issues: 

• The overall composition of the old part of the building. Study the relationship of the main west-facing front (with the Ionic portico) to the side front, facing south. Note how the classical orders are deployed on these two fronts. 
• On the south front, consider the disposition of columns and their connection to the walls. Also note the strong base of the building, and how its robust character seems to belong to the earth. The refined columns rise from this base.
• When examining the main front, study the composition from various viewpoints. When approaching the building along the footpath beside the street, note the shifting relationship between the portico and the overall façade. Also, stand back in the park to look straight to the portico.
• Focus on the portico. It can be valued as a welcoming gesture, indeed, a gift to the city. One does not have to enter the building to recognise this statement of civility. It tells people that there is a place to pause in the shade.
• Study a single classical column of the portico. Make detailed sketches of the base, flutes, capital and entablature. Label these and additional parts of the order. (It is an Ionic order.) Watkin's chapter on Greece includes an important diagram of the orders, where the different parts are labelled. You need to relate this diagram to the actual portico in the Art Gallery. In your sketches, also attempt to represent the play of daylight on the order. 

Reference (essential) 

D. Watkin, A History of Western Architecture(6th ed.) London: Laurence King, 2015. (Earlier editions can be used, as they include the basic chapter on Greek architecture.) 

Readings from Watkins' book: It is best to read a chapter quickly. If you find this difficult, you may focus on certain pages of Chapter 2. These include: Hellenic Culture23-26; The Rise of Ionic31 40'The Second Century BC- Sacred and Secular building 47-49; Town planning 49-52; 

This text will assist you in writing comments to complement the sketches for your drawing. 

References(not essential) 
J. Summerson, The Classical Language of Architecture, London: Thames and Hudson, 1980 

J. Rykwert on the origins of the orders, in his book, The Dancing Column: on Order in Architecture. Cambridge Mass.: MIT Press, 1998 

Task 2: Rome - The Arch of Constantine 

This task is to be shown to your tutor in Week 3. 

On 2 sheets of A3 paper, produce general and detailed sketches of the Arch of Constantine in Rome with annotations. Analyse the relationship of the piers and arches to the attached columns. Consider the interlocking of parts. A brief text is to be added to the drawings. Your comments should be based on reading Watkins' chapters on both Greek and Roman architecture. You will need to address how the Roman wall system (which can include the articulation of piers and arches) accommodates the Greek conception of columnar orders. 

Reference(essential)

D. Watkin, A History of Western Architecture(6th ed.) London: Laurence King, 2015. (Earlier editions can be used, as they include the basic chapter on Roman architecture.) 

Readings from Watkin book, The Rise of Rome 57-59 - From there on there are single pages with explanation about important temples /public buildings around Rome 60, 63-64, 65, 71; Hadrian's Villa 74-75; Pantheon 76; Temple of Venus 78-79; Rome Town Planning 83-85; and The Arch of Constantine87 

Task 3:Alberti's San Andrea 

This task is to be shown to your tutor in Week 4. 

On 2 sheets of A3 paper, combine sketches and texts to analyse the exterior and interior of Alberti's San Andrea. About the exterior, draw both the Arch of Constantine (which we considered earlier) and the main front of the Alberti building. Explore similarities and differences between the two structures. Also, examine the relationship between the exterior and interior of San Andrea. 

Reference (essential) D. Watkin, A History of Western Architecture(6th ed.) London: Laurence King, 2015. Chapter 6 on the Renaissance 

References(not essential) R. Wittkower, Architectural Principles in the Age of Humanism, first published 1948. 

D. Watkin, A History of Western Architecture(6th ed.) London: Laurence King, 2015. Chapter of the Renaissance

R. Wittkower, Architectural Principles in the Age of Humanism, first published 1948. 

J. Rykwert, N. Leach and R. Tavernor, On Alberti and the Art of Building, 1998. 

Feedback Strategy 

Initial feedback is provided in tutorials. Feedback for the completed assignment will be given within 2 weeks of submission in the form of rubric ratings and written comments, accessed in Moodle. 

If you are concerned about progress and unsure about continuing the course, please contact your tutor and ask for early feedback. 

The aim of the tutorials is for your tutor to provide general comments each week on drawings for tasks leading to the assignment in class. 

Criteria for Success 

The assignment is assessed on the following criteria: 

• Rigour of Analysis (70%)
• Visual Communication(30%)

Rubric