Healthy Employment Centres Studio

This subject is not offered in 2016.

340 hours.

Admission into one of the following courses:

MC-ARCH Master of Architecture
MC-ARCH2Y Master of Architecture (200 points)
MC-ARCH3Y Master of Architecture (300 points)
MC-URBDES Master of Urban Design
MC-URPL Master of Urban Planning

Master of Architecture (MC-ARCH, MC-ARCH2Y or MC-ARCH3y) students can use this subject to replace the following core studios: ABPL90142 Master of Architecture Studio C, ABPL90143 Master of Architecture Studio D or ABPL90115 Master of Architecture Studio E.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

The social, economic and environmental advantages of providing a diversity of housing choices, close to jobs and services, have been recognized by successive state planning policies. However, these policies have largely failed to provide mixed use, walkable communities near train stations. The current metropolitan strategy, Plan Melbourne, has a much stronger emphasis on creating mixed-use, public transit-oriented ‘employment clusters’ aligned with large educational and health institutions: Parkville (University of Melbourne/RMIT/’hospital precinct’), Monash/CSIRO, and Dandenong Hospital/Chisholm TAFE being three of these activities centre.

East Werribee is an ‘emerging’ Employment Cluster, located south-east of Hopper’s Crossing Train Station. Within 500 metres of that station are Mercy Hospital, South-East Melbourne Primary Care Partnership, the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, a campus of Victoria University and Suzanne Cory selective entry High School. But it is difficult to walk, cycle or take a bus from the train station to these destinations, there are at present no residential and few commercial uses, and there is very limited public space amenity.

In this studio, aligning our learning process with inter-disciplinary practice collaboration approaches, we will work with an array of industry partners and stakeholders on a set of sites, examining possibilities for healthier and more inclusive public spaces, and better mixed-use development, including possibilities for student and/or health care worker housing. Sarah Backhouse (architecture) and Carolyn Whitzman (planning), will work with Master of Architecture, Masters of Urban Design, and Masters of Urban Planning students to develop a master plan and several in-depth studies.

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
• Identify and engage critically with housing diversity and affordability issues related to the intersections of planning policy, public space design, neighbourhood design, building design, and land-use mix;
• Identify and propose creative solutions to planning and design, finance and social barriers to developing transit-oriented mixed-use development, and generate enablers to desired planning and design processes for a particular location;
• Understand the relationships between social problems and spatial forms;
• Understand the relationships between urban policies, regulatory constraints, design parameters, and politics, and propose workable ways of overcoming constraints to programmatic, design and construction innovation; and,
• Communicate a complex vision in a clear and professional manner.

Group presentation (4-5 students per group), total 30% with break down as follows:

Approximately 3 x A1 posters per group (equivalent 1,000 words per student), 10%, due week 6.

1 x 5,000 word illustrated report-style essay (1 per group) (equivalent 1,000 words per student), 10%, due week 6.

15 minute slide-based presentation (equivalent 1,000 words per student), 10%, due week 6.

Master of Architecture / Masters of Urban Design students:

Documentation and presentation of design project (minimum 3 x A1 posters, slide show and associated reports/booklets summarizing your project) to the equivalent of 7, 000 words, 70%, due during the exam period.

Masters of Urban Planning students:

Research paper, plus an A1 poster and a slide show to the equivalent of 7, 000 words, 70%, due during exam period.

None specified

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of the subject students should have developed the following skills and capabilities:

• Critical thinking and analysis;
• Ability to seek out, retrieve and evaluate information from multiple sources;
• Understanding and lucid expression of complex concepts in written and oral form;
• Time management skills;
• Appreciation and implementation of the ethics associated with knowledge creation and usage;
• Report writing skills.