Assessment Brief BA (Hons) Architecture Stage 1 2017-18
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Unit 3 – Contextual Studies 1: Architecture and Context
SUMMATIVE
ASSESSMENT:
LONDON
PLEASURES
William Hogarth (1822) The Man of Taste
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Description
Regardless of the scale of the project, architecture has an indissoluble relation
with the culture in which it is produced, and this implies a relation with politics,
sociology, philosophy, economics, technology, and other factors, which may be
more or less explicit.
For this submission, you are asked to use primary and secondary research,
observation and analysis to explore the connections between architecture,
cultural context and ideals. Primary observation of buildings should allow you
to focus on a critique of architecture you can discuss directly, rather than as
ideas in the abstract. It will also force you to really study a part of the city where
you live for the next few years.
You will need to investigate and explain the relation between the given clues
through the analysis of the historical and geographical context, trying to
understand how London may have been influenced by a specific zeitgeist and
how it might have tried articulating certain architectural and social agendas.
This project has five core objectives:
• To develop your capacity to research architectural or spatial works and
practices and relate ideologies and cultural issues
• Develop your ability to reflect on architecture as observed in primary
research, and studied through secondary research
• Develop practice in writing a comparative critical text
• Develop your confidence in using images and text critically
• Develop your ability to use proper academic research and referencing
skills
Although the submissions for Contextual Studies include essays, this is not an
essay-writing class. You will need to develop the skills to read and write at the
appropriate level through doing these tasks and taking note of your feedback.
Outline of Activities
Your task is to write an essay which critically discusses two pre-twentieth
century buildings in London, in their contemporary context. Your essay will be
presented as one single piece of original writing, composing a singular and
continuous discussion. You should also use external academic references, such
as books, journals and websites, giving proper academic citations.
Your critique should build upon the historical, contextual information from your
lectures and personal research, as well as first-hand observation from the
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London Walks which form part of your contextual studies.
You must include images (drawings, sketches, photographs, diagrams) with
captions and references where necessary.
For your formative submission, you were given a list of case studies to address.
However, for this essay you will be choosing your own case studies, based on
your individual decision to conduct some objective, thoughtful research. Try to
enjoy the investigation, and discuss the architecture directly to make critical
observations of your own, as well as using external research to substantiate
your argument.
Connecting the Dots:
As a researcher, you are asked to make a connection between several key
aspects:
• First-hand observation (through walks and site visits) of specific historic
works of architecture London
• The historical narratives and contexts surrounding those works, their
period and style of architecture, as understood through academic
research and discussed in your Contextual Studies lectures
• The composition of comparative argument or discussion, which will give
your essay its unique structure. For example, you may choose to
compare two buildings with the same function, or in the same place, or
you may choose buildings which are separate in function or area, but
are built around the same time.
Essay Structure
Below are a few tips of how an essay is structured. Please ensure that you
develop an essay which includes the following elements:
• Introduction: A brief description of the context of the essay and the
issues it will explore; try to engage the reader in the relevance of the
argument and your own approach towards it.
• Content: Now that you have established your individual topic,
demonstrate your research and analysis in a structured discussion of
the following areas:
o Research and analysis of two specific, self-selected case studies:
Unlike the formative assessment, you will form comparisons of
different approaches using TWO personally selected case
studies in London, dating from before the twentieth century.
o Context of design: You will analyse the historic, social, economic,
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material and cultural context of design for the comparative
examples you have selected in London.
o The figure of the architect: Consider the agendas and ideals in
the creation of the buildings you are discussing. Alalyse how
these may have influenced the work you’re looking at. What
were they trying to test and promote, in their structure, style
and programme? Consider what social and aesthetic values each
one of these projects was promoting?
o References: Your essay must call upon academic references, AS
WELL AS using your own observations and images.
o Images: These should be deliberately selected to reinforce the
point you are making in the text. For example, if you’re talking
about the spatial quality inside a church, it might be better to
use a plan, interior axonometric or even a sketch of your own,
rather than an image of the church’s exterior.
• Comparative analysis (synthesis): Based on research and analysis, you
need to construct a well-supported argument about the relation
between architecture and context, and draw inferences between your
selected buildings. Has anyone written about these buildings? Do they
make the same analyses and critiques as you? Can you find contrasting
opinions about the same buildings? This critique should include quotes
from your academic research, and graphic analysis from your own
drawings and photographs, as well as archive materials. How can you
demonstrate points of similarity and difference?
• Conclusion: This should not be a recap of everything in the essay. What
have you learned from the research undertaken? What is your critical
architectural reflection following constructing this comparison?
• Bibliography: This includes all books, journals and website that you visit
to construct your research.
Be sure to call upon the resources available to you via the Library Coordinator
(Viv Eades) and Academic Support (Margaret Wagstaff) to learn how to use
academic references, and how to show your print and online sources. You must
become confident with referencing: please do request help if you are unsure.
You are also encouraged to use the fantastic, free and available help from
Academic Support to develop your essay topic, arguments, structure,
referencing skills, and Language Support to help you to understand and express
yourself in formal, academic English (not only for overseas students!).
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Learning Outcomes
(Marking Criteria)
Upon successful completion of this unit you will be able to demonstrate to an
appropriate level:
9. Ability to gather and investigate information through the effective use of
a range of sources (MC Research)
10. Analysis of the outcomes of the information (MC Analysis)
11. Basic understanding of the contexts of architecture, and how
architecture relates to the broader field of art and design (MC Subject
Knowledge)
12. Ability to employ academic conventions including the appropriate
methods of citing written and visual work (MC Communication and
Presentation)
Assessment Evidence
A 1500-1750 word comparative essay discussing two pieces of pre-twentieth
century architecture in London, along with appropriate images and references
to support your work.
Assessment Deadlines
Thursday 15th March 2018 by 10.00 am.
This assessment will be submitted online through a submission platform called
Turnitin UK. As part of the submission process, the University will utilise Turnitin
UK to check the authenticity and originality of your work.
Submissions should be made as ONE PDF file. The file size must not exceed 20
megabytes.
The CLTAD e-learning blog includes step-by-step guides to uploading
assignments to both Moodle and Turnitin. If you have difficulties uploading your
assignment, please contact the e-Learning support team for help: elearningsupport@
arts.ac.uk
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Feedback Target Date
Summative Assessment Feedback – Thursday 19th April 2018
Feedback will be available on Moodle through the ‘Assessment Feedback” link.
Feedback will provide ‘indicative’ marks. These marks will be ratified by the
Progression Board.
Study Material
You will be provided with a reading list and guidance towards research sources,
in order to develop specific studies to your own essay as part of the Contextual
Studies lecture series.
Referencing
Always acknowledge anyone else’s ideas that you use in your work by quoting
the source of the information:
• In an essay or assignment, when quoting another person’s words “put
their words in quotation marks” and properly reference the author
within the text and in the bibliography
• In computer software show where the information has come from in the
acknowledgements or credits, e.g. programme design – A Brown, or
Graphics – J Smith
• When using an artefact, put a caption against the object, e.g. “original
photograph by Cartier-Bresson”
• If presenting an original piece of work based on an existing design or
work of art, quote the source, e.g. “after Rodin”, “after Eckersley”
• If using a strategy of `appropriation’ (i.e. the deliberate and conscious
use of the style and images of another artist) make sure you tell your
tutors what you are doing and why and acknowledge the strategy when
submitting work for assessment
• In a group project make sure all the members of the group are listed. If
individuals undertake specific work within the project, make sure that
this is acknowledged
• In examinations do not copy another person’s work. Do not quote
passages from a text-book or journal without acknowledging the source.
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How to avoid academic
misconduct and plagiarism
The University of the Arts London takes all cases of cheating very seriously.
Such an offence is likely to lead to failure of that assignment and/ or unit and
serious or repeated offences may lead to failure of the whole stage of the
course, suspension or even expulsion. In addition, a breach of copyright may
lead to legal action.
Make sure that, for any assignment, you refer to Cite Them Right Online,
(www.citethemrightonline.com) the University’s approved online tool for
Harvard referencing.
Further information
The UAL Assessment webpages (bit.ly/ualassess) include useful information on:
• The course requirements
• What happens if you fail a piece of work or miss a deadline
• What to do if you are ill or have other extenuating circumstances
• What to do if you want to take time out from your studies
• The adjustments that can be made to assessments if you have a
disability
• How to avoid plagiarism in your work
• What to do if you want to appeal an exam board decision
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