Architecture & Sustainable Heritage MA

This module develops your understanding of heritage sites by exploring contemporary issues, mapping techniques, and resources. You’ll be encouraged to appreciate both tangible and intangible heritage and develop critical thinking about preservation and interpretation practices. The module explores representations of diverse traditions and cultures through teamwork and reflective practices. You’ll be provided with the skills and attributes necessary for cross-sector projects in the workplace.

In this module, you’ll be introduced to the history, theory and practice of built-environment heritage through specialist guest-lectures, workshops, live case studies and dynamic seminar discussion. The module will include a field trip that will allow you to deepen your expertise and knowledge and prepare you for your Independent Consultancy Report (dissertation). Under the supervision of a member of the course teaching team, you’ll undertake in-depth research on a heritage topic of your choice and present your findings, analysis, conclusions, and recommendations in a comprehensive written report. You’ll explore questions of positionality by drawing on your own experiences, backgrounds and cultures in developing your research.

This module develops fundamental research skills, beneficial in both an academic setting and professional environment. It will help you build on effective, analytical and creative communication, become familiar with a range of research methods, provide guidance on research design, critical literature review, data analysis, and research ethics. The module will guide you in understanding and developing inclusive methodologies that promote equality, diversity and inclusion in research.

This module aims to capture London’s dynamics as a global city showcasing distinct periods of urban development and how it has been shaped through political, social, economic and cultural forces. The module will train you in creative methods of observation, documentation and representation, through which you’ll develop new ways of ‘reading’ the city and its cultural and physical diversity. The module is taught by a series of urban walks, lectures, workshops and seminars/oral presentation sessions by students.

This module focuses on issues of tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the UK and globally, expanding knowledge beyond museums and galleries. It looks at the processes of heritage making, the politics and uses of heritage across the world, and the concepts, theories, and the practices of heritage creation. The focus of the module is on heritage’s link to the cultural and creative industries, including tourism and instances of untold or overlooked narratives in the sector. It considers, for example, the role of UNESCO; living heritage including sounds and smells; sports; festivals and carnivals; parks; walking tours; dark heritage, and mega events (such as the Cultural Olympiad and the European Capital of Culture) in order to develop your critical and creative thinking skills as well as professional capabilities. You’ll be encouraged to engage with case examples and sources whilst reflecting on your personal experiences of heritage and cultural interests.

This module will develop a deep methodological understanding of the phrase ‘culturally sensitive and critical designer’. This will begin through introductory lectures on the historical evolution, key theoretical frameworks, and methods of ethnography. You’ll then develop your own ethnographic methodology to access, engage, and understand a particular ‘site’. An emphasis will be placed on creative and experimental approaches to methods such as participant observation, architectural and spatial analysis, interviewing, documentary, social media, and archival research. In addition to normative fieldwork methods, imaginative use of film, mapping, photography, performative, and narrative strategies will be encouraged.

A key objective will be your understanding of the relationship between subjects’ site-specific cultural practice, spatial relations, architecture, and wider transcultural / diasporic and global networks and influences. You’ll also be encouraged to engage with broader issues of truth, objectivity, knowledge, bias, etc., which arise within a ‘creative research relationship’.

This module explores the issues and practices involved in the representation of world cultures. It focuses in particular on the visual representations of non-western cultures within a western context and examines the ways in which these representations produce meanings about the ‘Other’.

Through seminars, workshops and site visits to London museums and archives, you’ll bring the analysis of specific theoretical frameworks to bear on the evaluation of ethnographic and historical collections and exhibitions. In doing so, the module aims to encourage you to engage with and initiate critical discussions into the ways in which current representations of non-western cultures influence our ways of seeing the ‘Other’.

This module investigates the potential of digital art and design practices and advanced technologies such as 3D scanning and photogrammetry to expand and create the archive of the future. You’ll consider archives and source sites as curatorial tools to present and experience collections that employ transmedia approaches, interactive and immersive platforms.

You’ll also use participatory practices to democratise access, engage new audiences and create dynamic ‘living’ archives. You’ll work in cross disciplinary groups and engage with live projects within archives, galleries, and heritage sites. The module also addresses the societal, ethical, and sustainable aspects of archival practices, including contested material and narratives.

This module introduces you to major theoretical issues that are facing contemporary architectural practice across the world. The intention is for you to identify subjects and themes that will develop in subsequent modules. The module is taught by a series of lectures, seminars and oral presentation sessions by students.

This module is committed to the rigorous investigation of a chosen interior environment(s), with particular focus on building typology, designed or otherwise, contemporary or historical and the relationship to/within the architectural setting. The module has been designed to provide a model for a thorough, forensic, in-depth empirical study based on a systematic comparative methodological investigation based on a number of appropriate criteria.

You’ll be introduced to the historic urban landscapes that form an important part of most towns and cities throughout the world. You’ll evaluate theory and conservation practice in a legislative and case law context. You’ll learn the techniques of character appraisal and how they can form a platform for further creative intervention and develop an understanding of the specific legislative constraints relating to heritage assets.

This module focuses on destinations and will evaluate and debate destination development strategies. It will consider alternative destination management structures and assess the role of destination planning in limiting the negative impacts of tourism and ensuring competitiveness. The module will follow a case study approach, where you’ll assess destination responses to different scenarios and challenges. Both UK and overseas destinations will be studied, ranging across resort, urban and rural settings.

You’ll examine participatory planning, housing and land management for urban regeneration and community development in the developed and developing world contexts (using UK and European case studies as a point of reference where appropriate). You’ll establish a good theoretical understanding of policies and methods for sustainable neighbourhood planning including informal, low-income housing and settlements in developing world cities.

Following the growing awareness and recognisance of people's voices in shaping their places, the module addresses key issues around public engagement and themes of sustainability applied to the local scale, by looking at challenges addressed by communities and grassroots, from an interdisciplinary perspective.

You’ll gain practical skills through the observation and participation to real- life projects, by being taught and working within an interdisciplinary team, composed of various speakers from different fields and professional horizons, the local authorities and the community groups. You’ll develop a reflective approach on ways to serve the community and enhance social capital and will additionally benefit from an international exposure through an exchange workshop with a European university.

You’ll gain theoretical knowledge on key ideas related to sustainability, community, participation, social capital and governance, inequalities issues and cultural diversity attached to place-making processes. You’ll develop analytical skills on key historical and contemporary debates about community engagement, communities’ diversity through London's key challenges for sustainability and by learning on international cases.

This module provides background on environmental policy and climate change. It sets out the theoretical framework to start with, and then the international context for sustainable development, environmental assessment, energy efficiency and climate change resilience. It explores implications for the built environment in a range of development contexts, includes analysis of key policy concerns and planning and design responses comparatively across different institutional and cultural contexts. It also reviews techniques for assessing the impacts of development and examines the role that effective environmental strategies and policies in planning and related fields can pursue to reach sustainable development.

The requirement for tourism and event businesses to operate sustainably, in the broadest sense, is now stronger than ever and for aspiring professionals, grounding in responsible practice has become a necessity. This module explores the founding principles of ‘responsibility’ in event and tourism management and considers the range of contexts for sustainable practice from both an industry and stakeholder perspective. Domestic and international examples are used in order to illustrate the different contexts and applications. The module addresses five key aspects: responsible business practice; improving the quality of life of host communities; conserving the local environment and local culture; climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals, and sustainable design. You’ll gain detailed subject knowledge and understanding on the planning and implementation of responsible practices and also be encouraged to develop your evaluative skills when analysing existing policy and practice.

Cities and their populations everywhere are facing a future of growing uncertainty and vulnerability. Planning frameworks and strategies will need to be adaptable to this growing risk.

This module looks at spatial planning and urban design for risk management. It addresses reducing vulnerability and building urban resilience as it relates to longer- term climate change and other environmental threats, associated economic and political risks, public health and development needs. The module integrates sustainable development and climate change mitigation and adaptation concerns with disaster planning and urban risk management.

This is a project-based module that examines the form, use and experience of public space and the notions of perception, identity, diversity, place, place making and place shaping. You’ll use projects to critically assess the character of urban spaces and propose responsive design interventions. Your understanding of the use and experience of these spaces is supported by lectures and selected readings of key thinkers in the field.

This module develops an historical overview of Environmental Design discipline and identifies the determinants of the so-called Post-Carbon Culture. The module will examine the main concepts, promoters, practitioners and theorist of the discipline. You’ll contribute to the formulation of a common and current definition of Environmental Design and clarification of its various synonyms in the current international landscape. You’ll also contribute to reflect upon and develop a vision for a post-carbon society in the current and future projected contexts.

This module examines the salient political, socio-economic, statutory, legislative, planning framework which, to varying degrees, has shaped, and will continue to shape, the formulation of environmental policies and strategies in the global context. The importance of raising awareness and ensuring sustained recognition of ethical and environmental issues, such as Climate Change and Sustainable Development, through enhanced public and professional debate will be examined, as will the value of productive collaboration between policymakers, clients, multi- disciplinary design teams and end-users. The need to embrace a low-energy and sustainable approach to the conservation, restoration and remodelling of existing, as well as to the design of new built environments, will be underscored.

Event Concept and Design introduces the study of event design at post-graduate level and addresses the key theoretical concepts and management issues relevant to the development of events across a range of experience environments. Upon completing the module, you’ll have a good grounding and further knowledge of the holistic process of designing effective and engaging events that meet both business and leisure demand and considers the requirements of events from both an attendee and supplier perspective.

This module studies the activities undertaken by an event manager as an event is prepared for staging. You’ll focus on practical application, studying project management, budgeting, evaluation and ROI measurement, volunteer management, supplier negotiation, contemporary health & safety issues and crisis management. You will also explore the use of social media, technology and events as a marketing tool.