MSc Urban Design and International Planning

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Urban Design Applied Skills

Course unit fact file
Unit code PLAN60950
Credit rating 0
Unit level FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s) Full year
Offered by Planning and Environmental Management
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This yearlong unit aims to provide urban design students with the necessary software and technical skills required to complete design studio assignments and practice applied professional urban design. Students will engage with a range of design software including Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch-Up, and Auto-CAD. The workshops also provide hand drawing skills, both urban sketching and technical.

Aims

  • Developing urban design graphical skills
  • Developing skills in design software
  • Developing skills in technical drawing and urban hand-sketching
  • Developing visualisation and communication skills in design
  • Preparing students for core credited studio based modules
  • To assist students in preparing an urban design portfolio
     

Syllabus

Semester 1 – Urban Design basic analysis techniques: Introduction to Adobe Illustrator; urban sketching; and Adobe InDesign publishing software for visualising at A1.

Semester 2 – Urban design proposal stages: Introducing Adobe Photoshop; Sketch-Up; 3D physical modelling; AutoCAD; technical drawing; and developing an urban design portfolio

Knowledge and understanding

  • Understand range of design techniques and illustrative presentations
  • To develop visual styles 

Intellectual skills

  • Communicating urban design analysis and proposals at A1
  • Ability to create design graphic narratives

Practical skills

  • Design software – Adobe Creative Suite; Sketch-Up; AutoCAD
  • Urban Sketching
  • Technical Drawing for Urban Design

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Visualization techniques
  • Development of urban design portfolio
     

Assessment methods

Non-credited module – No assignments
The unit is studio based and has weekly formative feedback opportunities.

Feedback methods

Non-credited module – No assignments
The unit is studio based and has weekly formative feedback opportunities.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Practical classes & workshops 44

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Philip Black Unit coordinator

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