Master of Urban and Cultural Heritage

This subject will give students an overview of issues, ideas and practices that characterise the heritage and conservation field, especially as they pertain to the conservation of buildings and landscapes. Students will explore the differences between conservation, restoration and reconstruction; the function of conservation protocols such as The Venice Charter, Burra Charter and Hoi Ann Protocols; the role of heritage studies, statements of significance and statutory lists; the importance of advocacy and activism; the employment conservation management plans; and the growth of world heritage as an idea. The subject will also highlight areas of practice that challenge traditional approaches and knowledge such as Aboriginal heritage and the conservation of modernism.

The development of landscape design in Australia. The influence and work of Australian landscape designers. Concepts of natural and cultural heritage. Types of landscape heritage: Australian indigenous landscapes, public and private parks and gardens, institutional and industrial landscapes, symbolic and commemorative landscapes. Heritage legislation and organisations. Techniques for the assessment of landscape heritage. Case studies are used to illustrate the theory and practice of planning and managing sites that have cultural significance.

An introduction to current issues and techniques in the field of cultural heritage globally. It will survey differing philosophies and challenges being faced in the documentation, interpretation, support and management of conservation and cultural heritage of buildings, landscapes, sites and cities across the world. The study will proceed via detailed case studies examining projects from a range of scales that may include individual buildings and structures, natural and designed landscapes, urban places and precincts, as well as sites of cultural and historical significance. It will include issues such as twentieth-century heritage, heritage during time of war, and the roles of sustainability and tourism as emerging challenges and opportunities for global heritage. Key to this study will be the development of a critical appreciation of the differences and relevance of international heritage-based charters and international heritage organisations. We will look at UNESCO World Heritage listings and terms of significance, and key national and international charters and regulations.

This is a hands-on subject which introduces students to the process of documenting an historical building for the purpose of archive and publication.
Students will have opportunity to learn all the skills required to complete the subject, including measuring techniques, architectural drawing (hand drafting & CAD), architectural photography (including photoshop editing), publishing layout (InDesign), etc.
Students will work collaboratively in small groups of three to measure, research, and document a building of historic value.
Each student will contribute to the group their skills in either primary research, architectural drawing, photography, or graphics.
Students will received individual marks based on their contributions.

A historical study of the use of materials and the means of constructing buildings from antiquity on, but with special reference to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, comparing equivalent materials and trades between cultures, and exploring the transmission of skills and techniques from one to another.

Topics include:

• the development and planning of settlements in Australia: the colonial architecture of New South Wales and Tasmania;
• land and building regulations, urban conditions, building techniques;
• the development of architecture in Melbourne from its founding to recent times and the emergence of modern architecture.

Special emphasis will be placed on the Melbourne environment.

This subject offers a broad introduction to contemporary theories and methods used in the production and critique of architecture in the context of current practice.

Architectural concepts such as program, diagram, transparency, tectonics, materiality, and ornament will be explored along with the contemporary manifestations of landscape urbanism, digital technologies, ecological sustainability, and biomimicry in design. The subject provides a perspective within which contemporary architectural polemics and strategies can be understood so that students can approach their own practice with the knowledge of existing contemporary theories of design.

This subject was formerly called History of Designed Landscape (PG).

A critical examination of landscape architecture as a discipline that has shaped public and private landscapes through time. Philosophies and theories relating to design and associated professions are discussed in relation to the evolution of landscape architecture on the international scene. The history of landscape architecture in Australia is contextualised and the Australian contemporary landscape is considered as a product of its colonial and twentieth century cultural contexts.

Students enrolled in this subject will complete a internship of a minimum of four weeks full-time placement with an external organisation in the architectural, urban and cultural heritage field. Students will be supervised by the Subject Coordinator in collaboration with a designated party at the host organisation. They will work across a range of tasks relevant to the organisation's objectives, and will develop and complete a specific project in discussion with the host organisation and the Subject Coordinator. The Internship experience will enable students to extend and apply the knowledge acquired through the MUCH coursework subjects, will provide students will a valuable professional experience, and will extend their professional networks. The internship will facilitate the application of knowledge acquired through coursework to a professional workplace.

Note:

Students are responsible for identifying a suitable work placement to be approved the course coordinator.  Upon approval, students are required to complete all the steps found at https://edsc.unimelb.edu.au/graduate/subject-options/internships-vocational-placements. This should be completed at least 2 weeks before the start of semester.

Contact the course coordinator for further advice on identifying a placement opportunity.

This research-based subject focuses on critical, curatorial and conceptual practices in design. It offers advanced training in the field of design criticism, publishing, curating, exhibiting, writing and research. Students will be exposed to a range of theoretical approaches to the curating and interpretation of design, and current techniques of display, documentation and installation. Through a focus on specific case study examples related directly to proposed exhibition projects, students will develop research skills, interpretation techniques and innovative curatorial methods. Assessment will take the form of written reports, data collection, and graphic and design exercises equivalent to 5000 words.

Students enrolled in this subject will complete an internship of a minimum of two weeks full-time placement with an external organisation in the architectural, urban and cultural heritage field. Students will be supervised by the Subject Coordinator in collaboration with a designated party at the host organisation. They will work across a range of tasks relevant to the organisation's objectives, and will develop and complete a specific project in discussion with the host organisation and the Subject Coordinator. The Internship experience will enable students to extend and apply the knowledge acquired through the MUCH coursework subjects, will provide students will a valuable professional experience, and will extend their professional networks. The internship will facilitate the application of knowledge acquired through coursework to a professional workplace.

Students are responsible for identifying a suitable work placement to be approved the course coordinator.  Upon approval, students are required to complete all the steps found at https://edsc.unimelb.edu.au/graduate/subject-options/internships-vocational-placements. This should be completed at least 2 weeks before the start of semester.

Contact the course coordinator for further advice on identifying a placement opportunity

This subject is designed to produce a 10,000 word ordered, critical exposition of knowledge gained through the student's own efforts which demonstrates a sound understanding of a topic of their choice relating to urban and cultural heritage. Regular meetings will be held with a supervisor to allow students to obtain advice on the study topic and help guide their independent study.

This subject is designed to produce a 5,000-word critical exposition of knowledge gained through the student's own efforts which demonstrates a sound understanding of a topic of their choice relating to urban and cultural heritage. Regular meetings with a supervisor allow the student to obtain advice and guidance for completion of an independent study.

Students will gain a theoretical and practical overview of heritage conservation techniques. The subject will introduce students to the main conservation issues affecting built heritage in relation to both structural issues, as well as those impacting interior and exterior decorative finishes. Students will learn how to diagnose common conservation issues and explore the various treatment options available. Starting with a general discussion of built heritage conservation, students will then focus on specific issues associated with individual construction materials, including stone, metal, brick, wood, glass, and concrete. Lectures will be backed by laboratory sessions and fieldwork at heritage places across Melbourne to observe conservation issues in situ.

Fragments of design thinking in East Asia, such as those of Japan and of current China, are well known or at least accessible. Yet there is hardly a concise, critical and comprehensive study on modern and current architecture of China, Japan and Korea together, as a whole and as a challenging case in design thinking on the world stage. This subject aims to provide such a study. The teaching and the debate in this subject focus on ‘polemic’ designs in these countries from the 1950s to the 2010s – designs that are interesting or controversial in formal, urban, cultural, social or political sense. By focusing on these critical cases, a broader history of design thinking dating back to the modern and ancient pasts, and generic currents of design practice in relation to the modern political history of the countries and the region are also studied. This subject aims to explore a gap of knowledge in the current design discourse on modernism and contemporary architecture. It aims to help construct a pluralist and multi-polar knowledge of architecture of the world in which a non-western case provides a critical contribution.

Cultural festivals, carnivals and special events are a prominent feature of arts and cultural activities at the local, national and international level. Through a series of international and local case studies this subject examines the cultural, economic and artistic origins of and rationales for these events in the context of a range of theoretical framings. These include the presence of invented traditions, the carnivalesque and ritual in contemporary festival practices. The role of programming, artistic direction and audiences will be explored in order to appreciate the diverse range of interests that served by such events and the social and political contexts within which they take place.

This subject investigates the diversity of communication forms, practices and strategies used across the breadth of arts organisations. Students will explore a range of influential communication concepts, investigating the evolution from traditional forms of engagement to contemporary innovations in this area. Seminars will explore the interrelationship between communication theory and practice, identifying pivotal issues and influential concepts in arts communication. Students will engage in an advanced study of scholarly approaches and contemporary debates in the field. Students will become actively involved in a range of tasks including writing reviews, creating blogs, writing catalogue entries, examining archival and historical documents, developing grant applications and by designing promotional campaigns for arts organisations.

In this subject students explore issues relating to the preservation of culture. Students engage with individual guest lecturers who have extraordinary or senior cultural expertise and knowledge, and who lead students through the complexity of issues relating to context, disruption, authenticity, legal standing, development, reinvention, identity and minority status. Of particular focus are cultures that relate to the Australian, Asian and the Pacific Nations.

This subject examines the physical and chemical causes of deterioration of cultural material, and considers how these can be effectively mitigated. Areas of study include the ten agents of deterioration that include light, incorrect relative humidities, incorrect temperature, physical stresses, biodeterioration, pollutants, pests, fire, criminal activity and dissociation. Students will critically evaluate current theories, international standards and guidelines for the management of museum and cultural collection environments and contexts. The context and opportunities for the implementation of a preventive conservation approach within an overall risk management framework will be emphasised, including environmental impact, budgetary implications, sustainability, and stakeholder management.

It is now readily acknowledged by most commentators that it is culturally preferable as well as financially advantageous to minimise or prevent deterioration of cultural material than to apply remedial conservation intervention after avoidable damage has been sustained. However this is a decision-making, community based process embedded in individual, institutional and community needs. As such this subject lays a critical foundation for effective professional practice as a conservator in preventive conservation.

This research-based subject focuses on critical, curatorial and conceptual practices in design. It offers advanced training in the field of design criticism, publishing, curating, exhibiting, writing and research. Students will be exposed to a range of theoretical approaches to the curating and interpretation of design, and current techniques of display, documentation and installation. Through a focus on specific case study examples related directly to proposed exhibition projects, students will develop research skills, interpretation techniques and innovative curatorial methods. Assessment will take the form of written reports, data collection, and graphic and design exercises equivalent to 5000 words.

This subject considers the production of architecture in the age of commodification. It considers the place of architecture in a world that is growingly preoccupied with the visual and the culture of consumerism. It reflects on how such a world conceives, experiences and consumes architectural design as spectacle, placing striking visuality and iconography above other design intentions. Colonial imagining of otherness, nation building, heritage conservation, tourism industry, popular culture and media, as well as the branding practice of the 21st century will be considered as the broader political and social contexts in which the conception of architecture as spectacle arises.

Through a variety of case studies — ranging from the architecture of national pavilions at the world exposition series, the signatory works of 21st century’s star architects and their shaping of the image of the global cities, the strategic use of architecture in promoting place identity, arts, and heritage, to the commercial architecture of shopping malls, entertainment centres, and international franchise brands — we will reflect on, not only the commodification of architecture, but also how architectural design operates as a medium of commodification of culture, heritage, memory, and otherness. The subject will also explore the extent to which the notion of architecture as spectacle has infiltrated the space of everyday life, the house and the perception of urban life in general. We will then ponder on the effects of the commodification of architecture in the way we experience and shape our built environments.

Current practices of urban and regional planning have emerged as a human response to the range of circumstances surrounding settlements over time. This subject provides students with a grounding in the main theories of planning over the last two centuries as a means of understanding present-day planning practices and debates in an historical context. Accordingly, students will develop understandings of the contexts in which planning emerged as a response to concerns with a range of circumstances over time. These include: public health, technological change, environmental degradation, economic development, social justice, and conceptions of order and aesthetics. An integrated programme of lectures, readings and tutorials provide students with the materials to answer a series of related questions that chart the development over time of planning. The evolving responses to the enduring questions of planning, such as: ‘what is planning; why plan; how to plan; and what or for whom do we plan?’ are charted over time. The Australia response, in an international context, is emphasised to provide a critical lens upon current Australian planning, providing a basis for subsequent subjects in the Masters of Urban Planning Program.

This subject explores the histories not only of particular cities but also more broadly the historical development of spatial and social features of cities. Elements developed over time in both Australian and international urban areas are countenanced with a view to understanding how these have worked and might continue to work – through adaptation, reinvigoration, or refinement – in the urban context. The central question of the appeal and value of the city in the past and present is at the forefront. Understanding of city culture and the quality of the urban fabric over time is emphasised.

Please note that this subject is only available to students admitted into a course at the Melbourne School of Design.

The subject critically examines the contemporary and historical modes in which architecture engages with media. Some forms of media tools at the architect’s disposal to be studied include: the magazine, the journal article, the exhibition, the manifesto, the website, the competition, and the employment of social media. The subject is for students interested in acquiring insight into the use of media for professional practice as well as for students who want to participate in the cultural industries and institutions related to architectural discourse. Special emphasis will be on the preparation of the MSD student journal Inflection.

This subject offers a comparative approach to architectural conservation in East Asia from an international perspective. The subject emphasises the mutually dependent relationships between conservation of historical buildings and preservation of traditional techniques and knowledge. Discussions will take place in eight investigative areas:

• Venice Charter, Burra Charter and Laws/principles for the Protection of Cultural Properties in East Asia;
• cultural traditions and values;
• administration and legislation;
• education and training;
• deterioration in material and structure;
• materials and techniques in preservation;
• restoration and authenticity;
• management of conservation projects.

This subject explores the documentation and representation of particular sites in Melbourne and elsewhere. The subject engages with design considerations outside the design studio context. The notion of site and place is explored through a number of theoretical themes and hands-on creative, representational techniques including mapping, photography, film, sound and writing. These themes are further investigated through the subject reader, lectures and seminar discussions. Equal emphasis is placed on theoretical problems of understanding contemporary contexts, and creative, representational techniques for documenting specific places. The major submission requires a well researched and presented 'Atlas' that evokes the memory of a place of choice. Typically the culmination of the subject is an exhibition.

This subject requires students to study and research construction and conservation methods of East Asian timber buildings, and to produce drawings and writings highlighting details of such buildings. Students are also required to produce virtual displays highlighting the chosen structure, and possible alternatives, in their potential contexts.

As well as the above, students will be required to spend at least three hours a week in the construction workshop producing a full-size timber building that will be erected, initially, adjacent to the workshop and then in a public location.