ABH441 Transdisciplinary Practices: Communities
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | ABH441 |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite(s): | ABB244 or ABH344 or DLB303 |
| Equivalent(s): | DAN111, ABN403 |
| Credit points: | 24 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2027, Gardens Point, Internal
| Unit code: | ABH441 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 24 |
| Pre-requisite: | ABB244 or ABH344 or DLB303 |
| Equivalent: | ABN403, DAN111 |
Overview
This unit focuses on advanced landscape architecture‑led approaches to transdisciplinary community‑scale practice. You will develop critically informed and spatially resolved responses to complex socio‑environmental challenges, with emphasis on systems thinking, landscape methodologies, and ethical engagement with communities and place. Transdisciplinary practice is understood as collaboration across community, industry, First Nations knowledges and environmental systems Working with real or simulated community contexts and briefs, you will undertake design‑led research to explore grounded speculative propositions and test landscape architectural responses that are environmentally responsible, socially informed and professionally credible.Through intensive studio processes, you will integrate ecological, cultural, technological and spatial systems, developing the judgement required for ethical, community‑focused landscape architecture practice.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Apply practice‑led and research‑informed thinking to develop landscape architecture design responses to complex community-based briefs.
- Apply effective professional and project management processes appropriate to honours‑level landscape architectural practice.
- Collaborate with community stakeholders and allied disciplines using ethical, inclusive, and team‑based design processes.
- Generate technically informed and critically resolved landscape architecture design outcomes that respond to complex environmental and social systems at multiple scales.
- Communicate landscape architecture design intent and outcomes effectively using a range of professional media and methods.
Content
The unit engages you in an exploration of the following themes, framed through a landscape architecture lens:
- Transdisciplinary practice‑led methodologies for landscape and community contexts
- Climate change adaptation, mitigation and regenerative landscape practices
- Principles of First Nations knowledges as they relate to land, Country and spatial practice
- Landscape systems thinking, including ecology, hydrology, materiality and terrain
- Integration of landscape practice across scales, from site to territory
- Ethical and professional engagement with community and industry partners
Through these themes, you will examine how landscape architecture can lead and contribute to transdisciplinary practices that respond to emerging environmental and social challenges at the community scale.
Learning Approaches
Complex societal and environmental challenges require approaches that extend beyond single‑discipline solutions. This unit adopts a studio‑intensive, project‑based learning model that positions landscape architecture as a critical and connective practice within transdisciplinary work.
Learning centres on a substantial project informed by a real or simulated community brief. Studios are supported by targeted lectures, workshops and reviews that provide theoretical, contextual and professional grounding.
You will learn through practice‑led research, iterative studio development, collaboration with stakeholders, independent inquiry, and reflective practice. You are expected to actively participate in studio activities, progress work between sessions, and engage constructively in critique and review processes facilitated by teaching staff and invited reviewers.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Feedback in the unit is provided to you in the following ways:
- in-class formative exercises with peers, academics and invited experts
- in-class review of weekly activities
- assessment rubrics used for grading
- verbal feedback from teaching staff
- verbal feedback from guest reviewers at studio pin-up/review sessions.
Assessment
Overview
You will complete two studio‑based design projects that progressively develop your capability.
In the first assessment, you will work collaboratively to investigate a community‑scale brief, analyse context and stakeholders, and establish a shared design direction informed by design‑led research and systems thinking. This project focuses on formulation and collective understanding, with individual accountability for contribution and learning.
In the second assessment, you will build on this foundation to complete an individually authored, highly resolved landscape architecture design project. You will refine and communicate your design proposition through appropriate professional media, demonstrating critical judgement, ethical engagement and responsiveness to complex environmental and social systems.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Project Formulation
Collaborative work (with individual submission) focusing on site analysis, stakeholder engagement, design research, and early development of a distinctive proposition within a community and landscape context.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Final Project
An individually-completed, resolved landscape architecture design that builds on the earlier collaborative work.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Requirements to Study
Requirements
There are no additional costs associated with this unit
Resources
Required and recommended resources will be provided and signposted to through the online learning platform.
Risk Assessment Statement
Substantial computer-based work will be required. You are recommended to take regular rest breaks when engaging in prolonged computer-based work, and ensure that your workstation is set up for optimal comfort to prevent strain or injury.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.AB01 Bachelor of Built Environment (Honours)
- Apply theoretical, practical and cultural knowledge and skills across a range of disciplines and specialist knowledge and skills in one built environment area.
Relates to: Project Formulation, Final Project - Design and critically evaluate sustainable and creative solutions to social, economic, technological and environmental challenges.
Relates to: Final Project - Communicate knowledge, ideas and creative solutions in diverse modes, for a range of contexts and diverse audiences.
Relates to: Final Project - Plan, develop and complete research and other projects.
Relates to: Project Formulation, Final Project - Strategically collaborate with diverse stakeholders and communities, including First Nations peoples.
Relates to: Project Formulation, Final Project - Reflect on feedback and experience, and display professional and ethical judgment and initiative.
Relates to: Project Formulation, Final Project