Master of Urban and Cultural Heritage

This subject explores the theory and history of cultural heritage with a focus on architectural and urban conservation. Ideas and practices of heritage are examined through approaches taken to the conservation of buildings, precincts, neighbourhoods, towns, and landscapes. A range of approaches for designing, planning, managing, and researching heritage places are considered. Key topics include the emergence of modern conservation; statutory heritage regimes and designations; the role of charters and doctrines such as the Burra Charter and values-based conservation; and the evolving politics of heritage. This subject also highlights areas of scholarship and practice which challenge traditional approaches such as Aboriginal heritage; community participation; intangible heritage; climate change; and urban development. The subject is taught by academics and leading heritage practitioners and delivered as a mixture of seminars and field trips.

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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.

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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.

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Students enrolled in this subject will complete an internship of a minimum of 20 days 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 with 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, and will give students the opportunity to critically reflect on their experience in a professional setting.

Note:

Students are responsible for identifying a suitable work placement to be approved by 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 ideally be completed at least 2 weeks before the start of semester.

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

The suitability of the host organisation must be approved by a subject coordinator. Approvals and formal agreements should ideally be completed at least 2 weeks before the start of semester and will not be accepted if initiated later than two weeks after the commencement of the semester.

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In this subject, students will learn about the theory and practice documenting historic buildings for purposes of research and conservation. Students will develop critical approaches to architectural recording and representation. The subject will offer experience in manual techniques and digital technologies, including photogrammetry and 3D laser scanning, and explore their applications in contemporary architectural and cultural heritage practice. Skills will be developed through a focus on case study buildings, with students working individually and collaboratively to produce archival quality documentation and measured drawings of culturally significant urban heritage.

Prescribed software programs with no cost
Autodesk ReCap Pro
Cloudcompare (Open source)
Reality Capture
Prescribed software programs with a cost
Agisoft MetaShape

Details of software availability and pricing are captured at: https://msd.unimelb.edu.au/current-students/student-experience/it-support

View detailed information in the Handbook

In this subject, students will investigate the evolution of Australian environments, cities and architecture. The Subject introduces indigenous as well as colonial, post-colonial, modern, postmodern and regional architecture cultures from the late eighteenth through the early twenty-first century. Topics encompass the geographic, cultural, social, political, economic and material factors shaping environments and architecture in Australia, as well as the ways in which they have been conceptualised and at times contested in scholarship and professional practice. While working across Australia broadly, the subject focuses on Melbourne as a case study to more closely explore the dynamics of localised urban conditions, cultures and design responses. Students will learn to contextualise and to apply the knowledge gained through this subject from leading academics in Australian architectural history, historiography and heritage, and will undertake research in the field using primary and archival collections.

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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.

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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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject offers an overview of architectural conservation in Asia from an international perspective. Through case studies and comparative analysis, the subject explores how heritage principles and policies play out across a range of cultural and geographic contexts, influenced by various Asian building traditions and cultural histories. The subject also interrogates how different cultural contexts have shaped heritage theory and practice across Asia. Using case studies from China, Japan, India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia this subject will explore:

• The Venice Charter, Burra Charter, the Nara Document on Authenticity, the Hoi An Protocols, and various laws and principles that guide the protection and management of heritage in Asia
• Asian cultural traditions and values, and how these shape practices of restoration and ideas of authenticity in heritage
• administration and legislation
• activism and civil society in Asia;
• tourism and overdevelopment;
• architecture of Asian diaspora communities in Australia

View detailed information in the Handbook

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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

In this subject, students will learn about the theory and practice documenting historic buildings for purposes of research and conservation. Students will develop critical approaches to architectural recording and representation. The subject will offer experience in manual techniques and digital technologies, including photogrammetry and 3D laser scanning, and explore their applications in contemporary architectural and cultural heritage practice. Skills will be developed through a focus on case study buildings, with students working individually and collaboratively to produce archival quality documentation and measured drawings of culturally significant urban heritage.

Prescribed software programs with no cost
Autodesk ReCap Pro
Cloudcompare (Open source)
Reality Capture
Prescribed software programs with a cost
Agisoft MetaShape

Details of software availability and pricing are captured at: https://msd.unimelb.edu.au/current-students/student-experience/it-support

View detailed information in the Handbook

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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Students will gain the ability to analyse the use of materials and the means of constructing buildings from antiquity on, but with particular reference to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Class activities will focus on the comparison of equivalent materials and trades between different cultures, and explore the transmission of skills, building processes and techniques from one to another.

View detailed information in the Handbook

In this subject, students will investigate the evolution of Australian environments, cities and architecture. The Subject introduces indigenous as well as colonial, post-colonial, modern, postmodern and regional architecture cultures from the late eighteenth through the early twenty-first century. Topics encompass the geographic, cultural, social, political, economic and material factors shaping environments and architecture in Australia, as well as the ways in which they have been conceptualised and at times contested in scholarship and professional practice. While working across Australia broadly, the subject focuses on Melbourne as a case study to more closely explore the dynamics of localised urban conditions, cultures and design responses. Students will learn to contextualise and to apply the knowledge gained through this subject from leading academics in Australian architectural history, historiography and heritage, and will undertake research in the field using primary and archival collections.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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.

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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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject offers an overview of architectural conservation in Asia from an international perspective. Through case studies and comparative analysis, the subject explores how heritage principles and policies play out across a range of cultural and geographic contexts, influenced by various Asian building traditions and cultural histories. The subject also interrogates how different cultural contexts have shaped heritage theory and practice across Asia. Using case studies from China, Japan, India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia this subject will explore:

• The Venice Charter, Burra Charter, the Nara Document on Authenticity, the Hoi An Protocols, and various laws and principles that guide the protection and management of heritage in Asia
• Asian cultural traditions and values, and how these shape practices of restoration and ideas of authenticity in heritage
• administration and legislation
• activism and civil society in Asia;
• tourism and overdevelopment;
• architecture of Asian diaspora communities in Australia

View detailed information in the Handbook

Representing Heritage examines how designers and professionals in the built environment and heritage fields observe, record, document, interpret and act upon sites of interest and significance. Discussions will range from the highly theoretical to the creative and the practical, with exposure to cutting edge digital practices and techniques.

Over the semester students will assemble a toolkit of theoretical and practical ways of thinking about spaces, places and buildings across time, and techniques for site representation, documentation and interpretation. The subject available to students from all Melbourne School of Design (MSD) majors with an interest in the heritage, history, memory and conservation of places.

The subject will include content from academic and professional guests delivered through on campus seminars and online additional material.

Assessments will include an individual reflective journal, an experimental group project which documents and interprets a site of the group’s choosing in Melbourne, and an individual critical reflection of this project. This subject will allow students to build on the core subjects in the M.UCH degree, and to augment design, history and theory-based subjects in the MSD programs.

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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.

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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.

50% of the assessment of this course comes from a creative work produced individually by students which reflects on, and engages with, themes explored in the course: cities, creativity, society, history, urbanity, and culture.

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

View detailed information in the Handbook

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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

The subject critically examines the contemporary and historical modes in which architecture engages with media. This subject will include a focus on Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in media, architectural history, game engines and experiencing virtual realms by identifying physical-virtual exchanges. The subject focuses on the theory and practice of image-making in architectural discourse specifically digital heritage using contemporary media technologies. It is structured into three parts: (1) lectures, readings and discussion, (2) fieldwork and collection of data using various modes of recording and scanning, (3) a workshop format where students apply theory to practice and create historical digital narratives using new software skills. Students will develop and present the outcomes of a workshop series within the subject, including a digital concept, a 3D model using AI and representations of that model in digital interactive and immersive environment, experimentation with VR, and the culmination of all previous assessments into an AI-assisted video narrative.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

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.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Realising The Knowledge Economy develops a holistic approach to the understanding and realisation of the urban knowledge economy, i.e., an urban development strategy that draws upon knowledge-intensive sectors and activities. In particular, the implications and impacts of this strategy in property development and management, the planning of housing and infrastructure, and the attraction of human capital and the (re)construction of our built environment will be critically discussed. The subject will cover the various theoretical bases for the centrality of knowledge to the performance of urban economies, these knowledge will be used to analyse different models of planning, development and management of key knowledge spaces. It will also cover how property, the labour market and our built environment react to a knowledge-based development strategy worldwide.

Adopting a student-led learning approach, this subject is designed to capitalise on the multi-disciplinary nature of the student cohort. It uses case studies, active discussions, interactive problem solving, scenario analysis, peer review and group work, among other teaching and learning activities. An essential part of this subject is a group fieldwork around Melbourne to collect data on selected innovation districts and precincts, which requires innovative applications of your learning

Incidental Cost

This subject involves site visit( field work). Students are required to pay for their own travel.

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The subject offers an overview of the issues facing design professionals in Asia from the mid- to late twentieth century when modernism had the greatest impact. Asian cities and lifestyles were transformed by design cultures of western origin, and architects became mediators of aesthetic influences, which they encouraged, adapted or resisted to varying degrees. In doing so, they engaged with questions of related to urbanisation and cultural change such as tradition, colonisation, nationalism, contested or dissonant heritage, war memory, and environmental consciousness that most impacted their societies. They responded through architecture to key concerns of their time.

Focusing on the lives and careers of the first generation of modern practitioners in South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, this subject provides a critical historical understanding of their design foci and inspirations, many of which continue to be relevant for architecture, urban design and planning and heritage practice. Students are asked to follow individual careers as they evolved in response to political and cultural changes such as decolonisation, nation building, consumerism and multiculturalism, and associated conflicts. How did design professionals like, architects, planners and urban and landscape designers negotiate their westernised professional education, the demands of specific localities, the pressure to maintain traditional forms of cultural heritage and their more personal approaches and perspectives? How did they apply visual, textual and pedagogical methods in disseminating their world views? What can we learn from their design strategies?

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The subject will focus on data related to all activities of a firm including design, documentation, contract administration and management.

• Through this elective students will research how practice based data and information can be identified, recovered and digitised.

• The subject will look at how both physical and digital data in architect’s offices can be managed for research purposes.

• The subject will explore a range of strategic, administrative, technical and digital methods related to the management of both research and archival data.

• The subject will link together concepts related to architectural practice, urban heritage, library studies, museum conservation and also the material and digital management of archives.

• Theories related to the digital transformation, IT management and knowledge management of architectural practices will be discussed.

• The subject will use contemporary (post 1970) architectural archives to explore how to best identify, recover and manage individual architectural archives for future research, exhibition and public access.
• The subject will prompt the following questions: As architectural work is increasingly digitised how can this work be archived for research and public purposes? What role should digital media play in recording the oral histories of architects? How should architectural practices managed both their digital and physical assets to ensure these are available for the future research

• The subject will bring together a broad range of disciplines various ABP academics, and practitioners, librarians, data managers and archivists.

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This subject investigates the diversity of marketing forms, practices and strategies used across the breadth of arts organisations. Students will explore a range of influential marketing 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 marketing. Topics include strategic marketing planning, branding, pricing and communications. Students will engage in an advanced study of scholarly approaches and contemporary debates in the field as well as applying marketing tools and techniques.

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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 will examine the economic and artistic origins of and rationales for these events in the context of a range of theoretical framings. Students will be asked to consider a variety of professional and critical approaches to evaluating these events, including programming and content analysis, audiences, creative labour, place-making strategies and the role of artistic directors. The influence of ritual, invented traditions and the carnivalesque in contemporary festival practices, along with the historical and political underpinning of festivals, will also be explored in order to appreciate the diverse range of interests that are served by such events and the social and political contexts within which they take place.

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In this subject, students explore issues relating to the preservation of culture that is held beyond large collecting institutions. Students will develop an understanding of how the epistemology of cultural maintenance manifests in a range of societal and cultural practices. Students engage with issues relating to context, disruption, authenticity, legal standing, development, reinvention, identity and minority status. Students will understand how a broad intellectual engagement and the promotion of ideas and interests operate to produce outcomes for people who may not be in a position to engage with large collecting institutions.

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This subject lays a critical foundation for effective professional practice as a preventive conservation conservator and steward for sustainable collection care.

In this subject, students critically evaluate current theories, international standards and processes for sustaining heritage collections, to create sustainable environments. Students engage with the environment, situated decision-making and values, technical processes, risk management strategies, the ten agents of deterioration, and stakeholder structures. Students examine continuity and change, and considers how these can be effectively communicated and mitigated in centralised and de-centralised collection contexts.

Off campus site visits are a regular activity for this subject, which may include visits to collection and conservation facilities, museums, galleries, library, archives and art centres.

View detailed information in the Handbook