The module aims to:

1.Demonstrate students’ ability to pursue an independent and coherent line of investigation leading to either an architectural or urban design project, specifically on housing.
2.Provide students with the knowledge and skills to be able to place their work within a wider cultural context that identifies the key technical, environmental social, legal, political, and economic implications for the project.
3.Enhance students’ ability to systematically and thoroughly test and develop a housing related architectural/urban design argument, incorporating diverse and complex design variables.
4.Provide students with the knowledge and skills to undertake a range of complex design-based investigations leading to a comprehensive visual, written and oral presentation.

Projects are asked to determine a particular housing type as a starting point for design and a way to analyse the urban, social, technical, economical, and political variab les for the development. A first round of research and exploration is undertaken in groups to determine different housing types, and their potential to tackle complex urban variables. Thesis projects (developed in groups or individually) based on this first exploration will be developed into a specific urban housing plan or architectural proposition. Students submit drawings, reports and models/constructions that are presented to review panels for open forum discussion. Visiting experts engaged in professional practice or academia bring an external (often international) perspective to the area of study.

(LO1) Ability to evaluate how housing design (in all scale: dwelling to city) impacts and is impacted by economy, culture, politics, and socio-economic factors; which is essential to demonstrate innovative design solutions, addressing a complex set of factors including but not limited to the social, environmental, technical, spatial challenges.

(LO2) Ability to assess various types and modes of housing developments and regulatory contexts to demonstrate the understanding of the way they shape residential environments and city living in all scales.

(LO3) Ability to establish a productive and practical relationship between research and design, understanding the role of housing research (historical or contemporary) in private and public sector.

(S1) Ability to assess how innovation is achieved in housing design in its complexity and testing these approaches against regulatory frameworks such as RIBA ARB guidelines of sustainability (materials, construction, energy performance); and life safety.

(S2) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Presentation skills – oral.

(S3) Critical thinking and problem solving - Creative thinking.

The Housing Types and Context Studio is developed by students under the guidance of tutors building on previous semester’s work in ARCH 751 (Housing Design Crisis Studio) where students have developed a critical position in relation to a form of urban crisis in our housing production today. A study trip to see exemplary housing projects with a visiting tutor and module staff forms a catalyst for the design project.

The project will consist of an architectural/urban design exploration, that specifically tackles a housing type, pursued as a coherent line of investigation from briefing analysis to comprehensive design drawings. The housing design projects developed by students must show an understanding of their wider cultural, social, environmental context and the legal and economic frameworks in which they will be developed. Projects must show an understanding of stakeholders involved in their design production and the relationship between design and ownership structures . The stakeholder groups can be from private and public sectors alike, including regulators, developers, housing managers and residents. The typological design investigation must address the housing projects in different scales and challenge questions around public-private boundaries, functional distributions, environmental performance, amongst others.

Students will be able to pursue their own research agenda leading to a design project. Visiting experts alongside University of Liverpool based housing academics will bring critical agendas to lead the focus of the projects. The design process will be accompanied by additional lectures and discussion sessions involving leading housing specialists from practice and academia including historians, architects, environmental designers, planners, social scientists, etc.

Guests from esteemed professional practice, academia, and stakeholder groups with non-architectural backgrounds, alongside the tutors will analyse the students 19; proposals throughout the semester. Tutorials will be conducted individually or in group sessions at weekly intervals. Two critical reviews take place during the duration of the project. A series of open presentations and collaborative design discussions will be scheduled for students to analyse their project in stages, succinctly encompassing the principle briefing and design features of their design project so that their level of control over the process is clearly demonstrated. The final project will be presented primarily in graphic form including appropriate drawings, montages, digital and physical models. Formative assessment takes place towards the end of the project but several weeks prior to final submission.

All lectures will be captured. Handouts will be delivered at the beginning of selected sessions for guidance. All materials including reading lists (essential and recommended) and lectures will be available online on Canvas.

Formative assessment takes place towards the project's end but several weeks before final submission.
Final deliverables will be combined in a portfolio which demonstrates the students understanding of various modes of communication that is required to convey their housing design. The portfolio items will include 15-30 pieces. The authentic assessment is ensured by the presentation of the portfolio. The presentation of the portfolio can materialise in one of different forms such as website, exhibition, pamphlet design handbook, varied to suit the students’ project or the studio brief . The deliverables are calibrated to fit a balanced workload and comparability. Students will gain confidence through their conversations with different experts and discuss their work during tutorials and in midterm and final reviews. Therefore, the six hallmarks and attributes of the University of Liverpool Curriculum 2026 will be met, while student employability will be enhanced by acquiring key criteria for the develo pment of their own research-led design projects to be delivered by the third term of the Housing MSc programme. Paving their way to ARCH723 (3rd term 60 credit module), students will be able to debate their findings and ideas in small group tutorials, besides discussing the appropriate methodologies to shape their research led design agendas, as well as getting formative feedback in Q&A sessions.

Teaching Method 1 – Tutorial
Attendance Recorded: Yes
Description: Most weekly sessions through the semester will be structured as tutorials. The one-hour session will be formatted as workshops, in which the students will have the opportunity to discuss their project and presentation, including topics, methods, locations and other related issues. One of these workshops might include a visit to a selected site inside or outside the UK (depending on circumstances). In addition, professional experts will be invited to discuss real-world related cases/issues with the students in some of these workshops.
Description of how self-directed learning hours may be used: Students will be directed to reading lists and additional sources and information on Canvas and other digital online material. Students will be encouraged to choose and develop their own case studies for the coursework and presentation.

Teaching Method 1/a – Group Learning
The studio will c onsist of discussions in small groups throughout the semester. Their length may vary from year-to-year and will be identified in their yearly renewed studio brief. Though assessed individually, group discussions will enable the generation of new ideas and learning from peers. Tutorials in this case will be given to the student group.

Teaching Method 2 - Seminars
Attendance Recorded: Yes
Description: The studio will include reading seminars (workshops) introducing key topics in the module. Punctual lectures and presentations will be given by tutors, guest or students. These will be followed by a seminar session.
Description of how self-directed learning hours may be used: Students will be directed to reading lists and additional sources and information on Canvas and other digital online material.

Teaching Method 3 - Reviews (shown as formative feedback in table)
Attendance Recorded: Yes
Description: The studio will include two critique sessions with ext ernal reviewers. These sessions will help analyse the students’ proposals; students’ presentations will be followed by a Q&A session.
Description of how self-directed learning hours may be used: Students will be encouraged to keep track of comments and follow up with discussions with their peers.

Teaching Method 4 - Field Work
Attendance Recorded: Yes
Description: A mandatory filed trip(s) will take place with additional optional visit to sites/places of interest pertinent to their project aims.
In the case of the mandatory field trip, if additional travel costs occur, local alternatives to the trip will be provided.

The majority of teaching will be delivered face to face on campus. Online delivery will be used to complement the on-campus delivery and where technology affords a better learning experience