Contemporary Architectural Theory

Undergraduate | 2026

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Mode icon
Mode
Mode
Your studies will be on-campus, and may include some online delivery
On campus
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Area/Catalogue
ARCH 2000
Course ID icon
Course ID
200805
Campus icon
Campus
Adelaide City Campus West
Level of study
Level of study
Undergraduate
Unit value icon
Unit value
6
Course owner
Course owner
Architecture and Building
Course level icon
Course level
2
Work Integrated Learning course
Work Integrated Learning course
No
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Inbound study abroad and exchange
Inbound study abroad and exchange
The fee you pay will depend on the number and type of courses you study.
Yes
University-wide elective icon
University-wide elective course
Yes
Single course enrollment
Single course enrolment
Yes
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Note:
Course data is interim and subject to change

Course overview

The course will equip students with knowledge of modernity both as a cultural transformation extending back to 18th century ideas of progress, scientific rationality and historical consciousness and as an artistic/architectural discourse unfolding in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Modernity was a radical re-questioning of all traditional concepts of program, construction and aesthetics, parallel to an unprecedented social, urban and technological transformation. As such it is both a theory and a history course based upon the conviction that the two are tightly complementary. Proceeding along a thematic as well as chronological ordering of the material, students will be introduced to significant architects, works and ideas, presented within the broader cultural, historical and political circumstances. Students will analyse relevant criticism and scholarship, employing different research methods, and demonstrate critical evaluation in academic writing tasks. This course aligns with the programs intent to critically engage students with diverse historical, theoretical and cultural perspectives on design to prepare for global practice.

  • Module 1
  • Module 2
  • Module 3

Course learning outcomes

  • Identify and critically examine key projects, designers, design theories, and movements in architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design since the twentieth century, situating them within global and cultural contexts.
  • Interpret and analyse design theories and forms within their historical, cultural, and environmental contexts, demonstrating their responses to societal and technological changes.
  • Explore and evaluate the contributions of architects, designers, and theorists to the development of architectural and design practices.
  • Investigate the cultural and ideological practices embedded in architectural and design theories, reflecting on their implications for envisioning inclusive and sustainable futures.
  • Evaluate diverse scholarly sources and synthesise insights to construct clear, analytical arguments supported by graphical and textual communication methods.
  • Develop and apply academic writing skills to articulate informed critical positions, adhering to established scholarly conventions.

Prerequisite(s)

N/A

Corequisite(s)

N/A

Antirequisite(s)

N/A

Degree list
The following degrees include this course