beil Built Environment Interdisciplinary Learning Never Stand Still
Built Environment
BEIL BUILT ENVIRONMENT INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING For the past four decades UNSW Australia’s Faculty of Built Environment has produced graduates in Architecture, Planning, Construction and Design who have shaped our urban landscapes with their ingenuity and creativity, working within interdisciplinary frameworks. As a faculty, Built Environment is committed to building a collaborative teaching and research environment in order to provide an interdisciplinary setting for our students and future leaders of our disciplines.
BEIL WITHIN THE FACULTY In 2013, the Built Environment Interdisciplinary Learning (BEIL) initiative was introduced in all undergraduate Built Environment programs. This initiative values and embeds interdisciplinary learning as a core experience in research and teaching by fostering collaboration across all the disciplines of the faculty. We have always valued interdisciplinary learning in this faculty, now through this initiative, all students will have the opportunity to experience it. BEIL is a unique offering which distinguishes the faculty as a leader in the field in the area of interdisciplinary learning. It involves seniorlevel undergraduate students, in real world experiences, working together as they prepare for practice, conduct research, participate in collaborative community projects and publically exhibit their work.
HOW CAN YOU BECOME INVOLVED? There are many opportunities for external partners to become involved in this initiative in ways that are mutually beneficial and we welcome suggestions for projects you may have to offer. If this interests you, the initiative summary in the following pages will assist you in identifying where your project might fit and who to contact.
Initiative Structure The interdisciplinary initiative consists of four streams of courses. Together these streams provide a range of interdisciplinary learning opportunities, including:
1. BE DESIGN COMPETITION The central course in this stream is an annual design competition sponsored by an external partner, offering projects of local, national and international scope.
2. ENGAGEMENT - LOCAL AND GLOBAL This stream includes BEOutThere!, as well as international studios and other engagement projects.
3. BE INQUIRY / RESEARCH This stream includes courses with encourage a scholarly approach to practice, exposing students to contemporary built environment research.
4. PREPARATION FOR PRACTICE This stream includes courses supporting professional practice and projects tailored to support the development of speciďŹ c professional skills and knowledge.
BE Design
COMPETITION
Competition courses are intense, demanding a high degree of cooperation and innovation in a very short time frame. They are an excellent vehicle for interdisciplinary collaboration. The BE Annual Design Competition is envisioned as an opportunity for students to work on complex ‘real life’ projects within multidisciplinary teams with leading design and industry professionals and community partners. It is an opportunity for both students and the faculty to interact with the design profession and community partners and to showcase the faculty’s work to these peers. These projects will push the boundaries of collaborative innovation and build new mutually beneficial partnerships between the faculty and industry partners. Do you have an idea for a competition?
CONTACT Rina Bernabei r.bernabei@unsw.edu.au
ENGAGEMENT Local & Global
Community based projects give students insight into the lives of different social and cultural groups. These projects broaden students’ understanding of people and their needs alongside developing their professional skills. The faculty has a long history of involvement in community based built environment projects both nationally and internationally. Courses in this stream include the BEOutThere! electives which focus on issues identiďŹ ed by a community group, on a real site, requiring students to work with community clients to generate a built environment response. These projects provide students with a community context which allows them to connect their academic coursework to their roles as citizens; engender civic responsibility; and heighten their social awareness. Suggestions for new projects are always welcome!
CONTACT A/Professor Linda Corkery l.corkery@unsw.edu.au
BE: INQUIRY / RESEARCH
Many of the most challenging contemporary built environment issues and problems require interdisciplinary solutions which are evidence-based. This stream provides a platform for those projects. External partners and BE industries may be interested in having senior-level students conduct research as a training exercise for the students and for the beneďŹ t of their business or industry. Such examples could include running focus groups for a product, plan or policy, completing in-depth interviews for historical documentation, conducting larger scale survey processes for city-design projects. The faculty is always open to new research project ideas and collaborations.
CONTACT Dr Nancy Marshall n.marshall@unsw.edu.au
Preparation for
PRACTICE Close to graduation, senior students need to start orienting themselves to the next step. The BEIL Practice Stream provides a nexus between the university education and practice. Through a suite of courses students are invited to learn professional processes through the emulation of current practice models as well as their critique. The stream is seeking teaching collaborations with practitioners, regulatory institutions, affiliated media and industry groups. Students may, for example, participate in studios led by professionals; study and interpret regulatory frameworks; document and interpret significant/emerging projects; reflect on the limitations of practice and speculate as to future possibilities. Do you want to be a partner in these projects?
CONTACT Dr Maryam Gusheh m.gusheh@unsw.edu.au
Built Environment Interdisciplinary Learning (BEIL) is a new faculty-wide undergraduate initiative in 2013, in the faculty of Built Environment, UNSW Australia. Interdisciplinary learning has always been valued in this faculty and it is now a core component in all seven undergraduate degree programs. Through this initiative all students have the opportunity to experience working with students and staff from other disciplines in the faculty, and sharing their disciplinary knowledge and skills.
CONTACT Dr Kate Bishop BEIL Director k.bishop@unsw.edu.au
The University of New South Wales Faculty of Built Environment Sydney NSW 2052 Australia T: +61 (2) 9385 4799 E: fbe@unsw.edu.au W: be.unsw.edu.au DISCLAIMER: While the faculty of Built Environment, UNSW Australia has attempted to make the information in this brochure as accurate as possible. There is no guarantee given as to the accuracy or currency of this material. Please conďŹ rm all information with BEIL Program Director. CRISCOS: 00098G REFERENCES: F Front ront cover image and image 1 Š Adrian Boddy Photography