SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN

Centre for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia (MASSA)

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Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Architecture / (Architecture)

Module : FOOD AND CULTURE [CLS60203]

Prerequisite : None
Credit hours :3
Instructor : Nicholas Ng (nicholasngkw@gmail.com; nicholaskhoonwu.ng@taylors.edu.my)
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Module Learning
Assessment Components Weightage Submission
Outcomes (MLO)

Assignment 1A Individual 1, 2 10% Week 6

Assignment 1B Group 1, 2 30% Week 6

Assignment 2 Individual 2, 3 60% Week 13

Introduction

Food and Culture is an elective module which aims to examine and explore how the act of food
preparation and consumption influences spaces and place-making in architecture through the act of
research and on site experiences. The emphasis is on the processes of experiencing, capturing,
diagramming, and identifying the spatial relationship of food culture within the community that shape
its identity and of their built environment.

Objectives

The objectives of the assignments are as follows:

To examine and explore how the act of food preparation and consumption influences spaces and
place-making in architecture, through the act of research and on site experiences.

Learning Outcomes

1. Write a short research proposal

2. Document food culture in relation to architecture and the built environment.
3. Experience and interpret observations onto analytical diagrams and visual presentation.

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Tasks - Methodology

Assignment 1 (Consists of two parts): - 40%

A: Research Proposal (10%)
B: Experience and Capture – Documentation of Observations and Findings (30%)

Submission Date: 4th May, WEEK 6

Assignment 1A: Research Proposal (10%)

In preparation for the field trip, you are to develop a proposal of maximum 2 A4 pages. You are to
choose an aspect of food culture within a community that you are interested in. The following are
some possible themes which you may select:
• Food ingredients: Architectural space and place for the act of gathering ingredient for food
preparation (wet market, farmers market, supermarkets, mobile markets)
• Food preparation: Architectural space and place making that provided the act of preparing
food; washing, cutting and cooking (kitchen, back lane, open space)
• Food consumption: Architectural space and place for the act of eating food (indoor dining,
alfresco dining, formal and informal dining, religious dining/ food offering)

You may select and develop from the list above. Alternatively, you may also produce your own
topic/focus area. Discuss this with your tutor prior to the site visit. This proposal must contain the
following:
1. Title
2. Main research question (What do you want to explore?)
3. Objectives (2 – 3) (What do you want to achieve?)
4. Significance (Why are you doing this?)
5. Methods and expected outcomes (How are you doing this? What is your expected outcome?
E.g. video-recording, poster, postcards etc)

Submission Requirement: Research proposal - Maximum 2 (Two) A4 pages

Assignment 1B: Experience & Capture – Documentation of Observations and

Findings (30%)
This group assignment will be undertaken during the site visit. It involves a documentation process by
which you are required to collect and collate as much data as you could, relating to your chosen
topic/theme. The documentation will be in the form of: photographs, transcripts and/or video
recordings. You are required to complete a pre-tour research on your selected topic and act as an
architectural tour guide for your classmate during the trip.

Submission Requirement: This is a group assignment and the recordings, documentation and
findings during the site visit shall be translated into a Powerpoint Presentation or Video
Presentation

Assignment 2: Interpretation & Analysis: - 60%

Submission Date: 22nd June, WEEK 13

The aim of this assignment is to translate your research into a visual representation. This assignment
will be carried out upon return from your study tour. You are required to analyse and interpret the
documentation you have gathered in the study tour. The final document shall be a compilation of your
research proposal, analyses and interpretation of your research topic.

Submission Requirement: A printed colour A5 perfect bound booklet with min. 16 (sixteen) pages.

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Marks and Grading Table (Revised as per Programme Guide 2013)

Assessments and grades will be returned within two weeks of your submission. You will be given
grades and necessary feedback for each submission. The grading system is shown below:

Grade
Grade Marks Definition Description
Points

Evidence of original thinking; demonstrated outstanding capacity to

A 80 –100 4.00 Excellent analyze and synthesize; outstanding grasp of module matter; evidence
of extensive knowledge base.

Evidence of good grasp of module matter; critical capacity and

A- 75 – 79 3.67 Very Good analytical ability; understanding of relevant issues; evidence of
familiarity with the literature.

B+ 70 – 74 3.33 Evidence of grasp of module matter; critical capacity and analytical

Good ability, reasonable understanding of relevant issues; evidence of
B 65 – 69 3.00 familiarity with the literature.

B- 60 – 64 2.67

Evidence of some understanding of the module matter; ability to

C+ 55 – 59 2.33 Pass develop solutions to simple problems; benefitting from his/her
university experience.

C 50 – 54 2.00

D+ 47 – 49 1.67

Evidence of nearly but not quite acceptable familiarity with module

D 44 – 46 1.33 Marginal Fail
matter, weak in critical and analytical skills.

D- 40 – 43 1.00

Insufficient evidence of understanding of the module matter; weakness

F 0 – 39 0.00 Fail
in critical and analytical skills; limited or irrelevant use of the literature.

Withdrawn from a module before census date, typically mid-semester

WD - - Withdrawn
[refer to Description 1 below].

Withdrawn after census date, typically mid-semester

F(W) 0 0.00 Fail
[refer to Description 2 below].

An interim notation given for a module where a student has not

IN - - Incomplete completed certain requirements with valid reason or it is not possible to
finalise the grade by the published deadline.

P - - Pass Given for satisfactory completion of practicum.

Given for a module where attendance is for information only without

AU - - Audit
earning academic credit.

Description 1: Week 3 to week 7 (inclusive) for long semester, or week 3 to week 5 (inclusive) for
short
semester. A short semester is less than 14 weeks. Not applicable for audit and internship.

Description 2: After week 7 for long semester, or after week 5 for short semester. A short semester is
less than 14 weeks. Not applicable for audit and internship.

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Suggested References

1. Eugene N.A., “Everyone Eats : Understanding Food and Culture”, New York University Press,
New York, 2005
2. Carole C. & Penny V. E., “Food and Culture : A Reader”, Routledge, New York, 2008
3. Alice Y. H. , “At the South-East Asian Table”, Oxford University Press, New York, 1996

Prepared by: Checked by: Approved by:

Nicholas Ng Keith Tan Kay Hin Mohd Adib Ramli

……………………………. ……………………………. …………………………….

Date: 19/3/2018 Date:22/3/2018 Date: 29/3/2018
Email: nicholaskhoonwu.ng@taylors.edu.my Stream Coordinator Programme Director

Remarks:
1. The Project Brief is to be distributed to the students in the first week of the semester.
2. Any changes to the Project Brief shall be communicated (in writing) to the Programme Director
and the approved revised version must be communicated to the students

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