Campus Experience

• Attendance is required at scheduled activities including studios and tutorials to complete components of the course.
• Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including studios and tutorials will not be available as recordings.
• The course will not include live online events.
• Attendance on campus is required for the presentations.
• The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

DESIGN 215 is delivered through a 12-week, studio-based, community-engaged teaching model grounded in kaupapa Māori and Pacific learning methods and aligned with the Transdisciplinary Vertically Integrated Project (TVIP) framework.

Teaching and learning are grounded in relational learning methods, reflecting Māori and Pacific approaches to knowledge production that emphasise whanaungatanga, reciprocity, collective responsibility, and learning through relationship. Knowledge is approached as situated, relational, and accountable to community, rather than abstract or purely individual. 

Weekly teaching consists of three hours of studio-based contact time, combining short lectures, facilitated kōrero, workshops, guest contributions, peer critique, and feedback. Learning occurs primarily through studio activity, supported by structured out of class research and reflection. 

The course is explicitly research-based. Students are taught to: 

• engage critically with academic literature
• explore secondary data sources, including policy, regulatory, environmental, and demographic data
• understand community-engaged and kaupapa-informed research practices
• translate research insights into culturally responsive design strategies

Studio teaching supports the integration of research and design through learning methods that include guided inquiry, data documentation and visualisation, regulatory interpretation, co-design techniques, and iterative prototyping. 

Teaching and learning are organised into three interrelated stages, each aligned with assessment tasks and progressively building toward the applied research project.

• Stage One: Contextual Inquiry and Reflexive Practice Early learning focuses on whakapapa, positionality, and ethical responsibility in relation to land, community, and housing. Through guided readings, reflective writing, studio discussion, and creative inquiry, students examine their own community positioning and engage with kaupapa Māori, Pacific frameworks, and Treaty obligations. This stage establishes shared values and relational foundations for collaborative work.
• Stage Two: Research and Analysis Mid-semester learning emphasises applied research capability. Students learn methods for gathering, analysing, and interpreting regulatory, policy, environmental, and systems-level data relevant to papakāinga and Pacific housing contexts. Studio activities support translating research findings into visual, spatial, and analytical formats that inform design decision-making.
•  Stage Three: Applied Research Design and Synthesis: Vertically integrated student teams apply community-engaged and kaupapa-informed learning methods to develop an applied research output that integrates research evidence, cultural frameworks, and design responses addressing community needs.

Students learn to work in cross-year, cross-disciplinary teams, developing skills in collaboration, leadership, communication, and conflict negotiation. Teaching explicitly supports relational teamwork consistent with Māori and Pacific values, including accountability to one another and to collective outcomes. Tuakana–teina relationships are fostered through group structure and studio facilitation, reflecting the TVIP model. 

Attendance and active participation are essential. Each session builds skills and knowledge required for assessment completion and collective progress. Sustained engagement in studio activity, research tasks, group work, critique, and feedback processes is fundamental to achieving learning outcomes and to maintaining the relational integrity of the course.

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

BYOD - All students enrolled in a Bachelor of Design or Design conjoint degree should come to class with their own laptop or tablet with design software like Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, or other co-design tools. The specifications for a laptop are listed here.

Students also typically need a mix of physical and digital materials to engage with hands-on design processes and collaboration. These include:

• Sketchbooks and notebooks for brainstorming, ideation, and sketching ideas.
• Pens, pencils, markers, and other drawing tools for creating visual representations and quick prototypes.
• Post-it notes and paper for group work, especially during workshops or collaborative sessions.
• Basic prototyping materials such as cardboard, tape, scissors, and glue, for creating tangible models or mockups.
• Access to shared digital platforms for collaborative work and project management.

These materials support Co-Design's collaborative, iterative nature, enabling creativity in the design process.

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license. You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

• Honesty - in all aspects of research work
• Accountability - in the conduct of research
• Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
• Good stewardship – on behalf of others
• Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
• Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Two-Lane Approach to assessments: The University has introduced a two-lane approach to clarify the conditions under which students may use AI in assessment tasks.

Lane 1: Graded assessment undertaken in controlled conditions. By default, AI is restricted. In specified circumstances, students may be permitted to use certain AI tools.

Lane 2: Graded or ungraded assessment undertaken in uncontrolled conditions. Students may use AI to assist them, and this use is not restricted.

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

A class representative prioritises values to foster a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Key attributes include embodying respect and integrity, demonstrating cultural awareness, and possessing strong communication skills as a class leader. They should be approachable and responsive to classmates' needs, advocating for diverse perspectives and communicating with teachers. By embracing these qualities, a class representative can create a collaborative atmosphere that reflects the aspirations of all students and develop valuable rangatiratanga and leadership skills.

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor. Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Where a student faces unavoidable personal circumstances (e.g. illness or a death in the family) that mean the student is unable to submit a component of coursework, they may apply for an extension. Requests for extensions of time must be submitted and approved using the Extension of Time Application form available on Canvas.

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.