1

Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and

City Development

Chair of Urban Design

Urban design and development
MSc Program

Module
for
Urban Design Studio II
(URPD 6202)

Sustainable Urban Design (SUD)

By

Tibebu Assefa(PhD)

February, 2018

AAU-EiABC: Chair of Urban Design-Urban Design Studio II(URPD 6800) 2018 Tibebu Assefa
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ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY-EIABC

Post Graduate Program/MS.C. in Urban Design and Development
URPD 6202: Semester-II-URBAN DESIGN STUDIO II- Sustainable Urban
Design-10 ECTS
2018: Tibebu Assefa (Ph.D).
February 25, 2018
COURSE CONTENT
Module One: Sustainable Urban Design (SUD)
Unit I: Introduction
Overview
 Reflective Activities
Unit II: Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD)
 Overview
 Water & the urban environment
 Methods & techniques
 Technologies
 Demonstrative projects
 Design & Reflective Activities
Unit III: Climate Sensitive Urban Design (CSUD)
 Overview
 Climate & the urban environment
 Methods & techniques
 Technologies
 Demonstrative projects
 Design & Reflective Activities
Unit IV: Ecological Urban Design (EUD)
 Overview
 Nature & the urban environment
 Methods & techniques
 Technologies
 Demonstrative projects
 Design & Reflective Activities
Unit V: Energy Sensitive Urban Design (ESUD)
 Overview
 Energy & the urban environment
 Methods & techniques
 Technologies
 Demonstrative projects
 Design & Reflective Activities
Module Two: Geo-Space Urban Design (GSUD)
 Overview
 Underground space & the over ground urban environment
 Methods & techniques
 Technologies
 Demonstrative projects
 Design & Reflective Activities

AAU-EiABC: Chair of Urban Design-Urban Design Studio II(URPD 6800) 2018 Tibebu Assefa
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ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY-EIABC
Post Graduate Program/MS.C. in Urban Design and Development
URPD 6202: Semester-II-URBAN DESIGN STUDIO II- Sustainable Urban Design-10 ECTS
2018: Tibebu Assefa (Ph.D).
February 25, 2018

COURSE OUTLINE
Year/Semester 2018/Semester II

Month Feb March April May June

Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Date 27 1 6 8 13 15 20 22 27 29 3 5 10 12 17 19 24 26 1 3 8 10 15 17 22 24 29 31 5 7 12 14

1 Module-I:SUD

1.1 Review + Present R R S

Semester Project Site
1.2 Module-II:WSUD

Review+ Present R R S
Adaptive Project P
Semester Project-1 S
1.3 Module-III:CSUD

Review+ Present R R S
Adaptive Project P
Semester Project-2 S
1.4 Module-IV:EUD

Review+ Present R R S
Adaptive Project P
Semester Project-3 S
1.5 Module-V:ESUD

Review +Present R R S
Adaptive Project P
Semester Project-4 S
2 Module-VI:GSUD

Review + Present R R S
Semester Project-5 S O O O O FSP
R=Review; S=Submission; P= Presentation; O-Overlap ; FSP= Final Submission & Presentation

AAU-EiABC

AAU-EiABC: Chair of Urban Design-Urban Design Studio II(URPD 6800) 2018 Tibebu Assefa
 4
ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY-EIABC
Post Graduate Program/MS.C. in Urban Design and Development
URPD 6202: Semester-II-URBAN DESIGN STUDIO II- Sustainable Urban Design-10 ECTS
2018: Tibebu Assefa (Ph.D).
February 25, 2018

1. Semester Project
 Site:
o Using draw system, choose a new emerging town from the availed town list provided by Emerging City
Laboratory (ECL).
 Size:
o 10-15 hectares/ as decided by the ECL.
 Analysis:
o Based on your Studio I experience, analyze the site for natural, man-made and socioeconomic features.
o The natural should at least hold location map, contextual analysis, topographic analysis, slope analysis, aspect
analysis, watershed analysis, vegetation analysis, soil analysis, geological analysis, existing land use analysis,
space syntax analysis, suitability analysis, microclimate analysis, view shed analysis, water analysis, and energy
analysis, waste and emission analysis (read about Urban Metabolism).
o The man made should at least hold the upcoming street pattern, open space, land blocking, plot, building
blocking, land use, building use, aesthetic(proportion, massing, color), landscape, and water, energy, climate
and ecological technologies applications that achieve sustainability.
o The socioeconomic should at least hold the upcoming population, economic and social achievements with
before and after analysis and/or the availed datasets or stipulated size by ECL.
 Presentation:
o There will be intermediate and final presentation per each module. The intermediate presentations aim to
check your progress and response to the respective module objective. Block model, PPT, animation, textual
and graphical presentations are mandatory.
 Assessment:
o Intermediate presentations per each module -5% for each (30%); Final presentation-70%.

AAU-EiABC: Chair of Urban Design-Urban Design Studio II(URPD 6800) 2018 Tibebu Assefa
 5

ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY-EIABC

Post Graduate Program/MS.C. in Urban Design and Development
URPD 6202: Semester-II-URBAN DESIGN STUDIO II- Sustainable Urban Design-10 ECTS
2018: Tibebu Assefa (Ph.D).
February 25, 2018

Module One: Sustainable Urban Design(SUD) Introduction Tibebu Assefa

3. Demonstrative Adaptive Projects

 Description:
o The WSUD, ESUD, CSUD, EUD, and GSUD have their own technologies to ensure sustainability. Reviewing all these
technologies and using your ingenuity, you are required to select one technology, design and work out practically inside
EiABC campus as a demonstration project in one to one scale or miniature of it. For any help you need, you can
approach the Institute’s workshop, soil lab, material lab, and Protolab or the research, consultancy and publishing
director and the scientific director or/and other campuses of the university.
 Group Formation:
o Make a group with one of your colleague.
 Assessment:
o There will be 4 demonstrative adoptive projects (WSUD, ESUD, CSUD, EUD) for the whole semester as shown in the
schedule above. Each adoptive project will have a value of 15% and the total will be changed to 60%.

2. Reflective Activities
 Description:
o For each module, selected books/journals/articles shall be provided for on-spot review. You are required to review
the selected readings thoroughly and present to your colleagues. Try to apply the knowledge, skill and attitude you
get from the selected review on your semester project. Hard and soft copy of each module review must be
submitted according to the schedule shown above after being synchronized in a well formatted A4 size paper.
 Assessment:
o Each review and presentation will have a value of 5% and the total will be changed to 40%.

AAU-EiABC: Chair of Urban Design-Urban Design Studio II(URPD 6800) 2018 Tibebu Assefa
 6
ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY-EIABC
Post Graduate Program/MS.C. in Urban Design and Development
URPD 6202: Semester-II-URBAN DESIGN STUDIO II- Sustainable Urban Design-10 ECTS
2018: Tibebu Assefa (Ph.D).
February 25, 2018

Module One: Sustainable Urban Design(SUD) Introduction Tibebu Assefa

1. Module Introduction
In a city, many factors shape the urban settlement. But, the major factors are microclimate, energy, water, food, waste and emissions.
Understanding these factors thoroughly helps to make the city livable and sustainable. Neglecting these factors decreases the quality of the
urban environment. In the history of urbanization, the problem of most cities for their shrinking and eventual death is mainly related to scarcity
of natural resources. Utilizing on site resources wisely using the available or new technologies needs understanding of what potential the site
has, how can it be utilized integrated to the buildings, where can it be tapped, etc. Therefore, sustainable urban design helps to identify on-site
resources to create long lasting cities. Hence, this module lays a base upon which the subsequent design process proceeds.

2. Module Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this Module, you will be able to
 Understand what sustainable urban design is
 Identify components of sustainable urban design
 Design new city out of a virgin land sensitive to energy, water, food, climate and space.
 Select a suitable site for your project.
 Prepare yourself for doing demonstrative projects to achieve sustainability.

3. Review
Read the selected books/journals/articles according to the assigned pages/ numbers. Use the format and compile to prepare the final review by
writing a paragraph not more than half a page.

AAU-EiABC: Chair of Urban Design-Urban Design Studio II(URPD 6800) 2018 Tibebu Assefa
 7
ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY-EIABC
Post Graduate Program/MS.C. in Urban Design and Development
URPD 6202: Semester-II-URBAN DESIGN STUDIO II- Sustainable Urban Design-10 ECTS
2018: Tibebu Assefa (Ph.D).
February 25, 2018

Module One: Sustainable Urban Design(SUD) Introduction Tibebu Assefa

4. Outcome
For each module, you are required to design street network and blocking responding the respective sensitive issue-food, water, energy,
comfort and space for the given city.

5. References
Brebbia, C.A., Martin-Duque, J.F. and Wadhwa, L.C. (eds)(2002).The sustainable city II-urban regeneration and sustainability.WIT
Press:Southampton.
Droege, P.(2006).The renewable city- a comprehensive guide to urban revolution. Wiley-Academy:West Sussex.
Farr, D. (2008). Sustainable Urbanism –Urban Design with Nature. John Wiley and Sons:New Jersey.
Golany, G.S. and Ojima, T. (1996).Geo-Space Urban Design.John Wiley and Sons: New York.
Mostafavi, M. and Doherty, G.(eds)(?).Ecological Urbanism. Lars Muller publishers: Harvard University.
Palazzo, D. and Steiner,F.(2011).Urban Ecological Design –a process for regenerative places.Island Press:Washington.

‘We cannot solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.’
Albert Einstine.
‘The measurable is only a servant of the unmeasurable and ideally the two world be developed together.’
Louis Kahan
‘A city should be designed to make its people secure and happy.’
Aristotle

AAU-EiABC: Chair of Urban Design-Urban Design Studio II(URPD 6800) 2018 Tibebu Assefa