Course Title: Design sustainable buildings

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2019

Course Code: ARCH5225

Course Title: Design sustainable buildings

School: 320T Architecture & Urban Design

Campus: City Campus

Program: C6161 - Advanced Diploma of Building Design (Architectural)

Course Contact: Catherine Ciavarella

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 9819

Course Contact Email: catherine.ciavarella@rmit.edu.au

Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 90

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

This course of competency specifies the outcomes required to apply the principles of sustainability to building design. It includes the application of sustainable practices to minimise negative impacts of the construction process and land use on the environment, incorporate passive design, sustainable water use and energy efficiency into a building design and select suitable materials for the construction of the building. It requires compliance with relevant legislation, Australian Standards and the Building Code of Australia (BCA).

National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:	VU22460 Design sustainable buildings
Element:	1 Determine the impacts of building development on the natural environment
Performance Criteria:	1.1 Impacts of building development on surrounding ecosystems are researched to identify the benefits of sound environmental policy. 1.2 Triple Bottom Line approaches are determined for consideration in the designing of buildings. 1.3 Current government and industry responses to Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) are researched and representative organisations for ESD are identified to ascertain current policies and legislation.
Element:	2 Incorporate sustainable criteria into building design
Performance Criteria:	2.1 Location, specific climates and their characteristics are identified and their impact on building design is researched to inform the design. 2.2 Basic principles and integration for building orientation, minimal site impact, thermal mass, insulation, glass exposure and ventilation are determined to maximise integration of sustainable design principles in the design. 2.3 Site influences and sun path are considered to maximise opportunities for passive heating and cooling. 2.4 Passive design principles are incorporated into a design project. 2.5 Sustainable site development practices are included in design specifications. 2.6 Appropriate form of construction is selected and documented according to client brief and specifications.
Element:	3 Select sustainable materials
Performance Criteria:	3.1 Characteristics of sustainable materials are identified and analysed to inform material selection. 3.2 Sustainability of a range of building materials is compared and suitable materials are selected for a specific building design in accordance with current legislation and the BCA.
Element:	4 Incorporate systems for sustainable water use
Performance Criteria:	4.1 Systems for water collection, storage, use and re-use are incorporated into building design in accordance with relevant legislation and local restrictions. 4.2 Alternative systems for reticulated water and effluent disposal are investigated and described. 4.3 Strategies to prevent run-off are investigated and incorporated into design.
Element:	5 Incorporate energy efficiency into building design
Performance Criteria:	5.1 Energy efficient design principles are identified in accordance with current legislation and the BCA. 5.2 Renewable energy sources are researched and integrated into building design and best practice options for energy conservation are recommended. 5.3 Selection and use of energy efficient fittings, appliances and services are determined and included in design specifications.

Learning Outcomes

This course supports the attainment of the skills and knowledge required for building designers to design sustainable buildings within the context of relevant legislation, the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and Australian Standards.

Details of Learning Activities

The following list is indicative of the range of activities undertaken in the course:

supervised and independent project work
supervised and independent research
studio critiques
student pin-up and presentations
peer reviews
in-class demonstrations
lectures
site visits and/or excursions

Emphasis of activities may vary depending on the specifics of the projects.

Refer to Canvas for details:
https://rmit.instructure.com/courses/57597/assignments

Teaching Schedule

Refer to Canvas for Teaching Schedule:
https://rmit.instructure.com/courses/57597/pages/05-%7C-teaching-schedule-%7C-semester-01

Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

References

Other Resources

Refer to Canvas for additional resources:
https://rmit.instructure.com/courses/57597/pages/01-%7C-library-and-study-support?module_item_id=1441426

Overview of Assessment

This course of competency could be assessed in the workplace or a close simulation of the workplace environment, provided that simulated or project-based assessment techniques fully replicate design drafting workplace conditions, materials, activities,
responsibilities and procedures. Holistic or project-based assessment with other related units is recommended.

A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to provide evidence of the ability to:
• apply the principles of sustainable building design in accordance with current legislation and government policies
• evaluate and recommend sustainable materials suitable for the construction of a specific building design in accordance with client brief and specifications
• research, evaluate and report on data and findings, make recommendations and develop strategies for the design of sustainable buildings for at least one building development project that complies with the applicable local government authority, relevant legislation and the Building Code of Australia (BCA).

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Overview:
This unit is delivered and assessed through a holistic, integrated, project-based approach between Design Sustainable Buildings and Present Architectural Designs. Work requirements and assessment processes:

link together elements and performance criteria from the same unit, and
group together elements and performance criteriafrom both units.

Assessment Model:

	work requirements^		assessment type		assessment matrix synopsis
	ESD	Presentation				ESD	Presentation
semester-01	RS+KD-01	-	Satisfactory or Not Satisfactory
QZ-01		-	COMPETENCY ASSESSED**	-	nom^ Element 1
QZ-02		-	COMPETENCY ASSESSED**	-	nom^ Element 5
RS+KD-02	-	Satisfactory or Not Satisfactory
semester-02	IP-BA	-	COMPETENCY ASSESSED	-	nom^ Elements 2-4	Elements 1-3

	work requirement acronyms
RS+KD	Required Skils + Knowledge Development		-	Formative Feedback
QZ	Quiz - on-line		-	Formative + Summative Feedback
IP-BA	Integrated Project-Based Assessment		-	Summative Feedback

	work requirement overview
RS+KD-01	Precedent Study - Introduction - Fitzcaraldo
RS+KD-02	Precedent Study - Independent choice in groups of 4No.
IP-BA	Precedent Study - APPLIED, EVALUATED + INCORPORATED into various SITES + CLIMATES - developed + documented as RECOMMENDATIONS

*	against a set of criteria
**	quizzes MUST be retaken until satisfactorily completed at scheduled assessment points - refer to teaching schedule
^	refer to each Unit Assessment Matrix for more detail
NB -	all work requirements MUST be submitted as per scheduled time frames in order to be assessed against COMPETENCIES

Work Requirements and Submissions:
All work requirements in this integrated course MUST be submitted as scheduled in order to be assessed for Competency at the end of the unit.

Submitting all work requirements does not equate to Competency Achieved. Competency is assessed against the unit's performance criteria on work requirements as indicated in the Assessment Model above.
Failing to submit all work requirements by the scheduled deadlines throughout the academic year will result in a DNS - Did Not Submit awarded at the end of unit. Adjustments to assessments can be made by following RMIT protocol: https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/assessment/adjustments-to-assessment Always refer to the Teaching Schedule for dates: https://rmit.instructure.com/courses/57597/pages/05-%7C-teaching-schedule-%7C-semester-01
Students may not be able to continue to the second year of the program until a Competency Achieved is awarded against the unit.
All work requirements MUST be authenticated in order to be assessed. Authentication requires students to actively participate in ALL scheduled classes and have their work reviewed by their teacher on a weekly basis.
Resubmissions are not possible on Required Skills + Knowledge Development and Integrated Project-Based Assessments.

Assessment Processes:
All work requirements in this integrated unit are assessed as either formative and/or summative:

Formative assessments evaluate student performance throughout the unit. Formative assessments provide the basis for ongoing feedback and can be considered essential building blocks for the more substantial summative assessments.
Formative assessments in this course are assessed against a range of criteria as Satisfactory or Not Satisfactory.
Summative assessments evaluate student learning at the end of the unit, against the unit's Performance Criteria.
Summative assessments in this course are assessed as Competent or Not Yet Competent.

Refer to the Assessment Model above for when Formative or Summative Assessments are used.
Refer to Canvas Assignment section for more specific assessment criterial and details: https://rmit.instructure.com/courses/57597/assignments

Work Requirement Feedback Processes:
General Feedback:
The most important feedback is the feedback that occurs in class discussions and via the resources provided through Canvas. As such, students are expected to:

attend and participate in every class and lecture as scheduled.
understand that valuable feedback and advice may be delivered in an ad hoc basis.
reference the Canvas based resources regularly.
take a scholastic approach to their studies, which includes note taking and reflection.
review the teaching schedule prior to classes to ensure you come to each class prepared.

Formal Feeback:
Rubrics in Canvas will display formative or summitive feedback across a range of criteria as explained above, per work requirement.
Further details are available through Canvas under the Assignments section: https://rmit.instructure.com/courses/57597/assignments

This unit is assessed in accordance with competency-based assessment and RMIT University VE Grades: https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/results/grading-information/vet-grades#final

Assessment Matrix

			Work Requirements
			Semester - 01	Semester - 02
			RSKD 01	QZ 01	QZ 02	RSKD 02	IP-BA
ELEMENTS	PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1 Determine the impacts of building development on the natural environment
1.1	Impacts of building development on surrounding ecosystems are researched to identify the benefits of sound environmental policy.			x

1.2	Triple Bottom Line approaches are determined for consideration in the designing of buildings.			x

1.3	Current government and industry responses to Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) are researched and representative organisations for ESD are identified to ascertain current policies and legislation.			x


2 Incorporate sustainable criteria into building design
2.1	Location, specific climates and their characteristics are identified and their impact on building design is researched to inform the design.		x	x		x	x

2.2	Basic principles and integration for building orientation, minimal site impact, thermal mass, insulation, glass exposure and ventilation are determined to maximise integration of sustainable design principles in the design.		x	x		x	x


2.3	Site influences and sun path are considered to maximise opportunities for passive heating and cooling.		x	x		x	x

2.4	Passive design principles are incorporated into a design project.		x			x	x
2.5	Sustainable site development practices are included in design specifications.						x
2.6	Appropriate form of construction is selected and documented according to client brief and specifications.						x

3 Select sustainable materials
3.1	Characteristics of sustainable materials are identified and analysed to inform material selection.						x

3.2	Sustainability of a range of building materials is compared and suitable materials are selected for a specific building design in accordance with current legislation and the BCA.						x

4 Incorporate systems for sustainable water use
4.1	Systems for water collection, storage, use and re-use are incorporated into building design in accordance with relevant legislation and local restrictions.						x

4.2	Alternative systems for reticulated water and effluent disposal are investigated and described.				x

4.3	Strategies to prevent run-off are investigated and incorporated into design.						x
5 Incorporate energy efficiency into building design
5.1	Energy efficient design principles are identified in accordance with current legislation and the BCA.				x

5.2	Renewable energy sources are researched and integrated into building design and best practice options for energy conservation are recommended.						x

5.3	Selection and use of energy efficient fittings, appliances and services are determined and included in design specifications.						x


REQUIRED SKILLS

Communication skills to:
	• enable clear and direct communication, using questioning to identify and confirm requirements and share information with internal and external personnel, where required		x			x	x

• read and interpret:
− the BCA			x	x		x
− relevant legislation and Australian Standards			x	x		x
• research information on sustainable building principles		x	x	x	x	x
• use language and concepts appropriate to industry conventions		x			x	x
Written skills to:
	• develop recommendations and strategies for sustainable building design						x
• document data and findings to industry standards						x
Teamwork skills to work effectively with clients and other stakeholders						x
Problem solving skills to:
	• analyse and evaluate data on construction materials and integrate sustainable and energy efficient systems into building design						x

• determine the potential cost versus benefit of alternative sustainable options
Planning and organisational skills to collect, organise and analyse information on sustainable building practices						x

Initiative and enterprise skills in interpreting information and developing sustainable design solutions						x
Learning skills in updating knowledge of sustainable materials and building practices						x
Technology skills to:
	• complete documentation and calculations
• operate computer energy rating systems, where applicable
Working safely in a design drafting working environment, according to legislation and workplace procedures and policies		x			x	x


REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE

Principles of sustainability in building design			x			x
Mandatory disclosure			x
Green star rating system			x	x
Building adaptation for catastrophic events responding to climate change
Indoor environmental quality (air quality, thermal comfort, acoustics)			x	x		x
Characteristics of ecosystems			x
Macro and micro climates			x			x
Site topography features			x			x
Effects of fossil fuels on the atmosphere			x
Energy consumption relative to construction processes and building use				x
Greenhouse gas emissions and ozone depletion theories			x
Impacts of climate change			x			x
Impacts of national strategies on building design			x			x
Principles of designing buildings for durability and adaptability			x	x		x
Life cycle assessment principles			x	x		x
Basic principles of cradle-to-grave analysis			x	x		x
Nature of construction materials and effect on performance			x	x		x
R values (overall thermal resistance) for construction material				x		x
Software used to predict building performance				x
Energy auditing principles				x
Processes for the administration and preparation of documentation				x		x
Processes for the development of documentation, such as working drawings and specifications				x
The BCA Deemed-to-Satisfy (DTS) energy efficiency provisions			x			x
Occupational health and safety (OHS)/Work health and safety (WHS) workplace policies and procedures			x
Relevant federal, state or territory legislation and local government policy and procedures			x			x

CRITICAL ASPECTS OF ASSESMENT

Provide evidence of the ability to:
	• apply the principles of sustainable building design in accordance with current legislation and government policies						x

• evaluate and recommend sustainable materials suitable for the construction of a specific building design in accordance with client brief and specifications						x

• research, evaluate and report on data and findings, make recommendations and develop strategies for the design of sustainable buildings for at least one building development project that complies with the applicable local government authority, relevant legislation and the BCA.					x	x