Course Title: Produce Preliminary and Working Drawings for Residential Buildings

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2025

Course Code: ARCH5305

Course Title: Produce Preliminary and Working Drawings for Residential Buildings

Important Information:

Please note that this course has compulsory engagement attendance requirements for teaching activities.

Please check your Canvas course shell closer to when the course starts to see when this course requires mandatory attendance. 

School: 530T Built Environment and Sustainability

Campus: City Campus

Program: C6188 - Advanced Diploma of Building Design (Architectural)

Course Contact: Catherine Ciavarella

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4819

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


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 180

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 unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to produce two and three-dimensional drawings for residential buildings (National Construction Code (NCC) Classes 1 and 10).
It includes the ability to read and interpret plans and specifications and to produce preliminary and working drawings for residential buildings to industry conventions.
This unit applies to building designers who produce preliminary and working drawings for residential buildings within the context of relevant legislation and legal responsibilities of building designers.
No occupational licensing or legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication. However, this unit forms part of a minimum qualification requirement for the registration class of Draftsperson, Building Design (Architectural) category, with the Victorian Building Authority.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

VU23449 Produce Preliminary and Working Drawings for Residential Buildings

Element:

1. Produce preliminary drawings

Performance Criteria:

1.1 Identify the required preliminary drawings and key features to be recorded according to project brief and work requirements. 

1.2 Prepare and check drafting tools and equipment required for producing sketches/drawings for safety and serviceability. 

1.3 Create simple two and three-dimensional drawings to resolve construction details. 

Element:

2. Read and interpret plans and specifications for residential building

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Identify relevant plans and specifications to develop a set of working drawings. 

2.2 Locate, interpret and articulate key information according to relevant specifications and relevant legislation. 

2.3 Seek advice from client and other stakeholders to articulate and clarify any issues, as required. 

Element:

3. Produce preliminary working drawings

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Prepare working drawings for residential buildings.

3.2 Apply industry conventions to the production of building drawings. 

Element:

4. Produce a set of working drawings

Performance Criteria:

4.1 Complete working drawings to meet architectural conventions and relevant regulatory framework requirements. 

4.2 Check working drawings with team members for consistency of presentation, cross-referencing and accuracy and to ensure compliance with relevant legislation. 


Learning Outcomes


On successful completion of this course you will have developed and applied the skills and knowledge required to demonstrate competency in the above elements.


Details of Learning Activities

Construction Knowledge: 

Theory is provided on residential construction.  You should engage in face to face lectures, videos, PDFs & quizzes to build this knowledge.  We will apply this theory to the drawing process.  You must review to ensure understanding & bring any questions you have into the studios for clarification.  

Studios: 

The studio is a simulated workplace. You are responsible for your own learning, research and review of resources.  Active participation is required in studios, in particular in feedback sessions.  Ask questions and discuss variables with team members (other students). 

Site visits:

To fully understand residential construction you must visit sites during all stage of the build.  These visits are self directed.  You should visit & view from outside the site until you have your White Card.  Always ask for permission to enter a Construction Site.

Independent research:

To keep up with Industry you need to research many aspects of residential construction.


Teaching Schedule


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

Refer to Canvas for Lectures and studio briefings, also the Architectural drafting handbook and examples.  The Australian standards are available via RMIT library.

 

You should register with the Australian Building Codes Board to download the National Construction Code (NCC)

https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/


Overview of Assessment

Assessment for this course is ongoing throughout the semester. Your knowledge and understanding of course content is assessed through participation in class exercises, oral presentations and through the application of learned skills and insights to your written tasks. Full assessment briefs will be provided and can be found on CANVAS.


Assessment Tasks

Semester 1 Assessment Introductions

Week 04 Assessment Task 1 Single Storey Working Drawings Folio Introduction

Week 06 Assessment Task 2 Work in Progress (WIP) Meeting Introduction Part 1 & 2

Week 13 Assessment Task 3 Construction Knowledge Questions Introduction Part 1 & 2

Students enrolled in Vocational Education and Training qualifications are assessed for Competency. To be assessed as Competent means you have consistently demonstrated the required knowledge and skills at a standard expected in the workplace. To be assessed as Competent in this course, you will need to complete each assessment task to a satisfactory standard. You will receive feedback from the teacher at the conclusion of each assessment task.

You should refer to the assessment brief which is available through Canvas for full assessment criteria.

Results that apply to courses that are delivered and assessed in accordance with competency-based assessment are:

CA: Competency Achieved
NYC: Not Yet Competent
DNS: Did not Submit for Assessment

There are four assessment tasks that are assessed across both Apply structural and construction technology to the design of residential buildings, ARCH 5226 / VU22455 & Produce preliminary and working drawings for residential buildings, ARCH 5227 / VU22462.

LT1 Ortho Cabin Project.

This task is a learning exercise to confirm engagement in the program and provide basic skills as required for future assessment tasks.  Including skills that cross over to IDA AutoCAD for use of the program on your own device.

AT1 Working Drawings, Single Storey Project

This assessment is a folio of drawings for a Single Storey Residence that will be produced in studios in two parts.  Review and revision of the drawings will be in your own, time based on group feedback provided in studios.  A draft folio of Working Drawings is submitted prior to the completed Folio. 

AT2 Work in Progress meeting (W.I.P.) 

The purpose of these meetings is to assess your Employability Skills.  This includes applying organisational procedures and quality assurance techniques to complete working drawings to industry best practice.   W.I.P. meetings will demonstrate skills including, communication, planning and organisational, self-management and teamwork.

Specific to Building Design an understanding of the required Planning and organisational skills to produce preliminary and working drawings within an allocated time frame.  This is referred to as the draft & review development process.

AT3 Construction Questions

The Construction Questions are in two parts.  Part 1 includes Semester 1 Construction knowledge & Part 2 includes Semester 2 Construction knowledge.

Questions require research using the National Construction Code (NCC) & Australian Standards.  Questions relate to residential construction projects and content from Construction lectures.  The assessment will be completed in studio.

AT4 Working Drawings, Two Storey Addition Project

This assessment is a folio of drawings for a Two Storey Residential Addition that will be produced in studios in two parts.  Review and revision of the drawings will be in your own time, based on group feedback provided in studios.  A draft folio of Working Drawings is submitted prior to the completed Folio.  This final folio submission will include drawings as required for a Building Permit.

 

Semester 1 Assessment Submissions

Week 16 Assessment Task 1 Single Storey Working Drawings Folio Submission

Week 12 Assessment Task 2.1 Work in Progress (WIP) Meeting Part 1 Submission

Week 15 Assessment Task 3.1 Construction Knowledge Questions Part 1 Submission

 

Semester 2 Assessment Introductions

Week 01 Assessment Task 4 Two Storey Working Drawings Folio Introduction

 

Semester 2 Assessment Submissions

Week 07 Assessment Task 3.2 Construction Knowledge Questions Part 2 Submission

Week 11 Assessment Task 2.2 Work in Progress (WIP) Meeting Part 2 Submission

Week 15 Assessment Task 4 Two Storey Working Drawings Folio Submission


Assessment Matrix

The assessment matrix demonstrates alignment of assessment tasks with the relevant unit of competency. These matrices are available through Program Administration.

Other Information

You will require your own laptop in studios, with the capacity to run programs such as AutoCAD and Revit.  Refer to the Autodesk website for current computer specifications.

Attendance:

Your learning experience will involve studio-based teaching, discussion, demonstration and practical tasks.

It is strongly advised that you attend all timetabled sessions. This will allow you to engage in the required learning activities, ensuring you the maximum opportunity to complete this course successfully.

Course Overview: Access Course Overview