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Environmental Design-Residential (ARCH30004)

Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

Availability
Winter Term
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Environmental Design- Residential forms part of the Environmental Systems specialisation.

This  subject prioritises the sustainable building design process and assessment tools used in the design of NCC class 1 – 2 buildings, which include standalone single dwellings and apartment buildings.

The subject combines theoretical knowledge of the environmental performance of residential buildings (such as energy, comfort, water, daylight, waste, ecology, innovation) with a practical understanding of how the industry assesses them in accordance with Town Planning requirements, the Building Code of Australia, NatHERS and other specialised assessment tools. These skills are closely aligned with industry expectations for positions such as: graduates ESD consultant positions in architecture and engineering companies.

The subject will maximise industry interaction through guest speakers, case studies and site visits.

Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

 

  • Provide general advice on the environmental performance of a range of residential buildings, including potential problems from the design of the building fabric, services, and renewable systems;
  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of the industry processes and tools that are used in both town planning and building permit applications;
  • Provide general environmental design advice for a project at the concept stage, such as orientation, heating and cooling loads, facade glazing percentage, heating, cooling and ventilation systems, lighting and renewable energy systems;
  • Complete assessments of residential buildings for current town planning and current building permit requirements;
  • Demonstrate a general understanding of the range of environmental building performance tools, such as Building Environment Sustainability Scorecard, Code for Sustainable Homes, Passivhaus, NatHERS, HOT2000, RETScreen International;
  • Demonstrate understanding of the ways to achieve 'nearly net-zero' or 'net-zero' building performance targets.

Generic skills

  • Upon successful completion of this subject the student will have had the opportunity to develop the following generic skills: • Capacity for independent thought • ability to research through the competent use of the library and other information sources • ability to conceptualise theoretical problems, form judgements and arguments and communicate critically, creatively and theoretically through essay writing, tutorial discussion and presentations; • ability to communicate knowledge intelligibly and economically through essay writing and tutorial discussion; • ability to manage and organise workloads for recommended reading, the completion of essays and assignments and examination revision;

Last updated: 20 November 2024