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Environmental Design- Commercial (ARCH30003)

Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

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June
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Environmental Design-Commercial forms part of the Environmental Systems specialisation.

This subject prioritises the sustainable building design process and assessment tools used in the design of BCA class 3 – 9 buildings, which includes office, hospital, education, school, hotel, aged care, warehouse and factory.

The subject combines theoretical knowledge of the environmental performance of commercial 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, BCA, Greenstar, NABERS and other specialty assessment tools. These skills are closely aligned with the required knowledge of the graduate ESD consultant positions, typically in architecture or engineering firms.

The subject will maximise industry involvement 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 commercial  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 specific to commercial buildings;
  • Provide general environmental design advice for a project at the concept stage, such as orientation, heating and cooling loads, façade glazing percentage, heating, cooling and ventilation systems, lighting and renewable energy systems;
  • Complete assessments of commercial 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, GreenStar, Living Building Challenge, Passivhaus, Well building;
  • 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; • ability to participate in team work through involvement in syndicate groups and group discussions.

Last updated: 19 September 2024