Course Coordinator:Rick Jaeger (rjaeger@usc.edu.au) School:School of Science, Technology and Engineering
UniSC Sunshine CoastUniSC Moreton Bay |
Blended learning | Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online. |
Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
In this course you will learn about the role of whole-system engineering design to achieve sustainable outcomes in building projects. You will become familiar with ratings and assessment methods, which consider the social, environmental and economic impacts of a building project. You will explore best-practice sustainable design principles, and learn about modelling building performance. You will also increase your understanding of different construction materials, and their role in promoting sustainable and healthy buildings.
Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
Blended learning | |||
Learning materials – Asynchronous Learning Material | 1hr | Week 1 | 13 times |
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Online Workshop | 1hr | Week 1 | 13 times |
Tutorial/Workshop 2 – On campus tutorial | 2hrs | Week 1 | 13 times |
The built environment and its impacts
Overview of sustainable buildings
Environmental and economic assessment methods
Regulations and incentives
Green building rating tools
Conventional versus integrative design
Green Star
Site analysis
Building hydrological cycle
Climate and building physics
Energy and atmosphere: passive design
Energy and atmosphere: glazing and active systems
Building Information Modelling (BIM) overview
Introduction to Building Performance Modelling (BPM)
Sustainable materials and products
Indoor environment quality
Post occupancy evaluation
Construction and commissioning
400 Level (Graduate)
12 units
Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | Professional Standard Mapping * Engineers Australia Stage 1 Professional Engineer Competency Standards | |
1 | Adopt a whole systems design cycle approach to evaluate and develop appropriate sustainable engineering solutions. | Sustainability-focussed |
1.1, 2.1, 2.2 |
2 | Demonstrate and apply knowledge of fundamental sustainable design principles | Knowledgeable |
1.1, 2.1, 2.2 |
3 | Apply assessment techniques and tools to quantify the sustainable performance of materials and projects | Sustainability-focussed |
1.1, 2.1, 2.2 |
4 | Understand and determine the environmental impacts of various phases of a building project. | Sustainability-focussed |
2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.5 |
CODE | COMPETENCY |
Engineers Australia Stage 1 Professional Engineer Competency Standards | |
1.1 | Knowledge and Skill Base: Comprehensive, theory based understanding of the underpinning natural and physical sciences and the engineering fundamentals applicable to the engineering discipline. |
2.1 | Engineering Application Ability: Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving. |
2.2 | Engineering Application Ability: Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources. |
3.1 | Professional and Personal Attributes: Ethical conduct and professional accountability. |
3.2 | Professional and Personal Attributes: Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains. |
3.5 | Professional and Personal Attributes: Orderly management of self, and professional conduct. |
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
ENG202 or ENG104 and enrolled in SC410, SC425, SC411, SC404, SC405
Not applicable
ENG404
Not applicable
Standard Grading (GRD)
High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL). |
In week 2, the draft copy of your Assessment report will be peer reviewed in your workshop.
Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | Weighting % | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
All | 1 | Report | Individual | 20% | 1,500 words |
Week 3 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
All | 2a | Quiz/zes | Individual | 20% | 40 Mins |
Week 5 | In Class |
All | 2b | Quiz/zes | Individual | 20% | 40 Mins |
Week 10 | In Class |
All | 3a | Report | Group | 30% | 2,000 to 2,500 words per person |
Week 13 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
All | 3b | Oral | Group | 10% | 15 mins + question time |
Week 13 | In Class |
All - Assessment Task 1:Assessment report | |
Goal: | This task has been designed to develop your professional communication skills and your ability to assess the environmental and economic impacts of buildings. |
Product: | Report |
Format: | You are to write a 1,500-word individual report that elaborates on tutorial discussions regarding methods to assess the environmental and economic performance of buildings. Your report should focus on two such methods, and discuss the following for each: Description of the method, including relevant definitions, calculations and tools Review of its development Benefits and limitations Efforts to achieve industry standardisation A case study which applies the method to a building, building system or construction material. The report should be in doc or docx format and use the Harvard referencing style. Submission is via Canvas (Turnitin). |
Criteria: |
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All - Assessment Task 2a:Quiz 1 | |
Goal: | You will demonstrate your understanding of the fundamental concepts of sustainable building design. |
Product: | Quiz/zes |
Format: | Multiple choice and short answer questions. Individual submission, to be completed in class. The quizzes are an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding and application of the concepts reviewed in the learning materials and discussed during the tutorials. Programmable calculators are NOT permitted but scientific ones are. The use of other electronic devices, such as mobile phones and tablets, is not permitted |
Criteria: |
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All - Assessment Task 2b:Quiz 2 | |
Goal: | You will demonstrate your understanding of the fundamental concepts of sustainable building design. |
Product: | Quiz/zes |
Format: | Multiple choice and short answer questions. Individual submission, to be completed in class. The quizzes are an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding and application of the concepts reviewed in the learning material and discussed during the tutorials. Programmable calculators are NOT permitted but scientific ones are. The use of other electronic devices, such as mobile phones and tablets, is not permitted |
Criteria: |
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All - Assessment Task 3a:ESD Report | |
Goal: | This is a professionally based task that will enable you to both develop advanced collaboration skills but also to demonstrate your knowledge in applying and evaluating a building project.You will develop the skills to apply a recognised sustainability rating system and assess the project's potential to achieve certification. Ultimately you will produce a written report at industry standard. |
Product: | Report |
Format: | Your group (4 students max) is asked to imagine that you are ESD consultants hired by a local developer to recommend sustainable design strategies for one of their building projects. You will receive information on the development site, and will be required to produce an ESD report, which contains the following: Site analysis. Consider local planning issues, ecology, the potential for flooding, nearby amenities, transport, and climate data. Use diagrams, sketches, and maps to illustrate your findings, where appropriate. A concept design for the building(s). Incorporate findings from your site analysis, and also consider the following: building orientation and form; passive heating and cooling strategies; natural daylighting; any required active systems. Use Climate Consultant to determine the achievable thermal comfort level for the building(s). Water sensitive urban design (WSUD) concept for the development. Consider a suitable stormwater measure, where you might locate it, and its approximate size. Potential Green Star Rating. Prepare advice on the potential to achieve a Green Star - Design and As-Built rating certification from the Green Building Council of Australia. The main body report should be 2,000 to 2,500 words per person in the group. Where appropriate, it should contain diagrams, sketches, calculations and tables. Further information on the report content and structure will be available on Canvas. As part of your group work, you will also actively participate in a peer assessment review process, and provide feedback on group member contributions. |
Criteria: |
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All - Assessment Task 3b:Oral Presentation | |
Goal: | Making oral presentations to clients, community and industry is a staple competency for engineering and requires planning, organisation and practice.This presentation will develop and allow you to demonstrate your professional presentation skills.You will pitch this presentation to a potential client. |
Product: | Oral |
Format: | Your group of ESD consultants are required to present the findings of your report, including the potential GBCA rating to the client. The presentation should be no more than 15 minutes. |
Criteria: |
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A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.
Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
Please note that you need to have regular access to the resource(s) listed below. Resources may be required or recommended.
Required? | Author | Year | Title | Edition | Publisher |
Required | Green Building Council of Australia | 2014 | Green Star Design & As Built v1: Submission Guidelines | Green Building Council of Australia |
N/A
Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.
Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying: The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4% The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct
Late submission of assessment tasks may be penalised at the following maximum rate: - 5% (of the assessment task's identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. - 10% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the third day - 20% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. - A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted after seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late. To request an extension you must contact your course coordinator to negotiate an outcome.
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