EGB274 Environmentally Sustainable Design


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Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Unit code:EGB274
Credit points:12
Pre-requisite:EGB124 or EVB201or EGB111 or UXB220 or UXB230 or ERB101 or EVB102 or completion of 96 CPs in AB01
Equivalent:ENB274
Coordinator:Les Dawes | l.dawes@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

The knowledge and skills associated with site investigation, analysis and planning for sustainable development are essential for civil and environmental engineers, as is the ability to work within multidisciplinary teams to achieve balanced solutions on social, economic, cultural and environmental outcomes. This sustainable development design project requires you to undertake typical site investigations, site analyses and conceptual designs for a selected site covering sustainability issues in the following areas: Sustainable Transport, Land Planning including assessment of the surrounding areas, Water & Wastewater Management and Environmental Impact Assessment. This unit extends and applies the knowledge developed in design based engineering units to important issues such as site analysis, site investigation, site planning, development assessment, environmental management, water quality, pollution prevention and control, and resource and waste management.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. Investigate and analyse the construction of development sites based on environmental engineering standards and planning guidlines at a developed level.
  2. Aanlyse the environmental quality for sustainable outcomes using environmental impact assessment of projects at a developed level.
  3. Understand the sustainable land use, water management and transport planning concepts for environmental engineering systems at a developed level.
  4. Compose technical engineering documentation using literature review and conceptual designs of sustainable environmental developments at a developed level.
  5. Demonstrate effective team work skills for environmental assessment projects at a developed level.

Content

The major topics to be covered include:
principles of sustainable development and site investigation for environmental standards;
sustainable land use planning principles and site investigation and analysis
sustainable transport planning principles, road hierarchy, sustainable land use planning principles
water management and environmental impact assessment,
water quality testing (practical),design office practice
engineering investigation and reporting (research skills)
engineering investigation and reporting (paper writing)
engineering investigation and reporting (technical presentation skills)

Learning Approaches

Teaching Mode: 4 hours per week
Lecture: 2 hrs/wk
Studio: 1.5 hrs/wk
Lab exercise: In week 6 or 7

This unit is project based and carries the themes of site analysis, site investigation and planning for sustainable development. You will work in a team of 4 to develop elements that contribute to a development application study, including a thorough site investigation and analysis, and a site planning proposal along a sustainability theme taking into consideration environmental sensitivity, liveability, functionality and resource management. You will also individually present a technical research paper at the conclusion of the semester to assess your communication skills. This exercise will further develop your capabilities with emphasis on individual learning and application abilities.

Formal contact will consist of two sessions per week. Generally lecture material will be presented for 2hrs and Studio sessions will follow for 2 hours. Lectures will constitute between 25 and 50% of class contact time, with the remainder being focused on simulating the project design environment. There will be some specialist lectures, with heavy emphasis on students further researching the in class lecture material to enhance your understanding of the relevant topic. The remainder is focused on design studios and a practical class. Completion of the project will further your professional development, with emphasis on teamwork, planning, decision making and communication skills.

Much of the material you'll need and tasks you will undertake will be found on the ENB274 Canvas site; you must keep regularly visiting this site to keep informed of latest news and of weekly operation of the unit. Learning Approaches will include: project based, team based learning and experiential learning.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will receive feedback through group dialogue with teaching staff, written comments upon, and grading of your submission documentation, both of which will enable you to understand how your team is progressing and how your work may be improved.

Formative assessment in the form of feedback to you will be provided during studio sessions and following submission and grading of the summative assessment. Formative feedback will be offered during the semester at key times to assist you in development of your submissions. Grading will be made through the use of Criterion Referenced Assessment pro-forma, which will be discussed in class and published on Canvas prior to the due dates.

Assessment

Overview

This unit will comprise a combination of both formative and summative approaches to assessment involving a mix of formats and a combination of group and individual work. Both the formative and a proportion of the summative assessment for this unit are centred upon the completion of three assessments to exemplify your knowledge and skills gained in the unit.

Assessment 1 (Individual submission); Site Survey Report
Assessment 2 (Group and Individual submission); Development Application and Presentation
Assessment 3 (Individual submission); Technical Paper 

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Site Survey Report

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Weight: 20
Length: 1250 words
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 6
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4
Related Standards: EASTG1CMP: 1, 1.3, 1.5, 2, 2.1, 2.4, 3, 3.1, 3.6

Assessment: Development Application and Presentation

Development Application report due in Week 10 and Presentation of Concept plan assessed in class Week 12

Weight: 55
Individual/Group: Individual and group
Due (indicative): Week 10 and 12
Related Unit learning outcomes: 2, 3, 4, 5
Related Standards: EASTG1CMP: 3, 3.2, 3.4

Assessment: Technical Research Paper

Technical Paper Presentation

Weight: 25
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 13
Related Unit learning outcomes: 2, 3, 4
Related Standards: EASTG1CMP: 1, 1.4, 2, 2.3, 3, 3.1, 3.2

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Materials will be made available via QUT online learning platforms on a week by week basis. Text books from other prerequisite units will be used as references as appropriate.

A package of basic background information that is relevant to each project (including Project Brief) will be issued to each team. You will be expected to identify any information further than that issued formally to the class, and where feasible, procure that information. Notwithstanding, you shall not approach members of the public nor public officers in relation to your project without authorisation of the unit coordinator.

A unit Canvas site will provide a clearinghouse for electronic resources as well as documentation on unit housekeeping. You are expected to both review the unit Canvas site and check your QUT student email account at least one day prior to each class.

Risk Assessment Statement

You will be required to undertake a field trip under the supervision of the lecturer and sessional staff of the School. The School's occupational health and safety policies and procedures will apply to these sessions. You will be informed of any requirements pertaining to a safe workplace. In lectures, tutorials and such, the information will include location of fire exits and meeting points in case of fire; in any laboratory practicals you will be advised of requirements of safe and responsible behaviour and will be required to wear appropriate protective items (e.g. steel capped shoes); on any field trips or site visits, you will progress through a safety induction session and where necessary obtain a safety induction card. Students who do not follow legitimate instructions or who endanger the safety of others or do not act in accordance with the requirements of the Workplace Health and Safety Act, will be required to leave the session/site. You will be responsible for your own health and safety, and that of other members of the community as a responsible citizen, should they elect in their own time to conduct any site visits related to the project.

You will also be required to undertake practical sessions in the laboratory under the supervision of the lecturer and technical staff of the School. In any laboratory practicals you will be advised of requirements of safe and responsible behaviour and will be required to wear appropriate protective items (e.g. closed shoes or steel capped shoes). If you do not have a safety induction card you will be denied access to laboratories.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineer

1: Knowledge and Skill Base


  1. Relates to: Site Survey Report

  2. Relates to: Technical Research Paper

  3. Relates to: Site Survey Report

2: Engineering Application Ability


  1. Relates to: Site Survey Report

  2. Relates to: Technical Research Paper

  3. Relates to: Site Survey Report

3: Professional and Personal Attributes


  1. Relates to: Site Survey Report, Technical Research Paper

  2. Relates to: Development Application and Presentation, Technical Research Paper

  3. Relates to: Development Application and Presentation

  4. Relates to: Site Survey Report

Course Learning Outcomes

This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.

AB01 Bachelor of Built Environment (Honours)

  1. Apply theoretical, practical and cultural knowledge and skills across a range of disciplines and specialist knowledge and skills in one built environment area.
    Relates to: Development Application and Presentation, Technical Research Paper
  2. Design and critically evaluate sustainable and creative solutions to social, economic, technological and environmental challenges.
    Relates to: Site Survey Report, Development Application and Presentation
  3. Communicate knowledge, ideas and creative solutions in diverse modes, for a range of contexts and diverse audiences.
    Relates to: Site Survey Report, Development Application and Presentation, Technical Research Paper
  4. Strategically collaborate with diverse stakeholders and communities, including First Nations peoples.
    Relates to: Site Survey Report