DESST 1507 - Construction I

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2023

This course is an introduction to the construction and engineering principles of architecture, landscapes and urban environments. It will initiate the topics of: representation and documentation; history and theory; materials and detailing; construction and design; and engineering structure and fabric. The course aims to develop foundational knowledge, skills and understanding in the areas of: the relationship between construction, engineering and design; the representation of construction in a historical and theoretical context; construction materials, detailing and structures. AutoCAD will be introduced.

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Course Details

Course Code	DESST 1507
Course	Construction I
Coordinating Unit	School of Architecture and Built Environment
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Restrictions	Available to B. ArchDes, B.E(Arch), B.ConsMgmt, B. ConsMgmt(Hons) and Assoc. Deg.ConsMgmt students only
Quota	A quota will apply
Assessment	Quizzes, physical model making and hand drawing

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Amit Srivastava

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

As a Level I Core Course, Construction I is designed to foster knowledge, understanding and skills that will assist the student with both future courses as well as professional design practice.

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Identify and employ different types of structural systems used in domestic scale construction.
2. Identify and employ different types of materials used in domestic scale construction.
3. Employ digital tools like AutoCAD to develop construction documentation
4. Employ professional standards for drawing communication in construction documentation
5. Demonstrate research and critical thinking skills in determining solutions for construction
6. Demonstrate theoretical and cultural considerations in development of construction solutions

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.	1,2
Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.	5,6
Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.	3,4
Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.	4,6
Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.	6
Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.	.
Attribute 7: Digital capabilities Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.	.
Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.	5

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Course Textbook:
Barry's Introduction to Construction of Buildings (4th Edition)
by Stephen Emmitt; Christopher A. Gorse // Publisher: Wiley, 2019

The book is available as an e-book from the following address:
https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Barry%27s+Introduction+to+Construction+of+Buildings%2C+4th+Edition-p-9781118977217

If you would prefer a print copy, please contact
Co-op Books on campus

Other Resources:
Drawing tasks related to this course will require you to have access to drawing equipment and materials. You should have already obtained these for your Design Studio and Representation 1 courses, and can continue to use the same.

Recommended Resources

Please refer to MyUni for details of recommended readings and websites

Online Learning

University Email:
The school uses the University email system to get in touch with the students. So it is imperative that you check your email regularly and keep up to date with any new announcements.

MyUni:
MyUni is an essential online tool which will be used to communicate information regarding the course including details of assignments and interim grades. There are many other learning resources and assessment pieces that rely on the MyUni system for delivery. Therefore it is recommended that you familiarise yourself with the various functions of MyUni and employ it to its fullest extent. https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au

Discussion Board:
The MyUni Discussion Board can be used to interact with other students and tutors and is an essential tool to discuss information and increase your understanding of issues.

Lecture Recording:
In certain cases the recording of the lectures is made available in electronic format for students to listen through on their own time and make notes, and is provided through the MyUni system. However, this service is only available for lectures with essential course content and may not include guest lectures. Furthermore, where the presentation content is subject to copyright or the guest speaker is uncomfortable with the recording of the content, the lecture recording will not be made available online. So students should not rely solely on this mode of learning and arrange to attend or get lecture content from peers.

Noticeboard / Handbook:
General information about the activities at the School is available online from the Student Noticeboard which can be accessed at
https://unified.adelaide.edu.au/group/professons-studentarchitecture/ current-student
Students can also access a copy of the Student Handbook at the following link:
https://unified.adelaide.edu.au/group/professons-student-architecture/enrolments

Learning & Teaching Modes

As a core course in architectural construction, the teaching activities for this course revolve around closely interrelated lectures, tutorials and studio activity. While the lectures provide theoretical understanding of materials and processes as well as cultural developments, the tutorials/studio sessions focus on the application of these ideas within the local construction context and the related issues of architectural detailing. The tutorials also introduce students to the drawing practices and conventions for communication of ideas of architectural construction. These principles of drafting are further developed through a series of CAD workshops where students learn how to develop a construction documentation set within the CAD environment.

Since the scope of learning activities is considerably large, each lecture/tutorial/workshop session will deal with a completely different set of issues, so the students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the related content before coming for the session, so as to extract the maximum benefit from their interaction with the tutors and their peers.

In addition to these conventional modes of delivery, the course also uses innovative digital learning platforms based on the processes of gamification to engage student learning.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

The University expects full-time students (ie. those taking 12 units per semester) to devote at least 48 hours per week to their studies. Accordingly, students undertaking this 3 unit course are expected to devote 12 hours per week to contact activities and self-guided studies.

Based on this framework here are some figures that might assist workload management:

Total workload hours: 12 Hrs per week x 13 weeks = 156 Hrs
Total contact hours: 3 Hrs per week x 12 weeks = 36 Hrs
Total self-guided study: 156 Hrs – 36 Hrs = 120 Hrs

These 120 hours should be used towards preparation of weekly tasks and for completion of the various assignments associated with the course, including development of various skills required to complete the same. Please organise your time wisely.

Learning Activities Summary

Schedule
WEEKS	LECTURE	TUTORIAL
Week 1	Introduction	Drawing Conventions
Week 2	Roofing \| Timber	Drawing Standards - Plan / Section
Week 3	Walls \| Masonry	Drawing Standards - Plan Details
Week 4	Slabs & Foundations \| Concrete	Drawing Standards - Section Details
Week 5	Revision for Class Test	CAD Studio & Class Test
Week 6	Fenestration \| Glazing	Two Storey Timber Construction
Week 7	Stairs \| Finishes	Staircase Design & Assembly
Week 8	Construction Documentation	Two Storey Brick & Concrete Assembly
	TEACHING BREAK (2 Weeks)
Week 9	Forces & Material Behaviour	Two Storey Timber Construction
Week 10	Roofing \| Timber	Staircase Design & Assembly
Week 11	Walls \| Masonry	Two Storey Brick & Concrete Assembly
Week 12	Slabs & Foundations \| Concrete	Final Assignment Documentation

Specific Course Requirements

Please note that while all the students are invited to attend these sessions, the responsibility of running the session effectively resides with the speakers/tutors. Therefore, if the speakers/tutors feel uncomfortable with the behaviour of any student they may revoke the invitation and ask the student to leave the session.

In addition to these contact sessions, students need to spend a considerable amount of time on Self-Guided Learning & Research.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Due	Weighting	Learning Outcome
Ongoing Tasks	Formative	Various	30%	1,2,3,4
FINAL CLASS TEST	Summative	Week 13	45%	1,2
FINAL ASSIGNMENT	Summative	Week 14	25%	3,4,5,6

Assessment Detail

Marking & Feedback (General) 

Final results for the course will only be available through Access Adelaide and students SHOULD NOT contact the course coordinator or the tutors for the same. 
Most assignments will be marked within 3 weeks of the submission and the interim grades will be made available through the My Grades system. Students are expected to inform the Course Coordinator if there are any errors with the marks entered on the system. 
The best examples of students’ work will be included in the All-In Exhibition to be held at the end of term alongside the best works from other courses and year levels. 
Feedback for in-class submissions will only be available during the tutorial as oral critique in the style of studio wall-crits. Students should arrange with peers to make notes for reference.

Submission

Assessment Task	Due	Weighting	Submission Method
Ongoing Tasks	Various	25%	In Tutorial/Online
FINAL CLASS TEST	Week 13	35%	In Class
FINAL ASSIGNMENT	Week 14	40%	At Front Office

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator