Regenerating Sustainability

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 Hours

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

Sustainable or Green Buildings are centred on creating more efficient buildings rather than
aiming for zero or even positive contributions. This subject explores and critiques this efficiency
based approach to sustainability and proposes a regenerative, positive and biophilic design
framework.

This subject will provide a series of lectures exploring the ideas of biophilia, positive development, regeneration, cradle to cradle, the living building challenge and contributive design. Based on a series of seminars and site visits, documented in student lead weekly reflections, student will apply their learning to an existing project in Melbourne.

• To understand the limitation around the current approach to sustainability
• To understand the concepts of regenerative, biophilic and positive design and development
• To contrast the certifications tools Green Star, NABERS and the Living Building Challenge
• To be able to propose contributive solutions to discipline specific problems whether architectural, landscape, planning, social science, engineering, etc.

There are two types of assessment.

• 6 reflection cards, (individual task) equivalent to 500 words each due week 3- 12 (equivalent to 3000 words in total), 10% each;

• Major project, (group work). The major project consists of imagery and some descriptive text. The students each produce 3 x A3 sheets descripting their process and application of the theory. Each A3 sheet would be the equivalent of 500 words (equivalent to1500 words in total), due week 12, 40 %.

Living Building Challenge - http://plone.ilbi.org/lbc/LBC%20Documents/lbc-2.1
Kellert, S.R., Heerwagen, J.H., Mador, M. Biophilic Design: Theory, Science, and Practice. New York: Wiley, 2008.
Kellert, S. Building for Life: Designing and Understanding the Human-Nature Connection. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2005.
7group and Reed, B. (2009) The integrative Design Guide to Green Building. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
McDonough W. & Braungart M. (2002) Cradle To Cradle. North Point Press.

Passive systems

Brundtland report.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• Skills in critiquing sustainabilit;
• Conceptual understanding of biophilic design, positive development, regenerative design, living building challenge and cradle to cradle;
• Use of mind mapping, charrettes and backcasting.