Facilities for Social Sustainability

Subject ABPL90303 (2011)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2011.

Credit Points: 12.50
Level: 9 (Graduate/Postgraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2011:

Semester 2, Parkville - Taught on campus.
Pre-teaching Period Start not applicable
Teaching Period not applicable
Assessment Period End not applicable
Last date to Self-Enrol not applicable
Census Date not applicable
Last date to Withdraw without fail not applicable


Timetable can be viewed here. For information about these dates, click here.
Time Commitment: Contact Hours: 36 hours
Total Time Commitment: 120 hours
Prerequisites: None specified
Corequisites: None specified
Recommended Background Knowledge: It is expected that students commencing this subject will come from a variety of knowledge areas that will inform their participation in this subject. At least, any of the following could apply:
  • Design
  • Construction
  • Property management
  • Policy creation
  • Environmental management
  • Cultural and heritage management
  • Urban Planning
Non Allowed Subjects: None specified
Core Participation Requirements: For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Coordinator

Ms Lindy Joubert

Contact

Environments and Design Student Centre
Ground Floor, Baldwin Spencer (building 113)

Enquiries
Phone: 13 MELB (13 6352)
Website: http://www.msd.unimelb.edu.au

Subject Overview:

This subject is a multi-disciplinary and inter-cultural investigation of social infra-structural needs for socially sustainable communities. Field trips will be an integral part of the subject. The subject provides an opportunity to explore culture, people and places by addressing complex real-life problems in unfamiliar social and cultural settings. An integrated teaching/research approach is adopted building on faculty expertise including:

  • Chris Heywood – management and governance
  • Dominique Hes – sustainability
  • Ajibade Aibinu – cost planning
  • Clare Newton – material/design nexus
  • Anna Hurlimann – environmental management
  • Eckhart Hertzsch – resource efficiency
  • Clare Mouat - planning
  • Lindy Joubert – inter-cultural communication.

External experts will also contribute landscape and cultural knowledge to the subject.
Students will provide design solutions for a multi-disciplinary project.

The subject provides Knowledge Transfer and inter-cultural education through collaboration with local experts, local communities, local universities and non-governmental organisations. The subject promotes students’ analytical and research skills, design skills, ability to engage with the local communities and will expose students to social, cultural, ethical, psycho-social, environmental, policy, management, construction, economically viable and design issues.

The subject is aligned with the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Program, the University of Melbourne’s Certificate of Global Communication and Leadership and the UNESCO Observatory for Multi-disciplinary Research in the Arts.
Objectives:

This subject provides a platform to make a positive difference to local economies that satisfies students' growing need for social and global responsibility by way of projects in unfamiliar settings.

The subject aims to:

  • Facilitate students’ abilities to identify and critically engage with problems faced by rural and/or urban communities.
  • Evaluate the cultural, social, ethical, psycho-social, policy, and environmental contexts for social infrastructure needs.
  • Collaboratively create proposals for sustainable construction and economic design; management forms that reflect local culture; heritage and cultural issues to improve community sustainability and wellbeing.
Assessment:
  • One major group assignment equivalent to 3000 words per student (60%) (including a number of staged submissions) and;
  • One individual assignment equivalent to 2000 words (40%).

Assignments to be presented in week 12 and 13 for assessment.

Week 12. Group submission
Week 13. Individual presentation and assessment
Prescribed Texts: None specified
Breadth Options:

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.
Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills:

Through participation in this subject students will be expected to have developed the following generic skills:

High-level, multidisciplinary, collaborative skills.
Valuing and working in different cultural contexts.
Initiate and implement constructive change in communities.
Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Regions

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