Workplace Design Briefing and Evaluation

This subject is not offered in 2013.

120 hours

Admission to a Masters program in the faculty or approval of the subject coordinator.

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

This subject critically examines theories, models, frameworks and ethics of the design brief (program), design thinking and their role in the provision and evaluation of effective workplaces. The design program is developed as the policy and management links between any planned need for changes in the accommodation available to an organisation and the continuing benefits from its use. Emphasis will be on buildings being the accommodation resource that supports the work of an organisation. The focus of the learning will be on the full range of people involved in the work, the places they need and the processes in which they are involved. The role of a building as the accommodation resource will be balanced against its other roles, firstly as part of the organisation's property commitments; as a physical facility to be managed for optimal performance in support of the work of the occupants; and as an image of the organisation and what it stands for. The benefits and use of performance and prescription based design programming will be explored, as will the use of activity analysis and issue resolution as the prime organisers of the design programming work.

On successful completion of this subject, the student should be able to:

• develop the detailed spatial planning and design outcomes and qualities into which the operations of an organisation’s workplace practices can be satisfied, the desired qualities achieved and the appropriate values expressed; and
• produce and present a strong case for the suitability of the design propositions based on research, theory and analysis of precedent.

A report on an example of inadequacy in an accommodation resource, 20%, a working paper on issues applying to a project, 25%, and a component of a design brief, 55%, to the equivalent of 7,500 words.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On successful completion of the subject the student should be able to:

• Appreciate the difference between activity based and room based briefing; performance based versus prescription based briefing; as well as role of the brief as an evaluation tool of design concepts, developed design and the built workplace.
• Enhance their understanding and use of the design briefing process as the means to fuse the requirements and expectations of accommodation as property commitment, as technical and communications conditions, and as a workplace, into an effective accommodation resource.

On completion of the subject students should have developed the following skills and capabilities:

• Understanding of concepts, models and techniques of performance based brief writing, focussed interviewing, focussed workshopping, behavioural observation and activity analysis; and value setting and visioning workshops;
• Leadership skills; and
• Heuristic thinking skills.