Sustainable Tropical Housing

This subject is not offered in 2013.

120 hours, including studio time, seminars and site visits.

702-450 Sustainable Tropical Housing (UG)

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 will introduce the principles for designing and constructing sustainable housing in the tropics. It addresses the effects of both sociological and technical issues and discusses affordability, liveability, environmental impacts, sociality and relationships between community networks and space. The first part of the subject addresses these issues on both a theoretical and case study basis while the second part takes this background material ‘into the field’ to address real life problems via the design studio (and where possible design and construct studios) in Southeast Asia or northern Australia.

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• identify and engage critically with issues of social and environmental sustainability;
• demonstrate a critical understanding of the design and construction processes governing tropical housing.

• Class participation 10%.
• Seminar presentation equivalent to 2000 words 30%.
• Design proposals, projects and workshop exercises equivalent to at least 3000 words 60%.

Assessment and submissions will be made progressively after return from the field trip.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• Ability to engage in interdisciplinary work.
• An understanding of ethical responses to issues.
• Presentation of projects verbally and graphically.
• Analysis and synthesis of data.
• Ability to analyse social and cultural contexts.
• Spatial analysis.
• Creative response to complex problems.
• Ability to work in a cross-cultural design team and to manage group and individual contributions.