Residential Sustainable Design

Housing is a fundamental human right and plays a significant role in determining the health and quality of life. It also has a significant influence on the built and natural environments throughout its life cycle from construction to demolition. The main objective of residential sustainable design is to reduce problematic environmental and social impacts whilst saving money on the cost of living over the life of the house.

This unit focuses on the design, assessment (the Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard,BESS and the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme, NatHERS) and documentation process of a single sustainable dwelling. It combines the theoretical knowledge of the environmental performance of residential buildings, covering management, water, energy, stormwater, indoor environmental quality (IEQ), transport, waste, urban ecology and innovation, with the design process in accordance with planning permit requirements. Students will learn how to use these skills to deliver sustainable, net-zero energy and practical residential building design and to prepare environmentally sustainable design (ESD) report. These skills are closely aligned with industry expectations for positions, such as building designers and ESD consultants in architectural , building design, engineering and construction companies.