University of Technology Sydney

86113 Communication and Construction: Technologies

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building: Architecture
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 86114 Communication and Construction: Material Futures
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Recommended studies:

Active participation in Orientation week activities is highly recommended.

Description

This subject builds on three semesters of learning in the Interior Architecture degree and is one of the key skill-based, communication and construction documentation subjects in the Interior Architecture curriculum to introduce key practice skills towards building industry-readiness before the students move on to their final year of study.

Within defined parameters students learn to expand their construction thinking and develop their detailing skills and material knowledge based on current industry practices and emerging sustainable material explorations.

Through a series of tasks students explore the spatial organisation and detailing of modular joinery elements by responding to specific site conditions. Students learn how to represent components, materials and finishes in a detailed documentation and drawing package of industry standard consisting of a numbered drawing index and corresponding drawings of suitable scale and complexity for a builder to price an interior fit out.

A key aspect of this subject is to address design coordination with various building services and also develop understanding of the requirements for these including Lighting, Electrical, HVAC etc.

Skills developed in this subject include observation and the production of measured drawings, the development of integrated and cross-referenced architectural drawings including plans, internal elevations, joinery, lighting, electrical and data layout, furniture and material schedules, and signage.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

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

1. Understand the role of technical documentation within the context of spatial design projects
2. Work through the steps and iterations of design development
3. Generate spatial design solutions that respond to project briefs and functional requirements
4. Use spatial design documentation software effectively
5. Apply detailed design thinking to resolve complex requirements
6. Apply research methodology into methods of representation and documentation
7. Produce a coordinated design documentation set that addresses various spatial design elements
8. Produce technical documentation and representation that align with industry conventions

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

  • Ability to take autonomous responsibility for actions and decisions (A.1)
  • Ability to develop and establish an informed and ethical understanding and/or position toward social, technical and environmental practices (A.2)
  • Ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, initiate partnerships with others, take a leadership role when required and constructively contribute to peer learning and critique (C.1)
  • Ability to communicate ideas effectively, including oral, written, visual, analogue and digital presentations (2D and 3D) (C.2)
  • Ability to understand and generate design propositions across a diverse range of design scenarios and negotiate final propositions with multiple stakeholders (I.2)
  • Ability to initiate and execute meaningful self-directed iterative processes (I.3)
  • Ability to rigorously explore, apply and extend multiple representational techniques (P.2)
  • Ability to apply and deploy disciplinary learning, with a continuing commitment to professional development (P.3)
  • Ability to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of interior and spatial design precedent and to contextualise one's work within the extended discipline (R.3)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate attributes. The course content, learning strategies and assessment structure is explicitly designed with these attributes in mind.

C = communication and groupwork

A = attributes and values

P = practical and professional

R = research and critique

I = innovation and creativity

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories using codes (e.g. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).

Teaching and learning strategies

This subject is studio based. It consists of 3-hour weekly studio sessions and a number of shared lecture series. Studio sessions are composed of specially designed, task-specific exercises that encourage interactive and collaborative learning experiences through student/tutor and peer-to-peer dialogues. During the semester, students are presented with core theoretical and practical components essential in satisfying the five subject learning objectives. The series includes practitioner and expert presentations open to all years to encourage a highly engaged learning experience throughout the course.

Studio sessions are forums for ongoing tutor feedback peer feedback, the exchange of ideas and knowledge, and the production of subject specific material. Formative feedback is designed to help students improve their performance in time for the submission of an assessment item. For this to occur students need to respond constructively to the feedback provided. This involves critically reflecting on advice given and in response, altering the approach taken to a given assessment. Formative feedback may also, on occasion, be provided by other students. It is delivered informally, either in conversation during a tutorial or in the course of discussion at the scale of the whole class. It is the student’s responsibility to record any feedback given during meetings or studio sessions.

Content (topics)

This subject addresses the following issues and topics:

1. Interior Architecture industry standard documentation.

2. Interior Architecture construction and processes related to tendering.

3. Interior Architecture technologies including lighting, joinery, wall, floor and ceiling finishes, furniture and signage.

4. Production of a numbered drawing package integrating sufficient scale and complexity to tender.

5. Training towards active collaboration and feedback loop in the management and production of documents.

Subject assessments aim to introduce key practice skills in design development, coordination and documentation.

The subject and its assessments are structured in three steps to follow a logical structure and reflect the way a project is produced in the Industry. The first assessment is focused on research and concept design, the second assessment is focussed on the production of plans, internal elevations and lighting. In the third and final assessment students draw joinery details and finalise the coordination of the documentation package to a level of tender documentation.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Research and Concept Design

Intent:

Assessment 1 consists of three tasks. Task 1a is a research based task, where students will be visiting material showrooms and will be analysing details of material display and storage strategies. For Task 1b students are modelling the existing site in a CAD program of their choice. For Task 1c students are creating a spatial concept design to set the foundations of the documentation that will be further detailed in the upcoming assessments 2 and 3.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2, 4 and 6

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.2, I.2, P.2 and R.3

Type: Project
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 25%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Depth of observation and analysis with high level of detail 30 6 R.3
Clear graphic presentation of details and concept proposals 30 1 C.2
Creative and thoughtful development of spatial layout 25 2 I.2
Correct CAD modelling of existing space 15 4 P.2
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Documentation and Lighting

Intent:

Assessment 2 is the documentation of the concept design developed in Assessment 1. This part is focused on producing greater level of detail in the interior design elements, materials and equipment. These include the development of a lighting concept and schedules.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 3, 5 and 7

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

A.1, C.1, I.2 and P.2

Type: Project
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 45%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Incorporation of site and programmatic requirements into documentation set 35 7 A.1
Clear and accurate graphic representation of documentation set to a level suitable for tendering purposes 35 1 P.2
Well considered lighting concept and lighting schedule 20 3 I.2
Active participation and engagement in tutorials 10 5 C.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Details

Intent:

Assessment 3 extends upon assessments 1 and 2, and is focused on the resolution of the numbered, indexed and fully detailed documentation package to a professional standard. This final assessment requires a collation and coordination of the drawing package with all details and schedules expected for a tender set of industry standard.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

2, 3, 7 and 8

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

A.2, C.2, I.3 and P.3

Type: Project
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 30%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Ability to develop a full set of integrated tender drawings 25 3 C.2
Ability to develop an integrated set of schedules 25 7 A.2
Ability to develop detailed joinery drawings 25 2 P.3
Ability to attain a documentation quality that can present well for the purposes of tendering 25 8 I.3
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Minimum requirements

The DAB attendance policy requires students to attend no less than 80% of formal teaching sessions (lectures and tutorials) for each class they are enrolled in to remain eligible for assessment.


Pursuant to “UTS Rule 3.8.2”, students who do not satisfy attendance requirements, may be refused permission by the Responsible Academic Officer to be considered for assessment for this subject.


Students can make themselves familiar with all University rules here:

https://www.uts.edu.au/about/uts-governance/rules/uts-student-rules

Students who are unable to attend for personal reasons (e.g. sickness) are to notify the subject's coordinators by email on the day of absence.

Required texts

Refer to the Reading List on Canvas.

Recommended texts

Construction and Drawing References:

Constructing Architecture: Materials, Processes, Structures: A Handbook, Basel, Birkhauser, 2013

Allen, E., 2007, Architectural Detailing: function, constructability, aesthetics (second edition), Hoboken, NJ, John Wiley and Sons (available online via UTS Library)

Details in Architecture: Creative Detailing by some of the World's Leading Architectus, Malgrave, Vic, Images Publishing, 1999 - 2003

Ching, F., 2014, Building Construction Illustrated, Hoboken, New Jersey, John Wiley and Sons

Atelier Bow-Wow, 2007, Graphic Anatomy 1, Toto Shuppan, Tokyo

Atelier Bow-Wow, 2014 Graphic Anatomy 2, Toto Shuppan, Tokyo