CIVE1155 : Sustainable Home Project Report Assignment 2

Qualifying Statement

Begin with the statement:
The proposed single dwelling development is situated within the Monash City Council Subdivision.
This establishes the project’s context within the specified regulatory framework and identifies the precise location of the development.

Compliance with Guidelines

Ensure the design complies with Monash City Council Guidelines. Explicitly reference these guidelines to demonstrate that the proposed dwelling aligns with local zoning, environmental, and sustainability requirements.

Key Descriptors

Provide a concise summary of critical site and dwelling characteristics:

• Block Area: Total area of the lot in square meters.

• Services Provision: Location and type of utilities (water, electricity, sewerage).

• Ground Floor Area: Floor area of the ground level in square meters.

• Upper Floor Area: Floor area of upper level(s), if applicable.

• Easement Details: Note easements affecting the site, including location and purpose.

• Orientation: Site orientation relative to cardinal directions (e.g., north-facing).

• Locality Map: Include annotated diagram showing lot, access roads, and key features.

Structural Description

Provide a technical description of the dwelling’s construction, e.g.:
“The structure comprises a brick veneer exterior with a timber-framed core, supported by a reinforced concrete slab foundation, and a tiled roof system utilizing timber trusses.”
Ensure the description reflects sustainable design principles and materials.

Passive Design Features

Diagrammatic Illustration

• Create a diagram showcasing passive design features using CAD drafting techniques.

• Include labels and explanatory notes with arrows to highlight design elements.

• Mark orientation (North, winter and summer wind directions).

• Quantify critical elements:

  • Window-to-wall ratios (e.g., 20% glazing on north-facing walls).

  • Shading overhang depths (e.g., 0.6 m).

  • Thermal mass area (e.g., 10 m⊃2; exposed concrete).

Optimum Orientation

• Illustrate how orientation maximizes winter solar gain and minimizes summer heat.

• Use a site plan to show placement of the home.

• Ensure north-facing living areas for optimal daylight.

Passive Design Elements

Highlight and explain the role of:

• Landscaping: Deciduous trees (e.g., 3 trees, 5 m from north-facing windows).

• Interior Layout: Living areas on the north side, utility spaces on the south.

• Thermal Mass: High-mass materials (e.g., 150 mm concrete slab).

• Cross Ventilation: Operable windows (e.g., 1.5 m⊃2;) placed to capture airflow.

Reflective Discussion

Provide a 300–500 word reflection discussing the design process:

• Challenges faced (e.g., lot shape, setback requirements).

• Limitations (e.g., blocked wind paths, budget constraints).

• Impact of these challenges and possible solutions.

Use technical reasoning (e.g., alternative shading strategies).

Achieving Planning Regulations

Compliance Table

Reference Monash Planning Scheme (Clause 54) standards, e.g.:

• A2 – Street Setback

• A4 – Site Coverage

• A8 – Side and Rear Setbacks

• A10 – Private Open Space

• A11 – Solar Access

• A20 – Energy Efficiency

Create a table with:

• Rule Reference

• Minimum Requirement

• Proposed Design

Include precise measurements (e.g., 7 m setback, 40% coverage, 10 m⊃2; windows).

Embodied Energy & Operational Energy

Step 1: Define Embodied Energy

Energy used in production, transport, and installation of materials.

Step 2: Identify High-Energy Materials

Concrete, bricks, or steel (foundation/walls).

Step 3: Reduce Embodied Energy

• Use timber instead of bricks.

• Source local materials to reduce transport energy.

Step 4: Energy-Saving & Green Features

• Passive heating and insulation.

• Solar panels and rainwater harvesting.

Step 5: Efficient Appliances

Choose 3–4 appliances with high star ratings (e.g., fridge, washing machine).

Step 6: FirstRate5 Software

Input floorplan and summarize heating/cooling energy usage.

Step 7: Compare Materials

Evaluate two materials (e.g., brick vs timber) for energy performance.

Brief summary of the assessment requirements

This assignment (CIVE1155 — Sustainable Home Project Report Part 1) asks you to design a single-dwelling “sustainable home” on a specified Monash City Council lot and to produce evidence that the design is technically justified, compliant and energy-aware. Key requirements and pointers to cover:

• Qualifying statement & context

  • State the lot/subdivision and situate the project in the Monash City Council planning framework.

• Compliance

  • Explicitly reference Monash City Council / Clause 54 rules and show conformity (setbacks, site coverage, solar access, energy efficiency).

• Key descriptors

  • Provide block area, services, ground / upper floor areas, easements, orientation and a small annotated locality map.

• Structural description

  • Short technical description of construction materials and sustainable material choices (e.g., brick veneer + timber frame + RC slab).

• Passive design

  • CAD diagrams showing orientation, winter/summer sun paths, wind directions.

  • Quantified passive data: window-to-wall ratios, overhang depths, thermal mass area, window sizes, operable areas for cross-ventilation.

  • Site plan showing optimal orientation and room zoning (north living, south utilities).

• Passive design elements

  • Landscaping, interior layout, thermal mass strategy and cross-ventilation details (with quantified specs).

• Reflective discussion (300–500 words)

  • Challenges, what could not be fully achieved, and technically justified compromises/alternatives.

• Planning compliance table

  • Map a selection of Clause 54 controls (A2, A4, A8, A10, A11, A20) to the proposed design with measured values and brief justification.

• Embodied & operational energy

  • Define embodied energy, identify high-energy materials, propose reduction strategies, list energy-saving features, specify efficient appliances, run FirstRate5 and summarise results, compare two material options.

• Water conservation

  • Estimate potable water demand for a 4-person household, propose conservation measures, estimate rainwater harvest, and illustrate potable/rainwater/greywater integration.

• Technical drawings

  • Provide scaled AutoCAD plans: PD1 (interior: ground & upper floor), PD2 (site layout, setbacks, services, easement), elevations (north & front).

• Submission format

  • All drawings and documents to be compiled, zipped and named Studentname_ID_Assignment2; include north indicators and required annotations.

How the academic mentor guided

Below is a concise walkthrough of the mentor’s approach while coaching the student through each section. Each step lists the mentor action, the student task, and the expected deliverable.

1. Kick-off: clarify brief & regulatory scope

   • Mentor: Reviewed the assignment brief and Monash planning clauses with the student; supplied a checklist of Clause 54 items to address.

   • Student: Read the council guidelines and recorded lot data.

   • Deliverable: Qualifying statement + annotated checklist of applicable planning rules.

2. Site and services audit

   • Mentor: Showed how to extract lot area, easements and utility locations from council maps / supplied data.

   • Student: Compiled block area, services provision, orientation and produced a locality map.

   • Deliverable: Key descriptors + locality map (annotated).

3. Structural description & sustainable materials

   • Mentor: Advised on writing a concise technical description and how to frame sustainable choices (e.g., timber vs brick in embodied energy terms).

   • Student: Produced the structural paragraph and a short materials rationale.

   • Deliverable: Structural description paragraph with material notes.

4. Passive design concept & CAD diagram

   • Mentor: Conducted a CAD-techniques mini tutorial (site plan scale, north, sun angles) and explained passive solar geometry.

   • Student: Drew site plan and passive design diagram, annotated winter/summer sun, wind directions and quantified elements (WWR, overhangs, thermal mass).

   • Deliverable: Passive design CAD diagram with labelled dimensions and calculations.

5. Room zoning and passive elements

   • Mentor: Suggested interior layout for thermal comfort and daylighting (north living, south services), and how to justify window placement for cross-ventilation.

   • Student: Produced annotated floor zoning and window/ventilation schedule (sizes and operable areas).

   • Deliverable: Floor zoning sketch and cross-ventilation notes.

6. Reflective discussion

   • Mentor: Provided reflection prompts (constraints, trade-offs, technical alternatives) and reviewed a draft to ensure analytical tone.

   • Student: Wrote a 300–500 word reflection discussing limitations and proposed technical fixes.

   • Deliverable: Final reflective paragraph.

7. Compliance table

   • Mentor: Taught how to extract Clause 54 numeric thresholds and map the proposed design metrics to each rule.

   • Student: Completed a table (Rule / Minimum / Proposed Design / Evidence).

   • Deliverable: Compliance table with measured values and supporting notes.

8. Embodied & operational energy analysis

   • Mentor: Explained embodied energy concept and simple strategies to reduce it (local timber, lower cement usage). Demonstrated FirstRate5 input steps and interpreting outputs.

   • Student: Identified high-energy materials, chose two materials to compare, ran FirstRate5 for heating/cooling loads and recorded results.

   • Deliverable: Short embodied energy section, FirstRate5 summary sketch and materials comparison.

9. Water strategy & three-pipe diagram

   • Mentor: Showed basic potable demand estimation method (e.g., 150 L/person/day) and rainwater yield formula; reviewed graywater reuse concepts.

   • Student: Calculated household potable demand, estimated annual rainwater collection and drew a schematic three-pipe integration diagram.

   • Deliverable: Water demand spreadsheet + three-pipe system diagram.

10. AutoCAD technical drawings

    • Mentor: Reviewed drawing standards (scale, north, dimensioning, naming). Checked room dimensions and window schedules.

    • Student: Finalised PD1 (plans) and PD2 (site & elevations) to specified scale and compiled files for submission.

    • Deliverable: AutoCAD plans, elevations and zipped submission folder.

11. Final QA and submission

    • Mentor: Performed a final compliance and evidence audit, ensured de-identification (if any site data sensitive), recommended file naming and PDF generation.

    • Student: Corrected minor compliance gaps, created final zipped folder and uploaded per instructions.

    • Deliverable: Complete Assignment2 zip (Studentname_ID_Assignment2.zip).

How the outcome was achieved

• Qualifying statement + annotated locality map.

• Key descriptors table (lot area, services, floor areas, easements, orientation).

• Structural description with sustainable material choices.

• CAD passive design diagram (north/sun/wind), quantified: WWR, overhangs, thermal mass.

• Annotated floor zoning (north living, south services) and cross-ventilation schedule.

• 300–500 word reflective discussion.

• Clause 54 compliance table with measured metrics and justification.

• Embodied energy notes, FirstRate5 energy summary and two-material comparison.

• Potable water demand calculation and three-pipe systems diagram.

• PD1 & PD2 AutoCAD drawings (plans, site plan, elevations) with north and schedules.

• Single zipped submission named per spec.

Learning objectives covered

• Regulatory literacy: interpret and apply local planning controls (Clause 54) and produce a compliance table.

• Site analysis & context: assess orientation, services and easements and use them to inform design decisions.

• Passive solar design: apply solar geometry, shading and thermal mass principles to improve seasonal performance.

• Sustainable materials & embodied energy: identify high-embodied-energy elements and propose lower-impact alternatives.

• Energy modelling: use FirstRate5 to estimate operational energy (heating/cooling) and interpret results.

• Water systems design: estimate potable demand and design rainwater/greywater integration.

• Technical communication & CAD: create accurate scaled drawings, schedules and annotated diagrams suitable for Council review.

• Critical reflection & professional judgment: articulate constraints, trade-offs and technically justified compromises.

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