Outline

Overview

This unit explores advanced building facades and their role in reducing environmental impacts while simultaneously enhancing indoor environment quality for building occupants. Advanced facades are those that are designed, analysed, procured and operated as a system. Optimisation of the often conflicting performance criteria of cooling load, lighting and daylighting, sound isolation, occupant comfort, costs and aesthetics requires an integrated approach from the whole team including architects, project managers, suppliers and engineers, from the earliest stages of the advanced facade design process. Specific topics to be covered in this unit include the integrated design approach to facades, the fundamental building physics determining facade performance, structural facade typologies, solar control facades, daylighting facades, double-skin facades, ventilated facades and dynamic facade systems. Various analytical procedures and simulation tools for the evaluation of high performance facade designs will also be examined. Costs and benefits of various design approaches will also be assessed from both owner and occupant perspectives.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	DESC9675
Academic unit	Architectural and Design Science
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Richard de Dear, richard.dedear@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Haico Schepers, haico.schepers@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Façade design Case study, report and oral presentation	40%	Week 06	A3 x 8 pages, 1500 words, 10 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Schematic design Design and report	60%	Week 13	A3 x 10 pages, 800 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Façade design: This assignment will review build-up of facades and the materials used. Teams will build a typical façade module using common materials. In doing so students will assess and evaluate the characteristics and uses of a broad range of materials. Students will work in small groups and will be given example materials to work with. Each group will present their research and critique on the façade build-up, material performance, and estimate the overall performance of the facade system. Groups will look for precedents and examples, and nominate key materials’ performance for the final design.
Schematic design: This assignment will review the facade of a selected building in Sydney and consider system typologies that have or could have been used. In doing so students will assess and evaluate the characteristics of a typical façade. They will present research on the façade build-up, material performance, and estimate the overall performance of the facade. The individual will then propose an alternative design for the façade for a different climatic region. They will build up the new façade with ideas and materials investigated in assignment one.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Work of outstanding quality, demonstrating mastery of the learning outcomes assessed. The work shows significant innovation, experimentation, critical analysis, synthesis, insight, creativity, and/or exceptional skill.
Distinction	75 - 84	Work of excellent quality, demonstrating a sound grasp of the learning outcomes assessed. The work shows innovation, experimentation, critical analysis, synthesis, insight, creativity, and/or superior skill.
Credit	65 - 74	Work of good quality, demonstrating more than satisfactory achievement of the learning outcomes assessed, or work of excellent quality for a majority of the learning outcomes assessed.
Pass	50 - 64	Work demonstrating satisfactory achievement of the learning outcomes assessed.
Fail	0 - 49	Work that does not demonstrate satisfactory achievement of one or more of the learning outcomes assessed.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 02	1. Façade system types; 2. Key general design issues; 3. Group formation; 4. Building selection	Lecture and tutorial (8 hr)
Week 04	1. Envelope physics, basics of heat transfer, condensation and ventilation; 2. Material issues; 3. Tutorial on material buildup glass section and U value and section J calculations	Lecture and tutorial (8 hr)
Week 06	1. Condensation, ventilation and daylight; 2. Presentation of group work; 3. Tutorial on daylight and performance documentation	Lecture and tutorial (8 hr)
Week 08	1. Waterproofing detailing and construction; 2. Other issues: structural, fire, acoustic, wind loads, health and safety; 3. Waterproofing joint design tutorial	Lecture and tutorial (8 hr)
Week 10	1. Specification development, manufacturing and contracts; 2. Example specification clause writing tutorial	Lecture and tutorial (8 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Please refer to the Resolutions of the University School: http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/architecture/rules/faculty_resolutions.shtml

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

reading materials relevant to the lectures will be posted to Canvas

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. use and understand the language and terminology associated with building façades
LO2. identify typical façade system typologies and be able to critique them in terms of key performance characteristics and implications on procurement and construction
LO3. understand key attributes of envelope physics and be able to calculate simple energy transfer and BCA section J requirements
LO4. design systems and joints incorporating principles of movement, waterproofing, structure and thermal transfer
LO5. communicate clearly the critical aspects of façade system design and execution in a form suitable to form a contract.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered

Additional information

Additional costs

Students are expected to cover costs associated with travelling to site visits and modelling assignments.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

DESC9675: High Performance Facades

Semester 1, 2021 [Block mode] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect