AIMS

The Web has radically changed society, politics, science, business and the way people work. This subject introduces the concepts, technologies and standards underpinning the World Wide web and its applications. You will learn to apply tools and techniques required to model, design and develop applications for the web that can run on one or more platforms. Topics covered include the infrastructure of the web; the architecture of web applications; data representation and structure of the web; modeling and development processes for Web applications; security and social aspects of the Web. This subject assumes background programming skills and the basics of algorithmic thinking. These skills are combined with incremental and iterative development to develop functional and creative web applications that can support specific requirements or aspects of human work or social behaviour.

INDICATIVE CONTENT  

Fundamental aspects of the Web: client server model, modelling of web applications (modelling data, content, functional aspects and navigation), incremental and iterative design and development of web applications, usability aspects and testing of web applications, and web application security.

Examples of Web applications that students develop are:

• A location-aware application for finding recommended restaurants nearby
• A social app for hosting and developing HTML5 games
• An application that lets users upload photos of themselves to see what they’d look like with different hairstyles

AIMS

Digital games are one of the largest entertainment industries, increasingly pervasive within society, and at the forefront of emerging technologies with respect to user experience and online social interaction. This subject will develop understanding and practical knowledge of the fundamental principles of game design, interactivity and immersion. It will examine how these techniques are increasingly being applied in contexts such as health, learning, web-design and in emerging virtual reality experiences. The subject will explore the deeper conceptual foundations of the theory of games and their use beyond the digital realm. Students will learn the underlying principles of how to design games, what games are and how they engage players. They will apply this knowledge to the analysis of games, the study of play, and the persuasive, transformative and educative potential of gaming experiences.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Fundamentals of game design; interactive techniques of gaming interfaces; social and collaborative techniques of game design; online game communities; trends in the games industry; mobile gaming; methods for studying play; persuasive games; gamification applications.

AIMS

As the 25pt capstone for the Digital Technologies Major, this subject creates an opportunity for students to work as an independent team to develop and evaluate a novel proposal for a new interactive technology or new application of existing technologies. The group will work under a supervisory framework and be given regular briefings on their activities and expected progress. Using knowledge and techniques from INFO10003Fundamentals of Interaction Design, the group will identify and analyse an existing situation of use, develop a ‘design concept’, and a digital prototype to realise part of that concept. Using knowledge and techniques from INFO20004 Usability Evaluation Methods, the group will conduct an evaluation of their prototype and interpret the resulting findings. Students will learn how to develop a technology innovation proposal for their design concept that builds on evaluation findings to mount a business case.

This subject was formerly known as Global Foundations of Architecture

This subject will survey the history of architecture and urbanism from the beginnings of shelter to the end of the 17th century in the context of social, technical and environmental settings. It will include the architecture and design traditions of early civilisations in the Middle East, Europe, South Asia, East Asia, South America and the Pacific. It will analyse the values reflected in vernacular buildings (housing), religious institutions (churches, temples), and the power of ruling institutions (state, city, palace and empire).

This subject provides a broad introduction to the processes and skills associated with the construction of buildings and introduces some of the techniques used in managing the construction process. The characteristics and nature of the construction industry are presented as well as an overview of the historical evolution of the built environment. The various roles and responsibilities in the construction industry are reviewed in the context of the building development process. Other critical aspects of the building development process are also presented, including the materials and equipment used in contemporary building projects, regulations, contracts, procurement methods, occupational health and safety, quality and project management. Emphasis is placed on the importance of organisation, problem solving, teamwork and communication in the construction industry, reinforced by the collaborative approach to subject activities and assessment. Emerging industry trends are explored, including environmental sustainability, technological innovation and the use of information technology. Construction site visits and industry professionals provide a real-world demonstration of the theories and principles covered.

This subject is concerned with building a foundation for design as a discipline, introducing students to the role of representation in design and architecture in contemporary practice. The subject aims to develop student's skills by teaching them how to carefully observe and analyse information using different forms of media.

A series of lectures will introduce students to a range of vector based representation techniques. Why do designers draw? What is the role of representation? This subject emphasises the importance of developing a critical understanding of representational devices and operative design techniques.

The subject will explore key ideas addressed in the lecture series and put them into practice using a variety of representation techniques including orthogonal projection (by hand), model making, 2D vector based drawing and 3D modelling using common industry software.

Students will learn how to manage data, information and representation workflows between different software, how to represent spatial information, how to draw and model with care and develop a critical eye.

At the end of semester, students will design and prepare their own portfolio.

Note: Students are encouraged to purchase a laptop with suggested faculty specifications. Further information can be found on https://msd.unimelb.edu.au/abp-specialist-it-support

Incidental costs

This subject requires students to purchase tools and materials for the successful completion of 2D and 3D assessment tasks. Equipment includes tools beneficial for future subjects within the degree, but also consumables such as printing and modelling material.  Estimated total costs are $200 to $300 per person.

This subject focuses on how design ideas are translated into built form through the process of construction. Students learn about the various professionals and trades that are involved, how construction information is communicated in contract documents, and about the structural principles and material properties that underpin the form and fabric of the built environment.

Through analysis, observation, experimentation, testing and review, students explore how designs become buildings. Site visits and model making and other exercises are used to engage students with structures (e.g. force and support systems), materials (e.g. metals, masonry, ceramics, polymers and timber) and construction case studies.

Physical and environmental properties of materials are presented together with their construction techniques and life cycle issues.

Costs to Students:

Students will be required to bring the drawing materials purchased for the prerequisite subject Foundations of Design - Representation. In addition an eight metre measuring tape, scale ruler and set of working drawings will be required along with printouts of assignments for submission; cost approx. $50-$100 per person.

Underlying the undergraduate design course is the development of both design thinking and dexterity with tools and techniques. The focus of this design subject will be on generating design ideas, translating them into architectural forms, spaces, materials and programs. Students will learn how to refine architecture through consideration of spatial organisation, environmental context and structural necessity. Students will also learn how to communicate comprehensive architectural propositions through 2D- and 3D-modelling (physical and digital), visual and written media and oral presentations.

Methodologies of critical observation, critical inquiry and critical thinking are introduced through a series of short assignments that build on one another and focus on architectural concepts such as form, space, proportion and scale.

The design studio will develop four distinct investigations throughout the semester, touching on a range of design issues and approaches including use of precedent, use of critical analysis in the design process, elements and systems, additive and subtractive geometry manipulation, cultural/artistic transposition and basic generative modelling. This will be produced through iterative processes of production, review, incorporation and resolution.

This subject will allow students to gain an understanding of the built environments within an economic context. Students will learn to apply principles of economics to the dynamic interrelationship between economic forces and development. Students will learn about the role of governmental and other institutions: through an analysis of land and property market outcomes and through an economic critique of legislation affecting land and property markets, and the role of property as an asset: by exploring the interaction between property investments and other asset markets and by exploring the many different ways in which ownership of property can be acquired.

The subject introduces students to skills relevant to the study and practice of urban design and planning. It builds a broad understanding of the ways urban designers and planners might successfully intervene in urban places, and gives students the practical means to be able to develop plans, policies and designs to improve urban places, and to achieve multiple objectives.
Key skills for writing, drawing, urban analysis, design, and working at the scales relevant to urban design and planning, will be developed in a mixed suite of lectures, workshops, field trips, tutorials and studios. Students will work on a key project for the semester that allows to develop key skills, culminating in the production of a design for an urban place. Students will develop abilities in presenting, using a variety of media and in a range of settings.

Principles of Structural Design introduces engineering and construction concepts with a mix of design projects, interactive workshops and lectures. An introduction to rigid body dynamics will be given through theory and case studies related to the built environment. Through analysis, model simulations, laboratory work, testing and evaluation, students will explore the fundamentals of structural analysis and commonly used construction methods and systems. The contextual links between structural theory and the finished construction will be provided by considering the fabrication, erection / construction and buildability issues.

This subject is natural history. This is an old, lovely, and holistic term referring to what is in the natural world. This subject joins the humanities and the sciences; it will be delivered across disciplines, with a rich and exciting mix of material and information. It is an overview of: human history and past landscapes; Earth history; some soils; how plants work; material conserved in collections; the history of natural history collecting; herbaria, museums, arboretums, and national parks; indigenous knowledge; agricultural history; ocean systems; and dealing with natural history in a designed, built, and managed future. It is suitable for all built environment majors as an Elective. Breadth students are very welcome; this will be an excellent subject for you. This subject will extend written skills and enhance appreciation of the variety of the natural world.

Underlying the undergraduate design course is the development of both design thinking and dexterity with tools and techniques. The focus of this design subject will be on generating design ideas, translating them into architectural forms, spaces, materials and programs. Students will learn how to refine architecture through consideration of spatial organisation, environmental context and structural necessity. Students will also learn how to communicate comprehensive architectural propositions through 2D- and 3D-modelling (physical and digital), visual and written media and oral presentations.

The focus in the design studio shifts to technologies and techniques in architectural practice. The studio assignments create an accretive conceptual investigation of fundamental principles into the making of buildings, including structure, enclosure, circulation, program, site, and light. An essential aspect of the design process is the incorporation of abstract thinking and abstraction within architectural production.

Critical use of diagramming, conceptual mapping, narratives, animations and performative expositions join with conventional techniques (plan, section, elevation, axonometric projections and perspectives) to generate and document design ideas.

The design studio focuses on singular, medium-scale private or institutional programs on prototypical sites, with the development scope of up to 1000m2. The emphasis is on speculative undertakings.

Underlying the undergraduate design course is the development of both design thinking and dexterity with tools and techniques. The focus of this design subject will be on generating design ideas, translating them into architectural and urban landscape forms, spaces, materials and programs. Students will learn how to refine architecture through consideration of spatial organisation, environmental context and structural necessity. Students will also learn how to communicate comprehensive architectural propositions through 2D- and 3D-modelling (physical and digital), visual and written media and oral presentations.

The focus in this design studio is on issues of materiality, with supporting courses in construction and structures. The studio develops familiarity with, and critical awareness of, processes and modes of production that are specific to architecture and the design of urban or inner suburban landscapes. Group work comprises part of the early phases of the studio as team work is a fundamental aspect of architectural practice. Students learn to negotiate individual aspirations and design propositions with multiple partners and associates.

This design studio focuses on multiple interconnected programs and complex buildings, on local sites, with a development scope of up to 10,000m2. These could form a civic complex or a residential complex, or a set of schools or educational buildings. The designated site will be located within the urban or inner suburban area of Melbourne. The emphasis is on speculative undertakings.

Additional costs to students

Printing and model making costs associated with Studio Gamma at approximately $300.00.

This subject will consider the development of modern architecture during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It will include: the origins and development of modernism; changing ideas of housing, urbanism and society; functionalism and expression; materiality and spatial organisation; the changing role of the architect; key ideas of seminal thinkers; reactions to and interpretations of modernism; post-modernism and deconstruction. Particular attention will be paid to global migrations of modernist ideas including Asia/Pacific modernities and the postcolonial condition.

This subject continues the knowledge from Foundations of Design: Representation. We will examine rule base thinking in digital design through processes of modelling and fabrication. The ability to develop these thinking through contemporary techniques of abstraction, evaluation, formulation, and transformation of information as ideas and knowledge is critical in digital design.

In this subject, students will develop an understanding of design process and workflow through modelling of information, both as virtual data and physical material. We will focus on using digital and physical modelling as iterative, progressive and generative techniques in developing form and design content.

A series of lectures will introduce students to a range of processes and techniques in digital design and its implementation in architecture and design. We will explore some of these methodologies in detail through a series of exercises and design brief. Students will learn rule based design process and developed skill in parametric design software resulting in physical artefacts using digital fabrication tools. The emphasis will be on developing a critical understanding of the relationship between media and its outcomes, and how modelling and digital fabrication techniques can encourage or constrain design possibilities.

Concluding each lecture, students will be introduced to self-teaching modules that will enable further experimentation with media and techniques. At the end of the semester, students will compile their personal portfolio with precision using reflective writing to anchor and demonstrate design thinking.

Costs to Students:

• Students will be required to purchase modelling and drawing materials for the course including cost to cover laser cutting and 3d printing; cost approx. $300 to $380 per person. 
• Rhino 3d can be downloaded free for 90 days trial. Please note that future subjects in your major may require this software; especially if you are majoring in Architecture and Landscape Architecture.
• Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) can be purchased on monthly bases. You will require Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign for this subject. (See Required Resources folder for further details)
• Grasshopper and Unreal Engine are available free to student to download. 

This subject was formerly called Construction Methods.

This subject explores the idea of construction as a process linking specific principles, materials, elements, systems and techniques strategically. Using a set of individual buildings as case studies, Construction Analysis will review and explain the physical anatomy of given technological types, emphasizing their latitude for change within accepted mechanical performance frameworks.

Why do governments plan for cities and regions? What kinds of issues are they responding to? Why do planning decisions get some people so angry? This subject will move from the very local scale (planning issues on my street), to the metropolitan (planning issues in my city-region) and international (planning issues in a global context) scales, in order to examine central issues and processes affecting planning systems in Australia and around the world. The subject is designed to provide an introductory understanding of current social, economic, environmental, and cultural concerns and their relation to planning policies and practices.

This subject covers key elements of building services and sustainability at a residential and commercial scale. The subject aims to teach the basic terminology and concepts behind providing comfortable and effectively functioning buildings in terms of sun, envelope, services (water, waste, gas, electricity, data, fire protection), heating and cooling, air quality, acoustics and vertical transport. Using the sustainability tools being used in the industry (FirstRate5, and Green Star) students will be given a framework in which to understand how buildings perform and their impact on the environment. They will also be introduced to modelling software that will enable them to carry out performance analysis of initial designs.

Modern-day, sophisticated property professionals, in their roles as key advisers, developers or investors, are required to lead and/or act in close collaboration with a wide range of other professionals in the analysis and management of property development and property investment projects. Professional property practitioners need to gain a strong understanding of the principles, processes and systems associated with the design and construction of buildings. Construction is, effectively, the largest cost element in a property’s lifecycle, is a source of considerable risk, and its project management is of major importance.

This subject provides an introduction to that strategic knowledge. It discusses, for instance, residential low rise construction e.g. individual house-dwellings, master planned communities, and, commercial and industrial construction systems e.g. medium and high density residential, offices, warehouses, shopping centres, by providing a broad overview on the materials utilised, construction methods, the management of the construction process and the roles of the other professional that, as a team, deliver project.

The various design concepts and structural systems currently used are discussed with an emphasis on how those building features affect the use and cost of construction and, thereby, the value of a property. The selection of materials, its application and performance are incorporated throughout the subject, leading to an awareness of building performance and maintenance, which also impact on property performance, profitability and value.

The subject describes and emphasises the indelible links between the market’s demand for property, financial feasibility of projects, the design response, the methods, systems and cost of construction and their combined effect on property values.

This subject, will the delivered in a series of weekly lectures, tutorials and a number of visits to construction sites.

This subject was formerly known as Residential Construction and Structures.

A major portion of the general public has aspirations for home ownership and this continues to drive the residential market in Australia. This subject provides an introduction to residential and multi-unit residential low rise construction systems with an emphasis on materials selection, usage and construction methods. The various structural systems and design concepts currently in use are incorporated and interlinked into all the topics, which include an introduction to footing, floor, wall and roof framing systems and their compliance with Australian Standard Codes. The structural considerations include the analysis of loads, load paths, lateral stability, timber column and beam design for strength and stiffness, and general beam behaviour and statics analysis. The issue of materials technology, its application and performance are incorporated throughout the lecture series leading to an awareness of building pathology and maintenance. The subject also provides an introduction to residential services.

This subject was formerly known as Concrete Structures and Construction

Commercial and high rise construction (excluding industrial buildings) relies heavily on the use of reinforced concrete for structural components. The cost of the building structure is a significant portion of the total cost of the project. Interpretations of the information provided by the engineers’ reinforced concrete drawings and specifications provides the necessary means to be able to transfer this data into the physical built form. As a result, this subject investigates the rheology of concrete and the use of admixtures. Structural design concepts for reinforced concrete structures are analysed and their influence on construction methods assessed. The concepts relate to reinforced concrete frames including slab and beam systems, prestressed concrete design concepts and construction methods and composite construction systems. Other related topics include exposed concrete surface finishes, sprayed concrete technology, concrete detailing and constructability.

Incidental costs

Students will be required to purchase personal protective equipment (steel-toed boots, hard-hat, hi-vis vest and safety goggles); cost approx. $80 to $120 per person. Students may use equipment from a previous subject if these are in good working condition

This subject introduces the quantification of building works. It covers the principles and practice of measurement in simple residential construction including the application and use of the Australian Standard Method of Measurement (ASMM) of Building works in practice. It covers the following aspects: writing description/specifications for measured building items; purpose and preparation of Bill of Quantities (BoQ); Processes of preparing BoQ including: taking-off, working-up, abstracting and billing; types of bill formats and their uses; basic principles of measurement and description of the following: groundworks (ordinary strip foundation on flat sites – linear) and superstructure (walls – masonry, and partitions including cladding; floors in concrete, reinforcement and formwork, simple timber pitched roof, Roofing, and finishes); Concept of BoQ estimating, pricing of items and introduction to building-up of rates for work items; Introduction to computerised measurement; Tender process.

The subject considers the nature and operation of investment markets with a focus on three major asset classes; shares, bonds and property. It looks at the characteristics of these different investment options, especially in terms of the risks and returns associated with each. The module also introduces basic financial mathematics involving the time value of money, calculation of present and future values, and the computing of rates of return for investments or projects with property as a context. An introduction to the interpretation, analysis and use of financial statements (profit and loss statements, cash-flow statements and balance sheets) is provided. Finally, it considers the application of appropriate accounting and regulatory standards in interpretation of financial statements.

Incidental costs

A financial calculator is required, specifically the HP10bii+. The cost is approximately $65.

This subject introduces students to the basic principles and business concepts of Property, through examination of the underlying drivers of commercial Property Development and Property Investment, the underlying systems and relationships – social, commercial, political, economic and environmental - which govern the operation of property markets with particular reference to urban property in Australia. More specifically, the subject examines the nature of property, property and site analysis, the statutory planning process to obtain a planning permit, property market research, and relevance of these processes to development of financial modelling and examination of property productivity, profitability and financial performance. In addition, there is an examination of the participants in the property industry, their roles and how they interact. Topics include:

• the character of property and property interests;
• the nature of markets and exchange;
• property markets and their evolution;
• stakeholders;
• markets and sub-market characteristics;
• highest and best use/most probable use and property potential analysis;
• value and worth in the property context; property classes – residential, industrial, retail, commercial, other public and private sector interests;
• market maturity;
• property development process;
• property investment;
• site analysis;
• underlying concepts associated with planning, planning policy and the statutory planning process;
• market analysis and marketability analysis;
• market analysis techniques;
• the underlying sources of information that lead to the development of financial feasibility for investment property and property development;
• how research and decisions related to assessments of site analysis, statutory planning and market research relate to the development of financial feasibility models, measurement of a property’s potential productivity, profitability and financial performance;
• relevance of risk assessment, mitigation and management throughout feasibility process;
• examination of data sources, collection, analysis, synthesis and review;
• indicators of market movements.

Modern-day, sophisticated property professionals, in their roles as key advisers, developers or investors, are required to lead and/or act in close collaboration with a wide range of other professionals in the analysis and management of property development and property investment projects. Professional property practitioners need to gain a strong understanding of the principles, processes and systems associated with the design and construction of buildings. Construction is, effectively, the largest cost element in a property’s lifecycle, is a source of considerable risk, and its project management is of major importance.

This subject provides an introduction to that strategic knowledge. It discusses, for instance, residential low rise construction e.g. individual house-dwellings, master planned communities, and, commercial and industrial construction systems e.g. medium and high density residential, offices, warehouses, shopping centres, by providing a broad overview on the materials utilised, construction methods, the management of the construction process and the roles of the other professional that, as a team, deliver project.

The various design concepts and structural systems currently used are discussed with an emphasis on how those building features affect the use and cost of construction and, thereby, the value of a property. The selection of materials, its application and performance are incorporated throughout the subject, leading to an awareness of building performance and maintenance, which also impact on property performance, profitability and value.

The subject describes and emphasises the indelible links between the market’s demand for property, financial feasibility of projects, the design response, the methods, systems and cost of construction and their combined effect on property values.

This subject, will the delivered in a series of weekly lectures, tutorials and a number of visits to construction sites.

Underlying the undergraduate design course is the development of both design thinking and dexterity with tools and techniques. The focus of this design subject will be on generating design ideas, translating them into architectural forms, spaces, materials and programs. Students will learn how to refine architecture through consideration of spatial organisation, environmental context and structural necessity. Students will also learn how to communicate comprehensive architectural propositions through 2D- and 3D-modelling (physical and digital), visual and written media and oral presentations.

The focus in the design studio will be on issues of organisational sophistication and the consequence of planning. A critical understanding of how architectural design, planning and spatial order deal with the social, political and civic relationships that define a community, and how architecture transforms or assists (or resists) the transformations of these communities. Particular emphasis will be placed on awareness and critical appreciation of the consequential nature of architectural production, that is, how the control and use of architectural effects are a means of architectural production.

The design studio focuses on multiple, interconnected programs and complex buildings, on sites with a development scope of up to 20,000m2. These could form a civic complex or a residential complex, or a set of schools or educational buildings. The designated site will be located within the urban or inner suburban area of Melbourne. The emphasis is on speculative undertakings.

Underlying the undergraduate design course is the development of both design thinking and dexterity with tools and techniques. The focus of this design subject will be on generating design ideas, translating them into architectural forms, spaces, materials and programs. Students will learn how to refine architecture through consideration of spatial organisation, environmental context and structural necessity. Students will also learn how to communicate comprehensive architectural propositions through 2D- and 3D-modelling (physical and digital), visual and written media and oral presentations.

This is the capstone subject for the Architecture major in the Bachelor of Design, integrating previous coursework in the major.

The focus of this subject is architecture that deals with design issues at the urban scale. The site and accompanying projects deal with a development of up to 100,000m2, or a combination of sites at this scale. The project will see the design within the context of an urban morphology and will examine and explore the consequences of individual projects to their surrounding context. The project will engage with historical, theoretical, structural, and environmental ideas relevant to the specific project through the lectures and various design exercises.

In this capstone subject a high degree of design resolution and comprehensive presentation of the project is expected. The completed project and design journal forms the centrepiece of an undergraduate portfolio.

This subject articulates and tests the idea of construction as a process requiring cultural and technical choices. While Construction Analysis focuses on the internal mechanics of building systems, Construction Design moves from the analysis of specific architectural ideas to arrive at the evaluation and selection of implementation alternatives. Mixing built examples and project proposals, students will be shown how to identify, evaluate and engage with the technological underpinnings of architecture.

The focus of this studio will be on the production of a design for an urban open space. It will introduce a range of precedents, principles, and practices for urban landscape design.

This is a studio capstone subject that bridges design and ecological science. Studio projects will address ecological design as fundamental to modern landscape architectural practice. The studio integrates teaching and learning activities through a digital design platform, with the core program of Rhino, to enhance design skills and prepare students for entry into the postgraduate professional degree. Students will receive weekly feedback in studio and indications of their progress.

Contractual rights, obligations and construction contracts are presented. Construction legislation and statutory controls are also investigated along with contractual disputes and resolutions. A significant part of the subject aims to provide students with the basic principles and practice of administering building and construction projects in accordance with their respective conditions of contract. Various forms of domestic and international standard building contracts are presented along with the basic principles and practice of administrating construction contracts. Typical standard contracts are presented and analysed in detail. In particular, conditions of contract, role and responsibilities of parties to the contract, insurance and security, progress payments, variations to the contract, adjustment to the contract, delays, defects, completion of the works and retention monies are covered.

This subject was formerly known as Project Planning Studio

This capstone subject brings together and builds on an understanding of construction technologies and introduces project management concepts. Using an integrated project involving a series of studio-based exercises, students will translate a design proposal into operational construction and project management plans. A project based learning environment will be formulated for students to experience construction and project management decision making from concept through to completion. Details of project environment, construction systems, resource constraints, production processes, and management tools and methods will be explored and efficient project plans will be developed.

Students will form teams and work on assigned projects appropriately selected from the industry. Different roles in the project will be played by the teams. For example, the tenderers are to prepare a project development proposal based on the requirements of the client and then develop operational plans to implement the project. To accomplish this, the tenderers need to plan the construction project based on the development proposal, clients’ requirements and resources available. They are to estimate and evaluate activity durations, simulate and adjust construction sequences and balance resources involved. In developing the construction plan, alternative construction systems and methods will be examined and compared. Essential elements of the plan include construction equipment, temporary works and site layout. Site safety is an integral part of the plan.

The planning processes will be assisted by introducing commercial computer applications.

This subject was formerly known as Structures and Construction Systems.

Commercial construction can take many forms and often includes a multitude of complex systems with specific plant and equipment requirements. These commercial buildings can include high, medium or low rise office or apartment buildings, hospitals and institutional buildings, shopping centres, sporting facilities and warehouse industrial sheds. Each project has characteristic structural forms and resultant methods of construction. This subject investigates the various structural design concepts and their influence on construction. The topics covered include the interpretation of steelwork drawings and specifications, steel frame buildings and wide span industrial sheds, warehouse concrete pavements, basement construction and site retention methods, piling systems and construction methods to suit various geotechnical conditions, tilt slab construction methods and precast concrete building systems. Construction detailing and constructability are the key issues covered within each topic, together with organisation of the construction process and hybrid construction systems.

Incidental costs

Students will be required to purchase personal protective equipment (steel-toed boots, hard-hat, hi-vis vest and safety goggles); cost approx. $80 to $120 per person. Students may use equipment from a previous subject if these are in good working condition

This subject focuses on issues affecting the management of construction projects at the site level. An overview of production management and how it relates to the construction industry is provided along with consideration of issues affecting the efficient use of resources such as labour, subcontract labour, materials, plant and equipment. Construction project planning methods and resource management systems are introduced. Labour productivity improvement techniques such as work, study and activity sampling are presented. Critical path scheduling is introduced and the construction plan for a low rise commercial building is undertaken. Contractor's cost control, industrial relations, site safety and quality assurance are also examined.

 Incidental costs

Students will be required to purchase personal protective equipment (steel-toed boots, hard-hat, hi-vis vest and safety goggles); cost approx. $90 to $120 per person. Students may use equipment from a previous subject if these are in good working condition.  

A key challenge for urban planning is to develop and assess a range of possible future scenarios that can confirm, question and sometimes challenge ongoing processes and trends. This subject uses a range of publicly-available, quantitative data, along with key policy documents, to analyse selected current processes and trends in urban areas. These trends and issues are used as a basis to generate goals and assess a range of scenarios for the future management of urban processes and ongoing change. Students will critically examine existing policy, alongside their assessment of key trends, as a basis for developing and justifying new policy options.

The focus of this studio is on the development or redevelopment of a precinct-scale site. Students will undertake site investigations and prepare analysis that will lead into developing a vision for the precinct and a related urban design and planning framework. The future imagining of the precinct will be completed with the preparation of concept designs of the precinct.

This studio will have an emphasis on relating the fields of urban design and urban planning. Studios and presentations are carried out in an environment that simulates real-life projects with an emphasis on group collaboration and presentation/communication skills.

The future imagining of the precinct will be completed with the preparation of detailed concept designs of the precint. This studio will have an emphasis on relating the fields of urban design and urban planning.

This is a final year Bachelor of Environments subject, undertaken in a seminar studio based environment. It consolidates students’ prior learning of property concepts and principles, property markets, property valuation, statutory planning, feasibility and investment evaluation and finance. Featuring real-world case studies of income producing commercial property investments and property development projects, it will nurture the student’s interest and understanding of complex technical and financial processes related to property. The case studies will demonstrate the requirement and skills associated with the management of a wide range of professions and entities necessary to develop and manage commercial property investments and developments.

Property and property valuation matter, Residential and commercial properties form a substantial part of a nation’s wealth. The practice of quantifying the wealth of landed resources affects the stability of the local, the national and the global markets.

This subject introduces students to the main systems and relationships which govern the generation of opinions of market value for urban property held under freehold title in Victoria. Topics include: value and market value; the property market; the valuation profession; methods of valuation; the valuation process; factors influencing value; direct comparison; data collection; data analysis; procedures for determining and reporting value; the main valuation methods; valuation of property leased at market rent

This core subject for the Bachelor of Design property major draws together economic, physical/environmental, financial and legal aspects relating to the management of the property asset from the perspective of a managing agent or major property portfolio manager who are responsible for the performance of investment properties during the 95% of their economic life between the completion of initial construction and eventual demolition.
Topics include:

• What is property management?;
• Stakeholders including: public and private perspectives, and owner/investor and occupier perspectives;
• Managing properties from various use classifications;
• Managing the physical asset: property inspections;
• Services – contract management;
• Planned programmed maintenance systems, etc.;
• Legal, environmental and market demands including lease conditions and management;
• Sustainability risk management;
• OHS;
• International comparisons.

This subject is undertaken in a studio environment, and builds upon prior property subjects and consolidates understanding of business planning and objectives, site analysis, statutory planning analysis, property markets, market analysis, & marketability analysis, construction and other development costs, financial feasibility, sensitivity analysis, risk analysis, development funding, property valuation, the broader urban planning concept and requirement for sustainability in development.

Students, working in small groups are required to source and analyse potential property development sites, carry out high level feasibilities, choose an optimal business case, develop multiple design / development options for one site, carry out detailed site, market and marketability analyses, statutory planning, financial feasibility and risk analysis to determine whether a project should proceed beyond feasibility stage.

Metropolitan areas have changed substantially through history. This subject examines the ideas, values and forces that influenced the physical growth and development of urban areas in the developed world. Using examples in Melbourne where possible and focusing on specific features and concepts of space and community, the subject considers social, economic, political and environmental processes of urban change. It provides opportunities for students to speculate on the future of our cities in the twenty-first century and to consider the role of the planner, the citizen, governing bodies, and other forces, on the shape and changing role of the city.

Ecological design is an interdisciplinary endeavour that demands a high level of scientific literacy from the lead designer. This subject, Designing Living Systems, examines the technical aspects of ecological design in the urban context.

Through a series of lectures, seminars and tutorials delivered by practitioners and experts from the allied disciplines, this subject guides the students through the process of developing a conceptual ecological design that is grounded in applied urban ecology.

This seminars and studio-based core subject explores the integration of living systems into Melbourne’s urban environments, focusing on where people live and work. The subject builds on theories, principles, practices and representations introduced in Natural History and focuses on design applicability through a series of assignments.

Urban Design introduces the visual, spatial, social and design dimensions in planning for public spaces. Urban Design for People and Places examines how a city’s built form, function and structure is shaped by its interaction with multidimensional forces – including the physical, technological, cultural, social, economic, and environmental –to create a public life which continuously shapes and is shaped by both people’s activities and the places they inhabit. It explores a broad range of concepts, theories, principles, and processes to frame the urban design practice – developing, proposing and negotiating creative urban design solutions to address urban issues in a dynamic setting.

This subject extends students' knowledge of functions and calculus and introduces them to the topics of vectors and complex numbers. Students will be introduced to new functions such as the inverse trigonometric functions and learn how to extend the techniques of differentiation to these. Integration techniques will be applied to solving first order differential equations.

Differential calculus: graphs of functions of one variable, trigonometric functions and their inverses, derivatives of inverse trigonometric functions, implicit differentiation and parametric curves. Integral calculus: properties of the integral, integration by trigonometric and algebraic substitutions and partial fractions with a variety of applications. Ordinary differential equations: solution of simple first order differential equations arising from applications such as population modelling. Vectors: dot product, scalar and vector projections, plane curves specified by vector equations. Complex numbers: arithmetic of complex numbers, sketching regions in the complex plane, De Moivre's Theorem, roots of polynomials, the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra.

This subject will extend knowledge of calculus from school. Students are introduced to hyperbolic functions and their inverses, the complex exponential and functions of two variables. Techniques of differentiation and integration will be extended to these cases. Students will be exposed to a wider class of differential equation models, both first and second order, to describe systems such as population models, electrical circuits and mechanical oscillators. The subject also introduces sequences and series including the concepts of convergence and divergence.

Calculus topics include: intuitive idea of limits and continuity of functions of one variable, sequences, series, hyperbolic functions and their inverses, level curves, partial derivatives, chain rules for partial derivatives, directional derivative, tangent planes and extrema for functions of several variables. Complex exponential topics include: definition, derivative, integral and applications. Integration topics include: techniques of integration and double integrals. Ordinary differential equations topics include: first order (separable, linear via integrating factor) and applications, second order constant coefficient (particular solutions, complementary functions) and applications.

This subject gives a solid grounding in key areas of modern mathematics needed in science and technology. It develops the concepts of vectors, matrices and the methods of linear algebra. Students should develop the ability to use the methods of linear algebra and gain an appreciation of mathematical proof. Little of the material here has been seen at school and the level of understanding required represents an advance on previous studies.

Systems of linear equations, matrices and determinants; vectors in real n-space, cross product, scalar triple product, lines and planes; vector spaces, linear independence, basis, dimension; linear transformations, eigenvalues, eigenvectors; inner products, least squares estimation, symmetric and orthogonal matrices.

This subject introduces important mathematical methods required in engineering such as manipulating vector differential operators, computing multiple integrals and using integral theorems. A range of ordinary and partial differential equations are solved by a variety of methods and their solution behaviour is interpreted. The subject also introduces sequences and series including the concepts of convergence and divergence.

Topics include: Vector calculus, including Gauss’ and Stokes’ Theorems; sequences and series; Fourier series, Laplace transforms; systems of homogeneous ordinary differential equations, including phase plane and linearization for nonlinear systems; second order partial differential equations and separation of variables.

This subject is designed for students with a sound background in physics, and aims to provide a strong understanding of a broad range of physics principles.
Topics include:
Mechanics: describing and explaining translational and rotational motion, for example in the contexts of human and animal movement and transport (Newton’s laws of motion, both translational and rotational; energy transfer and transformation; momentum and impulse; simple harmonic motion, equilibrium).
Waves and sound: water waves; seismic waves; production and detection of sound, eg. musical instruments, hearing; ultrasound (reflection and refraction, superposition, resonance, energy transport, absorption, Doppler effect).
Optics: optical imaging, sensors and optical instruments, human vision, crystallography (dispersion, lenses and mirrors, interference, diffraction, polarisation).
Gravitation: weightlessness, planetary and satellite orbits, escape velocity (universal gravity, Kepler’s laws).
Special relativity: particle accelerators, the ‘twin paradox’ (Einstein’s modification of Newtonian physics, relativity of time and space, equivalence of mass and energy).
Vector notation, and differential and integral calculus, are used wherever appropriate.

AIMS

In many projects, it is important for programmers to have fine control over low-level details of program execution, and to be able to assess the cost of a design decision on likely overall program performance. This subject introduces students to a system programming language that gives programmers this kind of control, explores a range of standard data structures and algorithmic techniques, and shows how to apply them to frequently encountered problems.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Introduction to computer organization
• Machine level representation of data
• Programming in a system programming language
• Pointers and dynamic memory allocation
• Program semantics and arguments about correctness
• Induction and recursion
• Basic searching algorithms (linear and binary)
• Basic sorting algorithms (such as selection sort, insertion sort, quicksort)
• Basic data structures (binary search trees and hash tables)
• Asymptotic complexity
• Standard software development tools such as debuggers.

AIMS

Computing programming can be used to solve problems in many diverse areas, such as business, science, humanities, and design. Many tasks in these areas require manipulating, analysing, and visualising data and media using computer programs. This subject teaches students with little or no background in computer programming how to design and write basic programs using a high-level procedural programming language, and to solve simple problems using these skills, with a specific focus on media computation, such as manipulating images and dynamic web content.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Fundamental programming constructs; fundamental data structures; abstraction; basic program structures; algorithmic problem solving; introduction to the media computation and introduction to the Web.

AIMS

How do you design interactive technologies that are useful, usable and satisfying? How can we better understand user needs in order to inform the design of new technologies? Fundamentals of Interaction Design addresses these questions, and students will learn about the key theories, concepts and industry methods that are crucial to the user-centred design process.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Theoretical foundations of Interaction Design
• Design principles and heuristics
• Usability and user experience
• Methods for understanding user needs (e.g., contextual inquiry, ethnography, interviews)
• Interview data analysis
• Techniques for communicating context of use (e.g., scenarios, personas, and rich pictures)
• Prototyping and visual design
• Interfaces and platforms of interactive technologies

Statics introduces the principles of how objects behave when subject to forces with a mix of design projects, interactive workshops and lectures. It assumes a preference of mathematical, graphical and analytical ways of knowing, quantitative analysis and physical principles. Through analysis, model simulations, laboratory work, testing and evaluation, students will explore the fundamentals of structural analysis and commonly used materials, construction/manufacturing methods and systems. Considering the design, fabrication, buildability and sustainability issues will provide the contextual links between statics theory and the finished product.

The aim of this subject is to provide an introduction to modelling the stresses and deformations that occur when axial, torsional and flexural loads are applied to a body in static equilibrium, as well as the translational and rotational motions that eventuate in a body subject to different load applications. This material will be complemented with laboratory and project based approaches to learning.

The subject provides the basis for all the mechanical engineering subjects that follow. The calculations introduced in this subject are the most common type of calculations performed by professional mechanical engineers in all sectors of the industry.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics to be covered include free-body diagrams; equilibrium; force systems; stresses and strains; coordinate systems; statically indeterminate systems; flexure; bending under combine loads; torsion; power transmission; kinematics; relative motion; particle kinetics; impulse and momentum; vibration; rigid body motion; angular impulse and momentum; work and energy.

AIMS

In this subject students will be introduced to physical earth processes and their engineering applications and implications. In particular, the subject concentrates on engineering aspects of climate, water and soils and their interactions. Simplified modelling and relevant analytical techniques are introduced throughout the subject. The students will learn about fundamental material required for later year subjects such as CVEN30010 System Modelling and Design, CVEN90044 Engineering Site Characterisation and CVEN90050 Geotechnical Engineering.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Climate and seasonality; carbon cycle, global water cycle and catchment water cycle; rainfall, infiltration, runoff and evapotranspiration; catchment processes and stochastic rainfall modelling; soil identification; landscape forming processes; basic soil mechanics; earth engineering stability; revision.

AIMS

The subject aims to provide knowledge about construction materials, their properties, manufacturing processes and key issues associated with their applications in structural engineering. The subject also introduces the relationships between the structure of a material and its properties.

This subject must be taken early in the progression of training to be an engineer as it is a prerequisite of structural design subjects, and contributes valuable insights into the role of materials in other disciplines of engineering such as geotechnical engineering. It partners with ENGR20004 Engineering Mechanics to build a student's understanding of the way objects behave when load or deformations are applied to them.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The subject is divided into three components: materials science; construction materials; and, mechanics of materials. In the material science component; basic concepts on inter-atomic bonding, microstructure of solids and generic material properties related to density, deformation, yield, ductility, fracture, toughness, susceptibility to corrosion and fatigue are introduced. In the construction materials component; the engineering applications of structural and light-gauge steel, concrete, masonry, timber, glass, fibre-glass and composites are covered. In the mechanics component; the basic concepts of stress-strain compatibility, composite actions, the concept of shear stress flow, basic two-dimensional stress analysis, strength and ductility and arching actions are covered.

AIMS

The aim of this subject is to develop an understanding of fundamental modelling techniques for the analysis of systems that involve electrical phenomena. This includes networks models of “flow-drop” one-port elements in steady state (DC and AC), electrical power systems, simple RC and RL transient analysis, and basic functional models for digital systems consisting of combinational logic. This subject is a core pre-requisite for the four subjects that define the Electrical Systems Major in the Bachelor of Science. The subject is also a core requirement for the Master of Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical and Mechatronics).

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics include:

Electrical phenomena – charge, current, electrical potential, conservation of energy and charge, the generation, storage, transport and dissipation of electrical power.

Network models – networks of “flow-drop” one-port elements, Kirchoff’s laws, standard current-voltage models for one-ports (independent sources, resistors, capacitors, inductors, transducers, diodes), analysis of static networks, properties of linear time-invariant (LTI) one-ports and impedance functions, diodes, transformers, steady-state (DC and AC) analysis of LTI networks via mesh and node techniques, equivalent circuits, and transient analysis of simple circuits;

Electrical power systems – overview of power generation and transmission, analysis of single-phase and balanced three-phase AC power systems.

Digital systems – electrical encoding of information and the digital abstraction, analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion, quantization and resolution, switching algebra, combinational logic networks, and transient timing issues.

This material will be complemented by exposure to software tools for the simulation of electrical and electronic systems and the opportunity to develop basic electrical engineering laboratory skills using a prototyping breadboard, digital multimeter, function generator, DC power supply, and oscilloscope.

AIMS

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are a blend of computer mapping and database technologies used to store, manage, analyse and display geographic data. This subject introduces students to this exciting technology and provides them with the skills and knowledge to design solutions enabling to solve everyday spatial problems in both built and natural environments. Students who complete this subject will have developed knowledge that is immediately applicable in the workplace. The subject also lays the foundations for more advanced studies in geomatics, spatial information systems, and spatial planning. Enrolled students will be encouraged to familiarize themselves with GIS technology before the semester start by online training courses published in LMS.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Basic concepts of GIS, including typology of datasets, Design and operationalization of GIS solutions, Application areas of GIS demonstrated through case studies presented by experts in their professions. In parallel, students train in computer labs the use of GIS for data integration, analysis and mapping, translating a specification of a multi-criteria evaluation problem into a workable GIS decision support solution, inspired by the case studies.

AIMS

This subject will introduce students to the technologies and field procedures used in surveying and mapping. Students will understand the fundamental principles of plane surveying and acquire skills to undertake all the measurements and computations necessary for mapping small areas. There will be several outdoor practical assignments that combine to produce a detail and contour plan of an area of interest. This unit provides the foundation surveying skills needed for the Spatial Systems major. Students who develop proficiency in the practice of this subject will be able to apply this knowledge in the workplace under the supervision of a licensed surveyor.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The theory and practice of surveying on a plane, including the associated computations. Levelling, traversing, detail and contour observations with automated instruments, plan preparation and incorporation of field surveys into geographic information systems. An introduction to advanced measurement techniques including 3d laser scanning and GPS.

AIMS

Contemporary online services such as social networking and multimedia-sharing sites, massive multiplayer online games and commerce services have database management systems at their back-end. In this subject, students will obtain a deep understanding of the concepts behind database management systems. In particular, the students will become familiar with the database system architecture, and will exercise the concepts such as query processing and optimisation, database tuning and transactions, which are the foundation of any modern data processing application. This subject is core within the Bachelor of Science for the Major of Computing and Software Systems and the Major of Informatics. Students completing the Diploma of Informatics are also required to undertake this subject.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

This subject serves as an introduction to data modelling and databases from a technical and data management perspective. The subject will include Entity Relationship modelling (from conceptual design to physical modelling), normalisation, de-normalisation, relational model and relational algebra, SQL, query processing and query optimisation, transactions, storage organisation, database administration, data warehousing and big data analytics. Other topics in data management and DBMS technology with an overview of modern NoSQL systems may also be included.

AIMS

Programmers can choose between several representations of data. These will have different strengths and weaknesses, and each will require its own set of algorithms. This subject will cover some of the most frequently used data structures and their associated algorithms. The emphasis will be on justification of algorithm correctness, on analysis of algorithm performance, and on choosing the right data structure for the problem at hand.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Sample projects are: approximate string matching for a translation memory, involving sorting and comparison of dynamic programming, branch-and-bound search and brute-force search using a variety of data structures (e.g. arrays, hash tables, tries); speech synthesis based on a pronouncing dictionary and pre-prepared grapheme-phoneme alignment data, based on parsing of the alignment data, hashing of variable length n-grams, and a variety of models for predicting the phoneme(s) associated with a given phoneme sequence (e.g. a simple unigram baseline or a hidden Markov model).

AIMS

Data processing is fundamental to computing and data science. This subject gives an introduction to various aspects of data processing including database management, representation and analysis of data, information retrieval, visualisation and reporting, and cloud computing. This subject introduces students to the area, with an emphasis on both tools and underlying foundations.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The subject's focus is on the data pipeline, and activities known colloquially as 'data wrangling'. Indicative topics covered include:

• Capturing data (data ingress)
• Data representation and storage
• Cleaning, normalization and filling in missing data (imputation)
• Combing multiple sources of data (data integration)
• Query languages and processing
• Scripting to support the data pipeline
• Distributing a database over multiple nodes (sharding), cloud computing file systems

Visualisation and presentation

AIMS

Many engineering disciplines make use of numerical solutions to computational problems. In this subject students will be introduced to the key elements of programming in a high level language, and will then use that skill to explore methods for solving numerical problems in a range of discipline areas.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Algorithmic problem solving
• Fundamental data types: numbers and characters
• Approximation and errors in numerical computation
• Fundamental program structures: sequencing, selection, repetition, functions
• Simple data storage structures, variables, arrays, and structures
• Roots of equations and of linear algebraic equations
• Curve fitting and splines
• Interpolation and extrapolation
• Numerical differentiation and integration.

AIMS

This subject will focus on how risk analysis and management principles and techniques can be applied to engineering projects. The subject introduces a range of risk analysis techniques, which are put in the context of engineering projects and analysed using the framework of the risk standard (AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009). Risk is a fundamental concept that is applied to every engineering project, whether it is ascertaining the risk of health impacts of water treatment processes, prevention of loss of life by flood mitigation projects, or catastrophic losses caused by the failure of structure in earthquakes or storms.
The subject is of particular relevance to students wishing to establish a career in Engineering management, but is also of relevance to a range of engineering design disciplines where design for the total life cycle of the product or infrastructure should be considered.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include: an introduction to the history of engineering failures; the forms of risk and risk identification; project risk analysis; the sociological implications of acceptable risk; approaches to risk management, monitoring for compliance, risk perception and design implications.

AIMS

This subject introduces the basic methods of structural analysis and the design of simple structures which are built of reinforced concrete, steel, timber and masonry. A feature of this subject is the integration of the design and analytical skills in dealing with contemporary structures that have an effective blending of materials for achieving satisfactory performance and economy in construction.

This subject consolidates basic structural theory and design abilities that underpin further specialised studies in structural design in engineering masters programs. It also gives students some basic capabilities to seek work experience in the engineering profession.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include: stress analysis in beams, deflection calculations using direct integration and virtual work methods, structural analyses of beams and frames by the force method, structural design of reinforced concrete beams and columns, structural design of steel beams, columns and ties, design of timber joists and masonry squat walls.

Systems Modelling and Design is a capstone subject including components from hydrology, hydraulic engineering and geotechnical engineering. This subject contains a design project capsulising knowledge from all three areas. Students will be given briefings on related topics in hydrology, hydraulic engineering and geotechnical engineering in lectures and tutorials; but the emphasis is on self-learning and problem-solving. Students will gain an understanding of the principles governing the flow of water through soil and its consequent impact on failure of soil structures such as what occurs in landslides. Computer models to investigate these areas and laboratory experiments illustrating these phenomena will also be conducted. Students will also learn how to use the systems approach to solve engineering design problems. The application of the systems approach is illustrated via the major design project and complemented with optimisation techniques.

To complete the capstone design project, students are required to apply their knowledge in hydrology, hydraulics and geotechnical engineering to solve a number of design problems while considering multiple and sometimes conflicting design criteria. Students are required to prepare a technical report that documents the designs, relevant data, and result analysis. Both the technical knowledge (e.g. catchment modelling, water distribution system design, and seepage and slope modelling) and transferable skills (e.g. systems approach for problem solving, optimisation, trade-off analysis, data management, communication) obtained through this subject will prepare them for employment in the industry, as well as future study or research.

This subject builds on knowledge gained in subjects such as Engineering Mathematics, Fluid Mechanics and Earth Processes for Engineering and assumes a familiarity with concepts of sustainability and engineering systems. This subject also delivers introductory material for engineering graduate coursework subjects including Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Hydraulics and Quantitative Environmental Modelling.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Stresses in soils, permeability and seepage, flow nets, the effect of seepage on stability, slope stability principles, surface runoff, landslides, design and remediation, trade-off analysis in engineering design, optimisation techniques, the use of computer simulation models to solve engineering design problems.

AIMS

This subject concerns the fundamental science of fluid flow relevant to a range of engineering applications, and is essential for specialisations relating to Chemical, Civil and Environmental Engineering.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include - Fluid statics, manometry, derivation of the continuity equation, mechanical energy balance, friction losses in a straight pipe, Newton’s law of viscosity, treatment of pipe roughness, valves and fittings; simple pipe network problems; principles of open channel flow; compressible flow, propagation of pressure wave, isothermal and adiabatic flow equations in a pipe, choked flow. Pumps – pump characteristics, centrifugal pumps, derivation of theoretical head, head losses leading to the actual pump head curve, calculating system head, determining the operating point of a pumping system, throttling for flow control, cavitation and NPSH, affinity laws and pump scale-up, introduction to positive displacement pumps; stirred tanks- radial, axial and tangential flow, type of agitators, vortex elimination, the standard tank configuration, power number and power curve, dynamic and geometric similarity in scale-up; Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, Multi-dimensional fluid flow-momentum flux, development of multi-dimensional equations of continuity and for momentum transfer, Navier-Stokes equations, application to tube flow, Couette flow, Stokes flow.

AIMS

This subject consists of three distinct and fundamentally related topics -

• An introduction to the fundamentals of materials science will be given on atomic structure and bonding, crystal structures and defects, elastic and plastic deformation, dislocations and strengthening and failured (fast fracture, fatigue and creep)

• The mechanics of materials section will extend the concepts of material mechanical behaviour by detailing elastic/inelastic behaviour and introducing the concepts of stress and strain analysis. Topics covered may include the definition of principal stresses, plane stress, plane strain, two-dimensional stress and strain analysis, torsion, pure bending, transverse loading, Mohr’s circle, failure criteria, inelastic behaviour, residual stress

• This subject will also provide an introduction to finite element analysis (FEA) and its application for stress-strain analysis. Particular emphasis will be placed on the fundamental mechanisms by which materials fail under loading.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Mechanics: the definition of principal stresses, plane stress, plane strain, two-dimensional stress and strain analysis, torsion, pure bending, transverse loading, Mohr’s circle, failure criteria, inelastic behaviour, residual stress.
• Materials: atomic structure and bonding, crystal structures and defects, elastic and plastic deformation, dislocations and strengthening and failure (fast fracture, fatigue and creep).
• Finite element analysis (FEA): FEA procedure, application of FEA to discrete systems and continuous bodies.

AIMS

This course is an introduction to basic principles of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics. These two subjects are introduced together in a single course, reflecting the large degree of cross-over in applications and basic first principles between the two subjects.

Fluid mechanics is a very important core subject, influencing a diverse range of engineering systems (aircraft, ships, road vehicle design, air conditioning, energy conversion, wind turbines, hydroelectric schemes to name but a few) and also impacts on many biological (blood flow, bird flight etc) and even meteorological studies. As engineers, we are typically concerned with predicting the force required to move a body through a fluid, or the power required to pump fluid through a system. However, before we can achieve this goal, we must start from fundamental principles governing fluid flow.

Thermodynamics could be defined as the science of energy. This subject can be broadly interpreted to include all aspects of energy and energy transformations. Like fluid mechanics, this is a hugely important subject in engineering, underpinning many key engineering systems including power generation, engines, gas turbines, refrigeration, heating etc. This unit again starts from first principles to introduce the basic concepts of thermodynamics, paving the way for later more advanced units

This course aims to develop a fundamental understanding of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, based on first principles and physical arguments. Real world engineering examples will be used to illustrate and develop an intuitive understanding of these subjects.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics include:

Fluid Mechanics - fluid statics, static forces on submerged structures, stability of floating bodies; solid body motion; fluid dynamics; streamlines; pathlines and streaklines; conservation of mass, momentum and energy; Euler's equation and Bernoulli's equation; control volume analysis; dimensional analysis; incompressible flow in pipes and ducts; boundary layers; flow around immersed bodies; and drag and lift.

Thermodynamics - heat and work, ideal non-flow and flow processes; laws of thermodynamics; Carnot's principle; Clausius inequality; direct and reversed heat engines; thermal efficiencies; properties of pure substances; change of phase; representation of properties; steam and air tables; and vapour equation of state, ideal gases.

AIMS

Topics covered include: general approach to design problems; invention, analysis, decision making; terminologies such as ‘goal’, ‘objectives’, ‘criteria’ and ‘constraints’; strategies for synthesis and decision making; technical, ergonomic and economic factors; appraisal of benefit and cost; fault and failure analysis; probability, uncertainty, and assessment of risk; and interfacing geometric and mathematical models, sensitivity analyses, combinatorial search, structured approaches to material selection; failure modes for engineering systems, failure predictors for engineering components under multi-axial stress conditions; rational assessment of safety factors and maximum credible accident; integrity of structures and machines, design against failure; modelling of complex load-bearing systems in terms of simple engineering components; design of elements of structures and machines from first principles; and approaches to uncertainty in design problems, including those related to the environment.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Introduction to strategies for creative idea generation in engineering design -

• The design process – specifying problems and generating solutions
• Making decisions – decision-making strategies, cost benefit analysis, economic and human factors
• Fault / failure analysis.

Introduction to engineering graphical communication -

• Sketching
• Orthographic (multiview), layout, assembly and detailed drawings
• Dimensioning.

Introduction to structural integrity in engineering design -

• Structural integrity and the nature of failure
• Structural distillation – decomposition of structural systems into elementary engineering components
• Estimation, units and calculation
• Failure predictors and factors of safety
• Fatigue – What is fatigue? Time-varying stresses, fatigue strength, design against failure. S-N diagram, A-M diagram. Shafts as an example of fatigue-based structural integrity design.

AIMS

This subject will introduce students to the use of imagery in the mapping of both human and natural environments. Imagery is often the cheapest way to gain spatial information about the environment, especially for large areas, but analysis and interpretation of the data requires sophisticated techniques. Usually the light or other electromagnetic radiation being emitted or reflected from the surface being imaged needs to be interpreted into another variable of interest, such as the type of vegetation on the surface. Once interpreted, the information must be communicated to others; usually in the form of maps or reports.

This subject builds on a student’s knowledge of the physical and built environment relevant to their discipline and allows them to interpret and communicate that knowledge. On completion of the subject students should have the skills to perform routine image analysis tasks in the workplace using industry standard software. This subject partners with others to the Spatial Systems majors of the undergraduate science and environments degrees to allow the student to progress to the Master of Engineering (Spatial) or to enter the workforce in a paraprofessional role.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Image interpretation basics
• Image acquisition and formation
• Fundamentals of image processing and measurement
• Both aerial photography and satellite imagery will be used to illustrate the techniques of measurement and interpretation by which both spatial position and semantic content can be extracted from image data.

AIMS

In this subject students will learn about systems of land administration to support sustainable land management. Emphasis will be placed on land information infrastructures that facilitate social, environmental and economic functions of land. International good practices of land administration will be introduced along with technical and institutional lessons learnt from developing and developed countries. The subject is of particular relevance to students wishing to establish a career in surveying, spatial information, civil and environmental engineering, property management, urban planning but is also relevant to a range of disciplines where land and land information should be considered. This subject forms one of the four required subjects for a student to graduate with a major in Spatial Systems in the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Environments. It also leads to further study in masters courses.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Concept of land; evolution of land administration systems; land administration as a development strategy for economic growth and poverty reduction; the cadastral concept and legal, fiscal, multi-purpose and marine cadastres; cadastral surveying and mapping; land registration; rights, restrictions and responsibilities related to land in the context of informal, formal and customary tenures; cadastral systems in developing countries including informal cadastres, customary tenures; relevant international declarations and statements concerned with land administration; cadastral reform; land administration 'tool box'; institutional arrangements supporting land administration; spatial data infrastructures; digital cadastral databases; modelling, designing and evaluating cadastral and land administration systems; land markets and their relationship to planning, valuation and cadastre; access to land information; land administration and spatial information systems.

AIMS

Solutions to environmental dilemmas that face us in the 21st century require an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach. This subject, delivered in the final semester of the Bachelor of Environments, provides a basis for students to integrate and apply the knowledge they have gained throughout their studies in different disciplines to solve real world problems.

The project will provide opportunities to apply knowledge of fundamental concepts, theory, and applications in core areas of positioning technologies and measurement integration, GIS, distributed spatial computing and mapping, web mapping, and location-based services. The application of these skills will be undertaken during a 4 day field work programme at the Dookie Campus.

The subject will also provide ample opportunity for the students to gain experience and skills in how to perform a real-world, client-driven, interdisciplinary project, including important communication and organizational skills.

This subject will have a 4 day residential field work at the Dookie Campus during the Semester 2 mid semester break. This field work is compulsory for all students.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Project management, scientific communication, data collection and management, map design, GPS surveying

AIMS

The Web has radically changed society, politics, science, business and the way people work. This subject introduces the concepts, technologies and standards underpinning the World Wide web and its applications. You will learn to apply tools and techniques required to model, design and develop applications for the web that can run on one or more platforms. Topics covered include the infrastructure of the web; the architecture of web applications; data representation and structure of the web; modeling and development processes for Web applications; security and social aspects of the Web. This subject assumes background programming skills and the basics of algorithmic thinking. These skills are combined with incremental and iterative development to develop functional and creative web applications that can support specific requirements or aspects of human work or social behaviour.

INDICATIVE CONTENT  

Fundamental aspects of the Web: client server model, modelling of web applications (modelling data, content, functional aspects and navigation), incremental and iterative design and development of web applications, usability aspects and testing of web applications, and web application security.

Examples of Web applications that students develop are:

• A location-aware application for finding recommended restaurants nearby
• A social app for hosting and developing HTML5 games
• An application that lets users upload photos of themselves to see what they’d look like with different hairstyles

AIMS

This subject introduces the technologies of computer graphics and human-computer interaction along with the biological, psychological and social aspects of human perception and action that inform the application of those technologies. The emphasis is on 2D and 3D computer graphics and the geometric modelling techniques used for representing and interacting with objects in dynamic scenes. Techniques considered include transformation geometry, illumination models and the real-time rendering (shading) models. The subject is centred on developing Apps for tablet computers based on natural user interfaces (NUIs), a term used by developers of human-machine interfaces that effectively become invisible to their users through successive learned interactions. Technologies likely to be considered are: virtual reality, computer games, augmented reality, tele-presence, or other modalities such as interaction through the sense of touch, audio or image processing and analysis. This subject supports course-level objectives by allowing students to develop analytical skills to understand the complexity of developing real-world computer graphics and interaction applications.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics are drawn from computational geometry and human-computer interaction including:

• 2D and 3D computer graphics
• Colour and illumination models
• Raster and vector graphics
• Geometric modelling
• Rendering (shading) and visualisation
• Geometric transformations (including projection)
• Computational matrix geometry and/or animation (kinematics)
• Interaction categories and styles (particularly graphical user interfaces)
• Usability and accessibility (including interaction for people with disabilities).

AIMS

Over the last half-century, computers have improved at a faster rate than almost any other technology on the planet, yet the principles on which they work have remained mostly constant. In this subject, students will learn how computer systems work "under the hood".

The specific aim of this subject is for the students to develop an understanding of the basic concepts underlying computer systems. A key focus of this subject is the introduction of operating systems principles and computer network protocols. This knowledge is essential for writing secure software, for writing high performance software, and for writing network-based services and applications.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include:

• The role of the operating system
• The memory hierarchy (caches, virtual memory, and working sets)
• Interrupt handling, processes and scheduling
• File systems
• Introduction to multiprocessors and synchronization
• Introduction to network protocols (OSI model)
• Development of client-server applications
• Computer system security and cryptographic protocols.

AIMS

This subject is the capstone project for the Informatics major and the Computing and Software Systems major in the BSc. Students will work on a real life problem in a small team, supervised by a member of staff. Each team will analyse the information needs of users and develop working computational solutions. Students are expected to apply sound principles studied over the course of their degree to the formulation and solution of their problem.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Students will work in teams to analyse, design, implement and test a non-trivial IT system. A key part of the project is for students to develop and manage a project in order to deliver a quality IT product. Workshops will explore the application of theory to the project and include selected topics drawn from: ethics, project management, design frameworks, testing, technical reviews, and product evaluation.

This subject introduces important mathematical methods required in engineering such as manipulating vector differential operators, computing multiple integrals and using integral theorems. A range of ordinary and partial differential equations are solved by a variety of methods and their solution behaviour is interpreted. The subject also introduces sequences and series including the concepts of convergence and divergence.

Topics include: Vector calculus, including Gauss’ and Stokes’ Theorems; sequences and series; Fourier series, Laplace transforms; systems of homogeneous ordinary differential equations, including phase plane and linearization for nonlinear systems; second order partial differential equations and separation of variables.

AIMS

How do we know if our digital designs will be usable and useful when people take them up in their work or social lives? Poor designs lead to errors and frustration and result in a substantial waste of money and resources. It is crucial that digital designers carefully evaluate and iterate their designs throughout a well-structured process. In this subject, students will build on the foundational material from the preqrequisite subject Fundamentals of Interaction Design to learn the key industry methods and tools used to conduct usability evaluations and develop understanding about when these methods should be applied and how to interpret their findings.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Theoretical foundations of usability evaluation
• Usability and user experience
• Lab-based evaluation methods (e.g., observation, eye-tracking, think aloud)
• Field studies / “in the wild” evaluations
• Expert- and user-based evaluations
• Analysis of usability evaluation data

AIMS

As the 25pt capstone for the Digital Technologies Major, this subject creates an opportunity for students to work as an independent team to develop and evaluate a novel proposal for a new interactive technology or new application of existing technologies. The group will work under a supervisory framework and be given regular briefings on their activities and expected progress. Using knowledge and techniques from INFO10003Fundamentals of Interaction Design, the group will identify and analyse an existing situation of use, develop a ‘design concept’, and a digital prototype to realise part of that concept. Using knowledge and techniques from INFO20004 Usability Evaluation Methods, the group will conduct an evaluation of their prototype and interpret the resulting findings. Students will learn how to develop a technology innovation proposal for their design concept that builds on evaluation findings to mount a business case.

In this subject students will learn how information is produced and used to support decision making in urban and rural environments. This includes methods of data collection, mapping, information communication through visualisation, and decision-support systems. Students will gain spatial literacy: skills on reading, critically assessing and using spatial information. Students will also learn the impact of spatial information across a large number of disciplines, and on the economy and society. Specific topics covered include: methods of determining positions; map projections and the shape of the Earth; digital cartography; the use of GPS technology; data structures for managing information; methods of measuring built structures; and mapping from aerial photographs to high-resolution satellite imagery. The practical sessions will give hands-on experience with a range of measurement, geographic information, image analysis and virtual reality technologies in a problem-solving context.

AIMS

Digital games are one of the largest entertainment industries, increasingly pervasive within society, and at the forefront of emerging technologies with respect to user experience and online social interaction. This subject will develop understanding and practical knowledge of the fundamental principles of game design, interactivity and immersion. It will examine how these techniques are increasingly being applied in contexts such as health, learning, web-design and in emerging virtual reality experiences. The subject will explore the deeper conceptual foundations of the theory of games and their use beyond the digital realm. Students will learn the underlying principles of how to design games, what games are and how they engage players. They will apply this knowledge to the analysis of games, the study of play, and the persuasive, transformative and educative potential of gaming experiences.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Fundamentals of game design; interactive techniques of gaming interfaces; social and collaborative techniques of game design; online game communities; trends in the games industry; mobile gaming; methods for studying play; persuasive games; gamification applications.

This subject introduces students to the language and methods for critically describing works of art, using examples from the past and present.
This subject includes an embedded program in academic literacy skills of analysis, discussion, essay writing, research and information retrieval.

This subject develops from the first semester subject, dealing with more advanced modes of critical interpretation of the visual arts, past and present.

This subject deals with the critical formulation of vanguard “high” modernism in the 1960s and its contestation by varieties of late modernist and postmodernist art and culture which develop throughout subsequent decades up to the millennium. The course is oriented by the proposition that the reactions to high modernism invoke an “expanded field” of art during this period: with the emergence of performative modes of art and new cross-media and inter-media art forms; with a revitalized convergence of design, fashion, music, cinema and visual art; with the invention of new media; and with artistic and critical challenges to modernist doctrines of vanguard progress, authenticity and originality.

The focus of this studio subject is the development of both design thinking and dexterity with tools – specifically the generation and articulation of design possibilities through a series of studio-based projects.

Through a study graphic design traditions and visual cultural histories, and the work of a number of exemplary practitioners, students will be introduced through a range of studio workshops to working with a range of design techniques and graphic methods. These workshops will be a combination of contact time and independent study time.

The focus of this studio subject is the development of both design thinking and dexterity with tools, and an increased awareness of communication strategies and practices, – specifically the generation and articulation of design possibilities through a series of studio-based projects.

Through a study of visual design traditions using images, text and animated elements, drawing on visual cultural histories, students will expand their experience of communicating through image and text through  a range of studio workshops to working with a range of design techniques and graphic methods. These workshops will be a combination of contact time and independent study time.

This studio subject assists students to develop an understanding of the optical, perceptual and expressive possibilities of the use of colour in the design process, and through studio exercises to develop sensibility and experience in the manipulations and pictorial uses of colour elements. Supported by customised feedback and individual tuition, students will be inspired to develop considered conceptual approaches to using colour in their practical work through a range of colour theories and cultural influences from contemporary art and design history. The students will undertake a series of studio exercises that build competence in a range of mediums including paint, printing materials and through electronic colour spectrums. Students will work hands on in the studio and in the computer lab during contact hours and independently, in the completion of critical and informed design possibilities through a series of studio-based projects.

This introductory programme comprises two parts: Part A is a one hour lecture examining the phenomenon of the photograph as it relates to particular artists and art movements intrinsic to the history and contemporary understanding of the Photographic mode of visualisation, and Part B as a series of three hour project studio based classes that introduce students to the photographic processes including basic analogue techniques such as photograms, non-camera techniques, to high resolution digital technologies and the various software programs now used in this field, with a particular emphasis on the needs of graphic designers.

Through a series of lectures and studio projects, this subject explores the visual and communicative power of images and text, as a major part of human to human communication and as a history of human social interchange, examining three phases: oral, text-based, and image-centred communication.  The subject will explore patterns of communication in oral cultures, where learning and tradition were passed on by word of mouth, primarily through storytelling; the invention of writing and printing developing new approaches, preserving information and literary traditions beyond the capacity of memory; and to the present with the ubiquity of information dissemination through digital image and text, still and moving, silent and sonic elements and the communicative challenges and opportunities that this allows. Students will explore ways to utilise these elements to communicate messages in the graphic design context.

The subject is the capstone subject for the Graphic Design major in the Bachelor of Design, and will integrate previous coursework in the major. The core of the undergraduate sequence in the major is the development of both design thinking and dexterity with tools. The focus of the investigations of this subject will be a range of graphic design projects including, book design, exhibition catalogues and web based communication collateral. Students will be expected to prepare a visually presented portfolio, that reflects examples of relevant professional practice in the design industry and that gives work-ready experience to the students to present at the completion of their studies.

Sound is capable of communicating ideas in different ways to visual elements in a design for performance. This subject explores the way sound is used as artistic mediums in the development of a performance. Applications of sound and music are integral to performance environments. Through a series of lectures and tutorial workshops, students will be introduced to sound in performance through a range of mediums and practices such as; film, opera, music theatre, dance, and other performance forms, and how sound interacts with the other design elements.

(No prior knowledge of music theory or sound production is required to take this subject).

The figure is one of the elements available to be manipulated by the designer in the development of a design for performance. An audience reads (either consciously or unconsciously) that figure through its relationship to its environment, and how it presents itself to the viewer. The human figure is in some ways the only element in a design that is non-negotiable in terms of scale, however it can be transformed through costume design, its relationship to space, its relationship to light and as represented through the puppet. Through a series of lectures and studios, this subject examines how this manipulation can be used as a dramaturgical tool in the creation of a performance.

Light is an essential ingredient in any performance – without light there is nothing to see. This subject examines how through the use of colour, texture, rhythm and intensity,  light can be used as a dramaturgical tool in the development of a performance. This subject also explores the close relationship lighting has with the other design elements in performance.

Through a series of lectures and studios, students will be introduced to light in performance across a range of forms such as; opera, music theatre, dance and drama, and how light interacts with the other design elements and the performer.

The focus of this studio subject is the development of both design thinking and dexterity with tools – specifically the generation and articulation of design possibilities through a series of studio based projects. Linking these investigations will be the theme of space in performance, which may be explored conceptually, metaphorically, structurally, or technologically – for example through an examination of the designed performance space and the found performance space, the use of scale in space, the potential for space to be ambiguous, the manipulation of space through the use of technology and the relationship of light and space. In all of these investigations, the student will be encouraged to think of space as a dramaturgical tool.

Space is one of the elements available to be manipulated by the designer in the development of a design for performance. Space can be expanded and compressed, altered and changed through the use of scenic elements and devices - the set. This subject examines how through the application of scenic devices and mechanisms, space can be used as a dramaturgical tool in the creation of a performance. Students will also study different performance spaces from different periods – their physical structure, and the theories underlying them. Non-traditional spaces will also be examined – the found performance space, and the site specific performance space.

The subject is the capstone subject for the Performance Design major in the Bachelor of Design, and will integrate previous coursework in the major. The core of the undergraduate sequence in the major is the development of both design thinking and dexterity with tools. The focus of the investigations of this subject will be performance design, using a text (a play text, a piece of music, a piece of choreography, a soundscape) and a set of circumstances (the brief), which will be explored by students through the lens of two or more of the previous design studios. The project will involve an engagement with historical, theoretical, structural, and environmental ideas relevant to the text.

The basic theoretical framework of marketing, including segmentation, buyer behaviour, product management, market communications, channel management and pricing decisions are introduced in this subject. Students are also introduced to basic concepts in market research and management of marketing programs.

Principles of Business Law provides an introduction to law from a business perspective. This subject is available as a level 1 breadth subject to students in all faculties.

Topics include:

• The nature and purpose of law;
• how law develops and changes;
• how new law is made;
• how to read and understand legislation and case law;
• how legally binding agreements (contracts) are created and enforced;
• property law;
• liability in tort law for negligence; and
• the law of agency.

Note 1: Principles of Business Law is a prerequisite for Corporate Law and Taxation Law.

Note 2: This subject is recommended to students in any faculty and in any year of study who would like to study an introductory law subject.