ALL THE COURSE CONTENT LISTED HERE IS COMPULSORY
The course will develop design and generic capabilities through housing and interior design briefs. These will contain challenges and constraints through the application of design principles and information, including:
- Architectural design principles
- Environmentally sustainable practices
- Information about needs, precedents and influences.
Learners will develop knowledge and skills by undertaking a range of briefs which provide a foundation for completing an externally assessed individual design folio on a topic of their choice.
DESIGN PRACTICE
Design Process
- Brief Development (going beyond “client” immediate stated needs)
- Identification of relevant design principles and information (see previous three sections)
- Formulation of aims
- Generation of ideas to address problems and integrate design information using 2D or 3D testing and analysis
- Ideation (visual brainstorming) indicating critical threads in process
- Ongoing reflection on problem, brief and aims.
Design Product
Respond to the brief and aims, which would usually include:
- Functional requirements
- Aesthetic qualities/expression
- Environmental considerations
- Discussion/analysis of areas of brief not able to be resolved.
GENERIC CAPABILITIES
Research, analysis and synthesis
- Critical information literacy skills
- Sourcing information from primary sources, e.g. client, expert, practitioner
- Locating local and Australian sources (and international sources where appropriate)
- Referencing of sources.
Communication
Verbal:
- Evidence of research
- Communicating to an audience (small and class group).
Visual:
- Documentation of research and design process
- Architectural conventions for developmental and final plans
- 2D and 3D modelling/perspective images.
Numerical:
- Measurement, area, scale (1:20, 1:50, 1:100, 1:200), proportion, ratio, gradients, solar geometry and graphically represented data.
ICT:
- Including photo imaging, scanning, word processing, layout and formatting, PowerPoint presentations, email, internet searches.
Self Management for individual and team projects
Individual
- Project management for larger (e.g. larger design projects and folio)
- Planning and organising tools (e.g. timelines)
- Goal setting and action planning
- Critical reflection.
Collaborative
- As above
- Roles, responsibility and leadership
- Problem solving, negotiation, conflict resolution.
DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND INFORMATION
Design and Architectural principles
Aesthetic
- Elements and principles of design
(colour, texture, shape, line, direction, space, mass, balance, proportion).
Use of space
- Layout, flow, circulation and zoning
- Ergonomics.
Construction materials and techniques
- Functional, environmental and comfort factors of exterior, interior and related construction materials
- Basic construction methods.
Environmental Sustainability
- Sources of energy for housing
- Active and passive energy sources for housing
- Passive solar design for cool temperate and hot humid tropical climates
- Embodied energy of building materials
- Impact of choice of housing materials, services, construction and design techniques on sustainability of energy consumption levels and the environment.
Investigation of needs, precedents and influences
Analysis of site, user and community needs to integrate and respond to:
- Users current and projected needs
- Practical, psychological and sociological needs during lifecycle
- Precedents
- Historical, exemplary contemporary architectural responses
- Social and economic influences
- Types of housing
- Provision of housing for groups with specific needs (e.g. homeless, people with disability).
The Teaching and Learning Guide provides support for teachers and learners through:
- Suggested topics for folios
- Examination of briefs which provide foundation learning in the Design Principles and Information content area
- References and resources.