You are employed as trainee engineer in a construction engineering and design company. A local newspaper is running a series related to `energy efficiency` in different industries. Their particular approach is to have individuals, who have recently

Higher National Certificate

Student Name /ID Number

 

Unit Number and Title

Unit 1 Construction Design Project (Pearson-set)

Academic Year

2023 – 2024

Unit Assessor

 

Assignment Title

Theme: The need for energy efficient construction solutions

Issue Date

 

Submission Date

 

Assignment Writer

 

IV Name

 

Submission Format:

  1. Report (3000-3500 words)

Software: Word

Font: Aerial size 12

Line spacing: .0

  1. Presentation (10-15 minutes)

Assignment brief and student declaration to be submitted in the front of the report.

Unit Learning Outcomes:

LO1 Discuss the stages of a design process and the types of information required to communicate, share and manage the project process.

LO2 Explain the different types of construction information developed through the course of a project.

LO3 Produce design propositions that address project requirements defined through feasibility stages.

LO4 Present a construction information package, highlighting the coordination of information between different project stakeholders to ensure accuracy.

Assignment Brief and Guidance:

The Pearson-set theme for use with

Unit 1: Construction Design Project is

The need for energy efficient construction solutions 

(Year 23-24) * (Note this changes each year)

With current political and economic upheaval, fluctuation & insecurities in the energy markets, the construction industry now faces considerable challenges in meeting targets for sustainability, modernisation, and demand. To reduce operational costs and meet net zero targets, current demand for energy efficient processes and construction design solutions has never been more important.

The theme of “The need for energy efficient construction solutions”, and the related topics, call upon you to consider the ways in which the construction industry can embed energy efficiency objectives into design solutions and/or the build process of construction projects.

Tutors must choose one topic from the list provided below and decide which type of project is most suitable for their assignment. All students must complete the same topic and project chosen by the tutor. However, if delivering to different cohorts of students then tutors may select a different topic and design a different assignment for each cohort.

Topics:

 Designing an energy efficient construction project

● How can digital technology be utilised to enable energy efficient construction projects

● Enabling energy efficiencies in manufacture and build, at design stages.

● Energy efficient construction from ‘design’ to ‘use’

BRIEF

You are employed as trainee engineer in a construction engineering and design company.

A local newspaper is running a series related to `energy efficiency` in different industries. Their particular approach is to have individuals, who have recently entered the sector, respond to a specific topic in order to gain their views of energy efficiency within their industry. Those selected are asked to produce a report and give presentation in response to the topic.

Your employer has requested that you produce a report and presentation. The topic for your report and presentation is to be ‘Designing an energy efficient construction project’. Your employer has provided you with a brief for a small commercial building, including site information and project requirements (see Appendix 1).

(Note: You can agree on using a local project that you have knowledge about which can provide sufficient evidence to meet this unit. Please agree this with your tutor before progressing)

You will need to produce a Construction Information Package (a set of construction drawings and details), using industry-standard tools and techniques. In addition, you will need to develop a specification (either an `outline` specification or for a single element of the building) and a set of schedules (door and window). To accompany these, you will prepare the `prelims` for the specification and a simple schedule of works.

In discussion with your employer, you have agreed a structure for the report. Using the materials you have developed above, along with additional research, your report will describe the stages of a construction design process and the types of information required at different stages of a project; assessing the relationships between design and project stages and how information is shared throughout. To illustrate this, you may wish to use the sketches or models used in developing your design proposal. You will also use the brief (provided by your employer) to explain the requirements of the project and the relationship between drawings, schedules and specifications (here you can include images from the work that you have produced).

As the focus of the report is to explore the issues of energy efficiency, you will want to ensure that you are explaining how processes such as clash detection and information coordination ensure the quality of a project, and the energy efficiency implications of these processes through the different stages of a project. As a part of this, you should give your analysis of how design and construction information flows are related to contractual relationships. Within your report include an evaluation of how coordination of information can help to ensure accuracy and how this leads to quality, and how this leads to energy efficiency in construction projects.

Finally, using drawings, specifications and schedules that you have produced, you should create and present a 10-15 minute presentation of your design project to an audience of specialists and non -specialists.  

Your report should be suitably titled, contain a contents page, use citations from researched construction related sources and include around 10 references.

Instructions and guidance to candidates

Your Construction Information Package should be made available as a set of PDF documents. Remember, these are intended to be downloadable so manage your file sizes appropriately (do not output super high-resolution A0 sized sheets!). It is best to keep the page sizes to A3 maximum. Because these are to be viewed on screen, images do not need to be large or high-resolution. As a guide, a 1024 × 768 image at 96dpi will be more than sufficient for on-screen viewing.

Note: All information sources and resources, including websites used to complete this assignment must be stated and correctly referenced in the document and/or presentation. No credit will be given for wholesale copying from information sources and checks for plagiarism may be made on your submitted work.

*Please access HN Global for additional resources support and reading for this unit. For further guidance and support on report writing please refer to the Study Skills Unit on HN Designing an energy efficient construction project’

Global www.highernationals.com

 

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Pass

Merit

Distinction

LO1 Discuss the stages of a design process and the types of information required to communicate, share and manage the project process

D1 Critically evaluate the relationship between design and project stages, highlighting the processes and procedures to ensure information coordination throughout.

P1 Describe the stages and activities of a construction design process.

P2 Explain the types of information required throughout the different stages of a project process.

M1 Assess the relationship between design and project stages, and the information sharing requirements in each.

LO2 Explain the different types of construction information developed through the course of a project

P3 Examine a brief to ascertain the requirements of a building project.

P4 Outline the relationships between drawings, schedules and specifications.

M2 Analyse the importance of clash detection and information coordination.

LO3 Produce design propositions that address project requirements defined through feasibility stages

 

P5 Create construction drawings and details using industry-standard tools and techniques.

P6 Produce specifications, schedules and an outline construction health & safety phase plan for a given project.

M3 Prepare specification prelims and schedule of works, in coordination with construction drawings and details.

D2 Evaluate a package of construction information, in relation to their coordination and accuracy.

LO4 Present a construction information package, highlighting the coordination of information between different project stakeholders to ensure accuracy.

P7 Present construction information to an audience of specialists and non specialists.

P8 Explain the coordination and information sharing between different roles and stakeholders in a construction project.

M4 Analyse the ways in which different forms of contractual relationships between stakeholders influence flow of information in a construction project.

 

Appendix 1

Commercial Building Client Brief

The following drawing indicates a plot of land upon which sits an existing scout hut. The client wishes to develop the site so it contains a community building that can be utilised by different groups within the local community.

The client has stated the following design characteristics required:

Materials

  • The building is to be constructed using sustainable materials.
  • The materials should be recyclable at the end of the building’s life.
  • Local materials are to be sourced.
  • Consideration should be given to environmental certification and product declaration.
  • Any suitable material can be selected by you.

Shape

  • The building needs to follow the existing footprint (18.5 m x 11.5 m)
  • The max height for a roof is 4.5 m to the top of the ridge.
  • The height to the eaves is 2.5m.

Colours

  • You have discretion in selecting colours that are neutral and will blend in with the surrounding street scene.

Fenestration

  • Large entrance doors that are secure.
  • No windows to the sides.
  • Rear elevation can contain large areas of glass.

Other considerations

  • Rear of the building will be used as a terraced area to entertain leading from the main building.
  • Car parking will be at the rear of the plot.
  • Toilets unisex can be utilised.
  • A large kitchen area will be required for food preparation.
  • A small office will be required.
  • A main dining/community functional area/hall is required for the main part of the building.
  • Designing an energy efficient construction project

P1: Describe the stages and activities of a construction design process.

The construction design process is a structured and thorough method that consists of several phases, each with different tasks needed to turn a rough idea into a completed project. Some common approaches in the construction design process include the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Plan of Work, Architectural Design Process, and Design-Build method. Certainly, in the United Kingdom, the RIBA Plan of Work is what is used for the construction design process. As per RIBA Plan of Work (architecture.com) The RIBA Work Stages, which range from 0 to 7, reflect a full journey through the lifetime of a building project, beginning with the birth of an idea and progressing to the practical aspects of construction and, finally, the structure`s continued use. The stages are applicable to low- and medium-rise residential, commercial, and industrial building design jobs.

RIBA Plan of Work 2020 Stage 0, also known as the Strategic Definition stage, is the first step of the Plan of Work. In this stage the client`s business case and strategic brief are identified. These documents define the project`s goal, objectives, and critical needs.