Unit Synopsis
This unit is an introduction to the impacts of the building design and construction sectors on the environment viz: Natural ecosystems including climate, hydrological cycle, basic thermodynamics, consequences of modification; ecosystem interdependency, capacity of the environment to assimilate changes; background to greenhouse concerns from the Rio Summit through to current global negotiations: social, legislative and political issues associated with modification of the natural and developed environments including environmental impact assessments; and environmental impact of development-mining and mineral processing, materials and manufacturing industries as related to the building and construction sector. This unit then provides an introduction to current activity to minimise impacts through shift to service rather than consumption based economy in the building and construction sector. This unit also requires the student to develop an understanding of requirements for regional and urban development including the legislative framework for planning control, feasibility studies, consultation and communication processes.
Details
| Level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 1 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 2 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
There are no pre-requisites for the unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School | No Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2026
Term 2 - 2026 Profile
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Written Assessment | 30% |
| 2. Written Assessment | 35% |
| 3. Presentation and Written Assessment | 35% |
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web site .
Term 2 - 2025 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 90.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 30% response rate.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Source: Staff feedback
Low attendance rate in tutorials
Tutorial content should be reviewed to ensure it is closely aligned with assessment tasks and learning outcomes, thereby reinforcing its relevance to student success. Additionally, incorporating more interactive and applied learning activities or collaborative problem-solving activities during the tutorial may enhance student engagement and motivation to attend.
The tutorial content was comprehensively reviewed and restructured to ensure clear, explicit alignment with the assessment tasks and unit learning outcomes. Each tutorial now directly supports assessment requirements by focusing on applied examples, worked problems, and step-by-step guidance linked to assessment criteria. In addition, interactive and collaborative learning activities—including group problem-solving, case-based discussions, and in-class exercises—were incorporated to actively engage students. These changes have reinforced the relevance of tutorials, increased participation, and enhanced student motivation to attend and contribute.
Source: Staff feedback
Assessment tasks need an update
Assessment tasks should be reviewed to incorporate real-world scenarios or current policy frameworks, and where possible, utilise live data or recent documents from local councils and government bodies.
Assessment tasks were updated to incorporate real-world scenarios and contemporary policy frameworks, ensuring strong industry relevance and the adoption of a sustainable assessment tool. Where possible, students were required to engage with live or recent data, including planning documents, sustainability guidelines, and reports from local councils and government agencies. This approach has strengthened students’ ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical contexts, enhanced their employability skills, and improved their understanding of professional expectations within the built environment sector.
Source: Staff feedback
Leverage digital platforms
Interactive content such as videos, podcasts, or webinars from reputable sources such as the Green Building Council of Australia, Infrastructure Australia, etc., should be embedded into tutorials while also using the discussion forums to encourage students to share and critique recent developments in the field.
A range of high-quality interactive resources—including short videos, expert webinars, podcasts, and industry publications from reputable organisations such as the Green Building Council of Australia and Infrastructure Australia—were embedded into tutorial materials. These resources were integrated with guided discussion forum activities, encouraging students to share insights, critique recent developments, and reflect on current industry practices. This blended approach has promoted active learning, critical thinking, and ongoing engagement beyond the classroom.
Source: SUTE UNIT COMMENTS REPORT - T2, 2025
Assessment brief refinements can ensure students' expectations.
Assessment documentation needs to be further refined and aligned to ensure complete consistency with verbal guidance and expectations, enhancing clarity and transparency for students.
In Progress
Source: SUTE UNIT COMMENTS REPORT - T2, 2025
The workload increases toward the end of the term.
Workload distribution needs to be reviewed to ensure the sequencing and assessments remain academically ideal. It will be evenly scaffolded across the term, supporting students in managing their commitments effectively.
In Progress
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Propose methods for improving the environmental and social sustainability of the built environment.
- Explain the basic theoretical and practical concepts used in urban planning.
- Choose appropriate design responses for particular Australian climate zones.
- Select building materials on an environmentally preferred basis with particular reference to embodied energy, usage and waste.
- Solve routine and unfamiliar problems using information, technology, logic and ethical decision making.
- Practice personal and interpersonal skills.
- Use effectively appropriate modes of communication.
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment | • | • | • | • | |||
| 2 - Written Assessment | • | • | • | • | • | ||
| 3 - Presentation and Written Assessment | • | • | • | • | • | • | • |
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| 1 - Communication | • | • | • | • | • | • | |
| 2 - Problem Solving | • | • | • | • | • | ||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | • | • | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | • | • | • | • | |||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | • | • | • | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | • | • | • | ||||
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment | • | • | • | • | |||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment | • | • | • | • | • | ||||||
| 3 - Presentation and Written Assessment | • | • | • | • | • | ||||||