CE3PDR: Design Project For MEng

Module code: CE3PDR

Module provider: School of Construction Management and Engineering, School of Built Environment

Credits: 40

Level: Level 3 (Honours)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Dr Maria Vahdati, email: m.m.vahdati@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Dr Eugene Mohareb, email: e.mohareb@reading.ac.uk

Additional teaching staff 1: Dr Christos Halios, email: c.halios@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module is designed to provide students with the opportunity to learn from problem-based teaching and learning approaches. Students will work individually and in groups to design a building and its building services including, daylighting and artificial lighting, water and drainage, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems together with power, electrical and emergency systems. This project will be structured in a way to give students an opportunity to apply their architectural design skills as well as their acquired knowledge about low/zero carbon, resource-efficient design as well as building services in a lifelike building design project.   

This module aims to develop a range of key skills with a strong emphasis on independent learning and problem-solving. The module will provide students with the opportunity to integrate and apply the knowledge gained in this programme to design a lifelike building. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Apply key management tools particularly related to projects and to understand low/zero carbon design
2. Communicate ideas, analyses, and conclusions in a variety of forms and to a variety of audiences including experts and non-experts in the field
3. Build personal self-confidence for students by applying the theory and concepts learnt in the taught modules in a lifelike building design project
4. Find appropriate sources of information and identify, select and analyse relevant information
5. Develop IT skills such as word processing, PowerPoint and the use of spreadsheets

Module content

In this module, students will work individually and in groups to design a building and its building services including, daylighting and artificial lighting, water and drainage, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems together with power, electrical and emergency systems. Low/zero carbon design and enhanced inclusion of renewables will be included.  Following the approach of problem-based teaching and learning, students will be provided with the opportunity to face a variety of design challenges associated with a design project including, time and resource management, data analysis and the way to address the objectives of the project. The problem-based learning practice will be guided through a number of workshops and group discussions that provide students with the opportunity to discuss challenges associated with the project and share their ideas and learn from each other.  

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The main teaching and learning methods are lectures, tutorials and class discussions. There will also be non- assessed weekly presentations by students. Site visit will be included where possible.  

Study hours

At least 30 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs