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TEACHING

Architectural Technology 3: Environmentally Sustainable Design
Core Architectural Technology ESD Course
RMIT Bachelor of Architecture
Coordinator: Graham Crist
ongoing offering
This course aims to provide students with a knowledge of structural, constructional, environmental, and servicing requirements for buildings coupled with an appreciation of associated materiality of these technologies as they are translated into building form, particularly in relation to environmental sustainability. Students are not only provided with a technological information base but also an understanding of the architectural design implications of these technologies.
Assessment:
Students undertake an ESD rating of a key canonical 20th century building, and then modify the design to bring the project up to a 5 star ESD rating, while addressing the aspirations of the original design. This project based assessment facilitates the application of ESD principles within a design focused architectural context.

VEIL Studio Series: Sustainable Futures
RMIT Architecture Design Studios
Coordinator: Graham Crist
Semester 1, 2007
partner:
Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab (VEIL)
Director: Prof. Chris Ryan.
Cross-institutional project funded by the Victorian Government Sustainability Statement and Sustainability Fund, and hosted by the Australian Centre for Science, Innovation and Society, Melbourne University.
RMIT Architecture is offering two VEIL affiliated Architecture Design Studios in semester 1, 2007 as part of a cross-institutional initiative to commission research-led teaching projects addressing innovative sustainable architecture and design practices in Architecture and Design Schools across Victoria.

"Digital Eco-Sense"
Studio Leaders: Prof Chris Ryan (Lab.3000) and Malte Wagenfeld (RMIT Industrial Design)
RMIT Upperpool Design Studio, 2003
RMIT Architecture & Industrial Design Students
This design studio was one of a series commissioned across a number of institutions and design disciplines investigating sustainable development in the context of emerging digital technologies.
partners:
Digital EcoLab, a Lab.3000 project, 2003-2004
Director: Chris Ryan
Cross-institutional project funded by the Victorian Government through Lab.3000, design innovation research centre, hosted at RMIT.
related article:
Eco-Sense, Lab.3000, 2004
related book:
Ryan, Chris, Digital Eco-Sense: Sustainability and ICT - a New Terrain for Innovation, Melbourne: RMIT Press/Lab.3000, 2004
Subjects: Sustainable development; information technology - technological innovations; communication - technological innovations; technological innovations - environmental aspects & economic aspects.
This book documents research-led Design Studios commissioned across a number of institutions and disciplines to investigate the themes above, involving 100 design students (industrial, architecture, interior, fashion) at three leading Universities in Australia (RMIT and Swinburne in Melbourne, and University of Technology, Sydney).

Teaching Resources:
Passive Solar online course reference materials, 2001
Prepared by:
Michael McKenna, Practice: Morgan McKenna
Doug Evans and Gavin Perrin, RMIT Architecture

Architecture & Design Electives

Contemporary Environmental Thought
School of Architecture & Design Elective
Cordinator: Judy Rogers
This subject takes as its starting point the fact that environmental thought does not present us with a coherent body of knowledge. Instead, it has its own internal spectrum of debate resulting in a diverse range of approaches to thinking about ’environment’ and environmental ’problems’. In this subject we will explore this diversity, from mainstream environmentalism (including sustainable development), through to more radical environmentalism, including deep ecology, social ecology and ecofeminism. We will critique contemporary environmental thought from a range of different perspectives and consider some of the key contemporary ‘challenges’ to environmental thought from environmental justice to social constructionism to postmodernity.

The Lurujarri Dreaming Trail
School of Architecture & Design Elective
Cordinator: Judy Rogers
In this course students have the opportunity to learn about, listen to, discuss and engage with indigenous people about their knowledge and relationship to land. Students will spend 9 days with the Goolarbooloo people of Broome W.A. walking the Lurujarri dreaming trail. Lurujarri, meaning coastal dunes, is the Aboriginal name that generally describes the stretch of country from Broome, W.A. to Minarriny, about 90 kms to the north of Broome. The trail follows part of a traditional Aboriginal song cycle that originated from the Dreamtime.

School of Architecture + Design Short Courses

RMIT Centre for Design (CFD)
sustainability research and consultancy

Environmentally Sustainable Design Training Courses (CFD):
- Green Building & Design Course, Melbourne + Sydney 2006
- Green Building & Design Course, Melbourne, 2005
- Green Building & Design Course - Making it Happen, Melbourne, 2005