Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning

University of Melbourne

House Watch Assignment 2023

ABPL 20042

Construction of Residential Buildings

Aims and Objectives

Students are to follow the construction of a domestic residence through all stages of the building program, to reinforce the knowledge gained in the lectures of the course. This will enable students to understand the erection and assembly process appropriate to domestic scale structures, and to explore the administrative and legal obligations that must be adhered to during all phases of constructions and the installation of services etc.

Brief

Students are expected to visit sites of 3 to 5 houses under various stages of construction, each week throughout the semester. You are required to combinethe houses into an annotated report detailing the sequence of construction as though it was one house being built. The report needs to cover all trades involved in the construction of a house. A bar chart program of the sequence of construction is mandatory for the report. It is essential that students demonstrate an understanding of what they have photographed and sketched, in particular, the structural integrity of the house including load paths, lateral stability, truss configurations and fixings. Photos without appropriate explanation, annotated sketches and description, i.e. photos on their own, will be considered insufficient for this assignment.

Readings

In conjunction with the assignment, it is expected that students will familiarise themselves with the required and recommended reading material listed in the ABPL20042 Subject Outline. Comprehension of construction terminology and the sequence of construction of the various trades is essential for successfully completing this assignment.

Safety Requirements

It is essential that students have undertaken the generic site safety induction from the University of Melbourne (in Lecture 1). Should any student have missed this lecture, they must download the presentation from the LMS and provide a written confirmation to the Lecturer (Dr Martel), that they have satisfied this condition. In addition, further specific site safety inductions may be undertaken by you under the instruction of a builder at a given site.

Feedback

It is essential for students to bring photos to their tutorials from their progressive site visits. It is expected that you will attend your nominated construction sites at least weekly in order to gauge the sequence of construction adequately, without gaps occurring in your report. This material (the photos and sketches) will form the basis for and generate feedback not only for the assignment but the Construction of Residential Buildingscourse more generally.

The report is to be submitted electronically. Marks will be allocated for content, neatness, and accuracy. Students are encouraged and expected to use sketches and captions to demonstrate they understand what they have photographed.

The address of each house that is part of your report must be included in the report.

Students using the same house

Up to six students may follow the same house/s under construction but please keep these numbers as low as possible. Students are not to swap photos or sketches. Each student must submit their own work. During marking duplication is very easy to detect and all parties involved will be penalised (see also the section on plagiarism and collusion in the Subject Guide).

Type of House

The house/s to be observed may be of brick-veneer or lightweight clad construction with a raft slab on ground and a truss roof with roof tiles or metal roofing. Examples of other houses with a conventional timber floor with bearers and joists supported by base wall brickwork and strip footings are desirable but not essential for inclusion in the report. Other forms of construction may be added for comparison, such as weatherboards, block work, concrete wall panels, other lightweight cladding, steel framing, colour-bond roofing etc.

The report should comprise sections as follows:

1. Pre-construction phase

Demonstrate your knowledge (and provide examples if you can) of administrative procedures required before work can commence on site, e.g. drawings required, soil tests, builder registration/licensing, issuing of building permit.

2. Construction phase

Observe the process and sequence of construction in having the house built. Photos and sketches are very important to record the sequence. Students must demonstrate their understanding of what it is that they have photographed by the use of annotated sketches. Students must also demonstrate their understanding of the sequence of construction by including a building program (in a Bar Chart).

3. Services

Administrative procedures and basic regulations associated with the connection of services to the house/s being observed, e.g. electricity, gas, water, sewerage, stormwater drains, etc.

Visiting the site

Building sites are hazardous working (and visiting) environments. Personal protective equipment (PPE) in the form of hard hat, hi-viz vest and safety boots must be worn at all times on construction sites. It is essential student’s obtain permission from the builder before entering the site. If permission is not granted, students are required to photograph construction phases from outside the site boundaries. Students are required to inform the builder of the reason for the visit to the site and to present to the builder a letter from Melbourne University that is available from the Student Centre (keep a copy when you are visiting site). Students are not to climb heights in any way.

Assessment

Points considered when assessing the assignment include:

• Completeness of content

• Formatting of reports for legibility and clarity

• Presentation, text, photographs, sketches

• Bar chart construction program

Marks will be distributed as:

Pre-construction phase:04

Construction phase:12

Services:04

Total20%

Submission

The length of the report is to be approximately 1000 words plus photos and annotated notes and sketches. Please note that the word count is a guide only.

The report is to be submitted electronically via the Subject Canvas page.

Finally …

Students are strongly urged to consult with the subject’s lecturer and tutors on a regular basis for further elaboration or clarification of the requirements for the assignment. Attending all of your tutorials and asking questions is the best way to get maximum benefit from this assignment.

You are advised to start work immediately as students often underestimate the time commitment required for this assignment. A good starting point would be to identify suitable construction sites and begin to approach building companies regarding possible access.

Good luck.