CMA5004: Level 5 Environmental and Construction Technology Design Assessment

Assessment Component(s) – Summary

Part 1 – Project Construction Drawings (500 words)

Part 2 – Report presenting information in relation to Environmental and Construction Technology Design (3,000 words) 

Summative Assessment:

Report 3500 words Project Scenario:

Scenario:

The clients, Mr and Mrs Smith, have recently acquired a three-bedroom semi-detached house. Before taking up residence, they have expressed the need to upgrade and extend the existing house, as it does not currently offer sufficient space to accommodate their family of six, which includes four children, two boys and two girls (6 to 18 years old). The proposed renovation, refurbishment and extension works are intended to enhance the internal living environment by increasing both the habitable floor area and the number of sleeping spaces to better suit the family’s lifestyle needs. All planned modifications must be designed in accordance with current UK Building Regulations and within the scope of Permitted Development Rights.

Overview:

Following the successful completion of your degree in Construction Management, you have been appointed as an Assistant Project Manager at a local contracting firm that specialises in residential design and building projects. Historically, the company has relied on external architects or client-supplied drawings to produce design and construction documentation. However, given your academic background and demonstrated competence in construction project planning and Building Information Modelling (BIM), you have been assigned to the construction team with the responsibility of preparing the full set of construction information documents for this renovation and refurbishment project. Utilising either AutoCAD or Revit software, you are expected to develop accurate and detailed drawings, including plans, elevations, and sectional views that clearly communicate the proposed design. These documents must align with relevant planning constraints and regulatory standards, reflecting the functional and spatial requirements of the clients. In addition, you are required to incorporate all essential technical specifications and construction detailing to ensure the design is practically implementable on-site.

Assessment Component(s) – Detailed Instructions

Part 1 Construction Drawings (500 words)

A Construction Information Package will include general arrangement drawings made of:

• Existing elevations & floors plan.
• Proposed renovated elevations & floors plan.
• Site Plan location.

Considering sustainability measures, what construction materials are proposed for the renovation of the 3-bedroom semidetached house, and what is the rationale behind the selection of these materials?

• Include a 500-word design statement describing the drawings and explaining the design intent for the house renovation and extension.
• Your drawings should be on one scale and uploaded into the report.
• During the report, the REVIT or CAD file should alternatively demonstrate their understanding of how you navigated and used the software to produce these documents.
• No need to submit the original file; only screenshots/extracts of the drawings in your report
• Including annotated screenshots of your drawings within the report (with appropriate scale and title blocks).

Part 2 Report presenting information

A. Introduction (approx. 300 words)

In this section, you should introduce the topic in general, mention the purpose of this report and include a brief discussion of the structure of your report. This report outlines the design and construction information for a residential renovation and extension project. It explains the design rationale with reference to sustainability, space planning, and compliance with regulations. It also includes a brief justification of the materials selected for the proposed work.

B. The different elements of the superstructure. (approx. 1200 words):

• Discuss the importance of using steel beams in house extensions to support open-plan layouts and large structural openings.
• Highlight their strength, flexibility, and ability to span long distances without intermediate supports, ensuring structural stability and efficient construction.
• Explain how tension, compression, and any potential cantilever loads contribute to the overall stability of the superstructure.
• Describe the use of wooden or timber frame structures in roofing systems.
• Discuss the various types of timber frame constructions, including the key structural elements and typical construction methods.

Define and explain the benefits of using shear walls and cavity walls in a superstructure.

• This should include their functions, typical locations within the building, and a justification for the materials used.

C. Environmental and Sustainability (approx. 1200 words)

Considering that the refurbishment project carried out in the above residential project

• Discuss in detail how the construction of this project will negatively impact the local environment and suggest sustainable solutions to help mitigate this impact whilst referring to key legislative drivers.
• Provide a summary of how sustainable materials have been selected and integrated into the renovation and extension, considering their environmental impact, durability, and performance.
• Explain how the client’s aspiration for the refurbishment project to be environmentally friendly, with a minimal or zero carbon footprint, has been addressed in the design and construction process.
• Explain key principles of ‘low energy, passive’ design and ‘healthy’ buildings used for this project to satisfy the aspirations of the client.
• Discuss the key legal obligations considered in the design of this refurbishment project and explain how the proposed design has adhered to current building legislation in terms of conservation of energy, inclusion, accessibility, security, and structural performance control.
• Explain in detail the procedure of acquiring planning permission for the construction of this project, and eventually all the steps taken to appeal in case of any rejection.

D. Conclusion (300 words).

Conclude with your understanding of ‘Environmental and Construction Technology Design’ in the Construction Industry, in relation to the topics learnt in this module.

E. Reference List

Remember to include in-text citations and a reference list according to the Harvard Referencing style.

Students must include academic references. Your work will be graded against the references, too.

Additional Tips for Writing:

• Authenticity in your reflections will make your report more meaningful.
• Provide detailed examples and evidence to support your reflections.
• Follow a clear and logical structure to ensure your report is coherent and easy to follow.
• Use phrases like “I learned that…”, “This experience taught me…”, “I realised…”, etc.
• Review your report for clarity, grammar, and spelling errors.

Please note:

Important information:

During the preparation of your report, you will need to pay particular attention to the following:

• Provide a clear structure (using headings and subheadings) as explained in the assignment guide
• Use clear, concise, and simple language (including project terms and professional tone)
• Use in-text citations and a reference list following the Harvard style reference.
• Your report should contain a table of contents, an abstract, an introduction, main sections, and a concluding paragraph.
• When using tables and figures, you must include captions and numbers and in-text references when extracted from external resources, and you must explain to the reader what the image or table is trying to show.
• Always remember to use headings and subheadings, which form your report table of contents.
• Use any of the following fonts: Arial, Calibri, Sans-Serif or Times New Roman for your text.
• You are to add relevant images while writing your report to support your discussion. Also, caption the images appropriately, as they are also graded in the report structure. You can add an outline for the report, too.
• Use font size 12, with 1.5 or double line spacing. The presentation of the work is also considered.
• The file format must be Microsoft Word in .doc, .docx, .odt or PDF, but do not submit in Apple’s Pages format.
• The limit for the word count is 3500 words +/- 10%. Anything outside the limit may not be assessed.
• Kindly see the attached grid for assessment criteria.

Please note: Submissions without appropriate in-text citations and referencing will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in an automatic fail for the module, regardless of how well other learning outcomes have been met.

Component 1 (Report)

Learning Outcomes:

This assessment will enable you to demonstrate in full or in part the following learning outcomes as identified in the module descriptor (delete/add rows as appropriate):

Word Count or Timing Limits:

BSU Assessment & Feedback Policy states that word counts and timing limits have a +10% margin for tolerance. If you submit work that exceeds this limit, no further content will be marked; hence, you may be disadvantaged for failing to be concise and/or concluding your work within the limit specified.

There is no additional penalty applied for work submitted below the word count, but you should be aware that there is a high risk you will not meet the assessment criteria if your assessment submission is significantly below the word count.

The word count refers to everything in the main body of the text, including headings, tables, figures, in-text citations, quotes, lists, etc. Items not included in the word count are titles, contents pages, executive summaries or abstracts, appendices, bibliographies or reference lists.

Guidance for Online Submission Through Moodle:

All assessments should be submitted to the module Moodle site (Assessments tab) by no later than 23:59 on the designated submission date. For guidance on how to upload your work to Moodle, please see:

Late Submissions:

If you miss a coursework deadline (unless you have arranged an approved extension), the following penalties will apply:

Work handed in after the deadline, but before the cut-off date (usually one week later), will be given a maximum score of 40 (pass mark).

Work handed in after the cut-off date will be marked zero (fail).

How to Arrange an Extension:

Contact your Student Success Tutor at GBS to request an extension in advance of the coursework deadline. You should provide a valid reason for requesting an extension, e.g. illness, and you must support your claim with evidence.

The normal extension period is a week; anything more than a week must be applied for and approved by BSU as Exceptional Circumstances (see section below).

Academic Misconduct:

Academic Integrity is essential for the successful completion of your studies.

If you do not understand how to properly paraphrase from appropriate sources and correctly reference your work, you risk accidentally committing academic misconduct, such as plagiarism, collusion or cheating. This may result in you failing an assignment or a module. Repeated academic misconduct can lead to more serious consequences.

All student work submitted at GBS is thoroughly checked by anti-plagiarism software to ensure it is your own work and not the work of someone else. Our anti-plagiarism software will compare your work to a wide variety of sources, including websites, e-books, student assessments from across the world, journal articles and many more.

If your work is suspected of academic misconduct, you may be invited to an interview to explain how you undertook the assessment and to check your understanding of the topic area(s). If you are unable to adequately explain the above, your work will be sent to a BSU Academic Misconduct Panel for appropriate penalties to be applied.

Random Viva Sampling:

Bath Spa University (BSU) and GBS use a variety of means to identify potential academic misconduct in alignment with BSU’s Academic Misconduct Policy.

To better ensure the academic integrity of all student work submitted for assessment, GBS staff randomly undertake a series of viva voce interviews (oral interviews) with a sample of students across modules covering all levels of a course.

The viva voce will be conducted by two representatives from the academic team and will require students to defend your work by demonstrating that each assignment submitted for assessment is their own original work.

If you are selected to take part in this compulsory process, you will be notified in writing a minimum of 7 calendar days before the date of the viva voce. You will also be provided with guidance on how to prepare for the viva voce effectively.

If you have any concerns or queries, please do not hesitate to contact your relevant SST.

Click here to go to our Academic Integrity course to learn more about this important topic and how you can avoid academic misconduct.