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Unit of study_
DESC9201: Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
2024 unit information
Humans' thermal, visual, auditory and olfactory senses determine the perceived quality of a built environment. This unit analyses the built environments in context of these human factors. This unit relates human experience of buildings to the main dimensions of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ): thermal, acoustic, lighting and indoor pollution (also known as IAQ). This understanding of human comfort perceptions is contextualised by an understanding of the various approaches to the evaluation of built environmental performance. You will study indoor environment theories and predictive models, post-occupancy evaluation (POE) tools and workplace productivity metrics. Regulations from Australia and abroad will be explored to understand their impact on acoustics, thermal comfort, lighting, indoor air quality and ventilation. The unit also pays attention to IEQ criteria within sustainability rating tools since those protocols drive practitioners’ interest in and engagement with IEQ issues. This unit gives students extensive hands-on experience in laboratory- and/or field-based methods of IEQ research, assessment, and diagnostics. A recurring theme will be instrumental measurements of indoor environments, and how they can be analysed in relation to perceptual and behavioural data collected from occupants of those environments.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning
| Study level | Postgraduate |
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| Academic unit | Architectural and Design Science |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. understand the fundamental principles of acoustics, air quality, thermal environments and illumination within built environments
- LO2. understand the significance of IEQ within the commercial building context of performance measurement
- LO3. understand the principles of measurement of indoor environmental parameters (objective IEQ)
- LO4. understand the principles of measurement of occupant ratings of indoor environmental parameters (subjective IEQ)
- LO5. analyse and interpret subjective IEQ ratings in relation to objective IEQ parameters
- LO6. demonstrate skills in critical thinking and critical analysis of evidence
- LO7. critically evaluate cause and effect relationships between objective IEQ parameters and subjective IEQ parameters
- LO8. demonstrate skills in synthesising and effectively communicating technical information across the multiple disciplines comprising the IEQ domain.
Unit availability
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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