Skip to main content
Unit outline_

DESC9201: Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)

Semester 2, 2022 [Block mode] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

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

Academic unit Architectural and Design Science
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Jungsoo Kim, jungsoo.kim@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment IEQ Essay
Select essay topic from list of options (see Canvas site)
40% Week 09
Due date: 07 Oct 2022 at 23:59
7 A4 pages (incl. figs, tabs, refs)
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6 LO7
Assignment IEQ Experiment Report
Report
60% Week 13
Due date: 04 Nov 2022 at 23:59
7 A4 pages incl. figs, tabs, refs, abstr
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Work of outstanding quality, demonstrating mastery of the learning outcomes
assessed. The work shows significant innovation, experimentation, critical
analysis, synthesis, insight, creativity, and/or exceptional skill.

Distinction

75 - 84

Work of excellent quality, demonstrating a sound grasp of the learning outcomes
assessed. The work shows innovation, experimentation, critical analysis,
synthesis, insight, creativity, and/or superior skill.

Credit

65 - 74

Work of good quality, demonstrating more than satisfactory achievement of the
learning outcomes assessed, or work of excellent quality for a majority of the
learning outcomes assessed.

Pass

50 - 64

Work demonstrating satisfactory achievement of the learning outcomes
assessed.

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Work submitted after the deadline will incur a penalty of 5% of the total marks earned for the assessment per calendar day. Work submitted 20 calendar days or more after the deadline will not be assessed and will receive a mark of zero.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 1. Introduction; 2. Human sensory responses; 3. Post-occupancy evaluation; 4. Visual comfort, fatigue and health; 5. Lighting and productivity, safety and user preference/satisfaction Lecture (7 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 03 1. Thermal comfort background and fundamentals; 2. Thermal comfort: the PMV/PPD model; 3. Thermal comfort: the adaptive comfort model Lecture (7 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 06 1. Indoor air quality and ventilation; 2. Introduction to acoustics and challenges for sustainable building design; 3. Sustainable acoustic design in practice Lecture (7 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 07 1. Infectious disease transmission in the built environment; 2. Assessing indoor environment quality performance in buildings; 3. Personalised comfort; 4. Briefing session for IEQ Lab experiments and assignment 2 Lecture (7 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6 LO8
Week 08 1. Thermal Comfort Experiments (IEQ Lab); 2. Lighting Experiments (Lighting Lab); 3. Acoustics Experiment (Spatial Audio Lab) Science laboratory (8 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4 LO7

Attendance and class requirements

Please refer to the Resolutions of the University School: http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/architecture/rules/faculty_resolutions.shtml

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

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.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9
LO1         
LO2         
LO3         
LO4         
LO5         
LO6         
LO7         
LO8         

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

N/A

Additional costs

N/A

Site visit guidelines

N/A

Work, health and safety

University COVID-19 safety guidelines will be applied to the conduct of Day 5 experiments in the IEQ Lab, the Spatial Audio Lab, and the Lighting Lab.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.