Sustainable Design: Principles and Planning - Skill Set 1

Sustainable Design: Principles and Planning - Skill Set 1 - 0037S0181

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Learn, innovate and lead with sustainable design to transform spaces, preserve places, and build a greener tomorrow.

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Location:
Melbourne City
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This course prepares you for specialised roles in the building design and construction sectors and equips you with versatile skills applicable to various roles that contribute to a sustainable future.

The Sustainable Design: Principles and Planning skill set is designed to provide you with comprehensive knowledge in this vital and expanding field. You'll gain skills that will empower you to assess and evaluate development sites, considering environmental conditions, the functional needs of buildings, and the integration of passive design elements. You'll delve into the study of construction materials and methods, understanding their impact on resource conservation.

Additionally, you'll have the opportunity to explore the influence of Indigenous perspectives in design processes, stay abreast of emerging trends in the building industry, and familiarize yourself with the requirements of current legislation and standards.

Why study the Sustainable Design: Principles and Planning skill set at RMIT?

Experiential learning

Build a portfolio of work based on realistic case studies to consolidate your learning journey and launch your career in sustainable building design. You will attend related site visits for firsthand briefings and to make observations to augment and inform your studies and project work.

Work-ready skills

Address real-world challenges and formulate innovative sustainable design solutions for the build environment.

Specialist expertise

Learn from industry specialists and develop a network of industry contacts.

Further your knowledge with other skill sets

When you study Sustainable Design: Principles and Planning, you will have the option to further your studies with the addition of other skill sets: Sustainable Construction Methods and Materials and Sustainable Operation Systems and Lifecycle.

These areas of study will give you the tools to make sustainability recommendations throughout a building’s lifecycle and empower you to help pave the way for a more sustainable future.

Details

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Learning and teaching

This skill set is taught using a hybrid delivery model where you will attend both face-to-face sessions at our Melbourne City campus and online workshops. Included in the program are a number of site visits, specialist presentations from industry experts and Q&A sessions.

Throughout the course you will access online, self-directed learning content and activities to build on the topics covered in your workshops. Site visits and guest presentations will allow you to apply your knowledge in a practical way to understand real world examples of sustainable design.

Assessment methods

Your assessment will typically come in the form of assignments and projects. These may be either research or problem based, and will provide you with experience in effectively researching, writing and presenting your findings to a range of audiences. Your assignments will help develop your skills in communication and presentation, affording the opportunity for you to receive feedback on your learning and skills development.

Learning at RMIT

The types of classes you have will depend on the course you’re studying. Classes are offered in various formats designed to provide meaningful engagement with staff, industry and peers and provide for access and use of spaces where learning can be applied and active, including an array of specialised equipment.

Most RMIT courses do not include passive large-scale classes such as lectures, instead the content traditionally provided in lectures is made available online. This may be in the form of readings, videos or other on-demand learning materials. This content will also support the basis of interactive learning that takes place in on-campus classes.

RMIT Capabilities

The world is constantly changing, and there are universal skills that can help you adapt to the evolving nature of work and global engagement.

As part of your study experience at RMIT, we provide 6 future-focused RMIT Capabilities:

  • Ethical Global Citizens
  • Connected
  • Adaptive
  • Digitally Adept
  • Expert
  • Critically Engaged.

RMIT Capabilities are built into your course as well as some of our extracurricular experiences. They inform the design and delivery of your learning activities and assessments, so by the time you graduate, you’ll be ready to apply these capabilities in your life and work.

Sustainable Design: Principles and Planning was developed and approved by subject matter experts and an Industry Advisory Group incorporating highly experienced specialists from a variety of roles across the building design and construction sectors.

The theoretical learning in the course is aligned with practical activities and case studies. Specialist industry representatives will present case studies and information during a number of your workshops, giving you the opportunity to experience real world industry projects.

The knowledge and skills you will acquire throughout this degree/diploma and how they can be applied in your career are described in the learning outcomes.

The skill set is delivered flexibly over a 10-week period, with an additional week at the end to complete assessment tasks.

You are required to attend 4 x half-day, on-campus workshops, with each followed by a 3-hour site visit.

In addition, there will be 6 x 3-hour online workshops across the duration of the course. To supplement your contact hours, you will complete weekly teacher-directed, self-paced learning and activities online in our learning management system.

The Sustainable Design: Principles and Planning skill set incorporates the following units of study:

  • Recommend sustainability solutions for small-scale building design projects (CPPBDN5109)
  • Assessing thermal performance impacts (CPPHES4001)
  • Constructing thermally efficient structures (CPCCBC4020).

Course structure

Choose a plan below to find out more about the subjects you will study and the course structure.

Sustainable Design: Principles and Planning - Skill Set 1
Program code: S0181
National curriculum code: 0037S0181
Title
Location
Duration
Plan code
CRICOS
Sustainable Design: Principles and Planning - Skill Set 1
City Campus
10 weeks
S0181
Location
City Campus
Duration
10 weeks
Plan code
S0181
CRICOS
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Career

Sustainable building design is a rapidly growing and increasingly important area within the field of architectural design and construction. Areas of employment and new job specialisations for people with skills and knowledge in this area are developing all the time.

New roles in the industry are emerging as the result of the high demand for sustainable development expertise, such as specialist building associates, construction estimators, energy auditors, environmental energy consultants.

Completion of this skill set will provide you with specialist knowledge that can be applied to a variety of job roles or build on your pre-existing knowledge of the building design and construction sectors. You can further develop your specialist skills through completion of the remaining skills sets or undertaking further study in your area of special interest.

Entry requirements and admissions

You need to satisfy all of the following academic (entry) requirements to be considered for entry into this course.

There are no minimum academic entry requirements for this course. Applicants must meet the minimum university entry requirements.

There are no prerequisite subjects required for entry into this qualification.

A selection task is not required for entry into this qualification.

You must meet the University's minimum English language requirements to be eligible for a place in this program.

Pathways

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Understanding pathways

Undertaking a certificate, diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree can help you meet the entry requirements for your preferred degree. These qualifications often provide credit, reducing the duration of your bachelor degree.

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Even though there are no formal pathways into this course, there are often other ways you can gain entry.

Contact Study@RMIT to discuss your options

When you successfully complete this skillset, you might like to consider further studies at RMIT such as a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree. Contact Study@RMIT to discuss your options or browse our courses.

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Credit, recognition of prior learning, professional experience and accreditation from a professional body can reduce the duration of your study by acknowledging your earlier, relevant experience.

Credit and exemptions will be assessed consistent with the principles of the RMIT Credit Policy.

Find out if you might be eligible

Fees

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2025 fees

This program is only offered as a full-fee program.

  • 2025 full-fee place: AU$4,600* total

*Fees shown are indicative only and subject to change given individual circumstances at the time of enrolment.

Fee finder

Use our fee finder to get an estimate of your fees for this program.

Additional expenses

  • Student services and amenities fee (SSAF): AU$365 maximum fee* for 2025.
    *Note: *SSAF will be charged per nominal hour at a rate of $0.51 per hour.
  • Other items related to your program, including field trips, textbooks and equipment.

Annual fee adjustment

The student tuition fees as displayed by the fee finder are indicative only and subject to change given individual circumstances at enrolment. Fees are adjusted on an annual basis and these fees should only be used as a guide.

Payments and refunds

For information on how to pay your fees or how to apply for a refund, please see Paying your fees and applying for refunds.

In addition to tuition fees, you will be charged an annual student services and amenities fee (SSAF), which is used to maintain and enhance services and amenities that improve your experience as an RMIT student.

The SSAF is calculated based on your enrolment load and the maximum fee for 2025 is $365.

Note: SSAF will be charged per nominal hour at a rate of $0.51 per hour in 2025.

For more information about calculating your actual SSAF see Paying SSAF.

You may also be required to purchase other items related to your program, including field trips, textbooks and equipment. These additional fees and expenses vary from program to program.

There is no fee assistance available for this skill set.

RMIT awards more than 2000 scholarships every year to recognise academic achievement and assist students from a variety of backgrounds.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Looking for answers or more general information?

Use our Frequently Asked Questions to learn about the application process and its equity access schemes, find out how to accept or defer your offer or request a leave of absence, discover information about your fees, refunds and scholarships, and explore the various student support and advocacy services, as well as how to find out more about your preferred program, and more.

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This course is not available for international students intending to study on a student visa.

Information for international students

Sorry, this course is not available for international students intending to study on a student visa. If you hold a different visa type, you may be eligible. Please contact Study@RMIT for more information.

 

Information for local students

If you are a local student please select 'switch to local' below to view the full course information.

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