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Sustainable Futures Assignment - Environmental assessment report - Marina Tower

This assignment is about applying the 'Systems Thinking' approach as a framework for the environmental evaluation of the 'Marina Tower' in Melbourne. The intention is to understand each of the weekly topics as a system which is then, together with the other topics, a part of a larger system that is the building, which itself is part of a larger system that is the context/city. The aim is to identify interrelationships or environmental interactions (external, internal) among different systems and the surrounding context; and how these can be used as synergies to improve the project from an ecological point of view.

Integral analysis part 1: Environmental analysis of systems (1 page per topic=6 pages total - A3 format)

This part of the assignment requires you to evaluate each of the topics below as a holistic system that encompasses internal interrelationships within the building and external interdependencies between the building and its immediate surroundings.

1. Climate analysis

2. System 1: Energy (energy saving, production, lighting)

3. System 2: Air (Indoor comfort and air quality)

4. System 3: Water (water sensitive design/integration)

5. System 4: Nature (living architecture, biomimicry, envelopes)

6. System 5: Materials (resources and waste)

Using the information available on 'Marina Tower' (assignment 2 folder on Cloud Deakin) and your own assumptions (where necessary), the following approach could help you get started:

1. Prepare a diagram representing the different components and flows (inputs and outputs) of matter and energy for each of the systems listed above. You should focus on the different type of environmental interactions (see table in next page and lecture week 2 for more information) happening within the building and the immediate context and climate.

2. Inspired by the weekly lectures and seminars (published on Cloud Deakin each week), use the tools, technologies, and methods provided each week for a quantitative/qualitative assessment of the environmental performance for each of these systems or topics. You should use all the available information provided in Cloud Deakin (i.e. pictures, diagrams, floor plans, elevations, etc.) as well as information researched on your own to conduct a 'comprehensive' and 'critical' evaluation of existing/current conditions.

3. Identify the key problems, issues, or deficiencies in the interrelationships or interactions (at building and site scale) for each of the systems and the whole building that you consider have to be corrected or improved in terms of their environmental performance. The key question for this task is: How can each system be improved to work in a 'cyclical' rather than 'linear' way?

Integral analysis part 2: Environmental improvements for 'Marina Tower' (4-6 pages total - A3 format):

1. Based on previous analysis of the six topics above, identify and illustrate the key interrelationships and synergies across all systems (whole building and site) and how these have been improved. For example, it can be presented a new larger system (representing the entire building and site) indicating the improvements that have been implemented to achieve the highest environmental performance.

2. Make a proposal on how they could be turned into key (5+) strategies/technologies for project improvements and provide a description of the potential magnitude of impact for each strategy (i.e. description of suggested technologies/design changes and their future environmental benefits).

Attachment:- Sustainable Futures Assignment File.rar