Rural Buildings module handbook

September 2015

Module Handbook

Module Code: 2091

Module Title: Rural Buildings

Module Leader: Sam Parkes

Contact Details:

1. Module Description
The Rural Buildings module is a core level 5 module taken by students on the BSc (Hons) Rural Land Management programme. It builds on the basic knowledge and understanding of site appraisals, surveys andbuilding construction learned in the Year 1 modules Buildings 1 and Landscape Modelling. It focuses on the core knowledge and skills needed by rural surveyors when advising on the management of rural buildings.
2. Module Content
The module content will be delivered through lectures, group tutorials, site visits and practicals.
The outline module content will be:
  1. Site and building surveys
  2. Farm building design and construction.
  3. Building conversions.
  4. Building defects and their remedies.
  5. Cottage renovation.
  6. Low energy buildings and sustainable building design.
  7. Development control and listed building consent.
Property Management – Residential & Commercial
  1. Use of Promap.
  2. Building conservation.
  3. Project management.
  4. Building contracts.

3. Module Teaching Programme
Part of this module is taught with the PAM2 module 2006: Building Management. D2 will be taught separatelyfor the majority of lectures.
The outline weekly programme is linked to the module gateway site.
4. Module Outcomes
At the end of the module, students will be able to:
  1. Undertake a survey of a site or building for a range of purposes.
  2. Use Promap.
  3. Identify and propose remedies for common defects in existing buildings.
  4. Understand principals and processes of property management.
  5. Understand the principles of contract administration and project management.

5. Module Assessment
The module is assessed by a case study (worth in total50% of the module assessment) and a two-hour written examination (worth 50% of the module assessment).
Example of Assessment Case Study attached
The final score for the module will be calculated as the average of the scores achieved in the coursework and examination elements
.
6. Learning Resources
Reading will play a key part in your preparation for this module. Key texts and other useful sources are listed below. Further references to a range of information sources will be given in the lectures and will be available on the module webpage. A good mark in both the coursework and the examination will be dependent on a regular commitment to reading around the subject, and will require wider knowledge and understanding than will be obtained by simply looking at your lecture notes.
Barnes M and Mander C (1991) FarmBuilding Construction. Farming Press.
Chappell D (2007) Understanding JCT standard building contracts. 8th ed. Taylor & Francis.
Constable A and Lamont C (2006) Building defects. RICS Business Services.
Dijksman K (2007) The planning game: an insider’s guide to planning permissions for newbuilds and extensions. Ovolo Publishing.
Fawcett AP (2003) Architecture: design notebook. 2nd ed. Architectural Press.
Graham P (2003) Building ecology: first principles for a sustainable built environment. Blackwell Science.
Parnham P and Rispin C (2000) Residential property appraisal. Routledge.
Ranns R and Ranns E (2005)Practical construction management. 2nd ed.
Routledge.
Smith RE (2006) Planning control: development, permission and enforcement. RICS Business Services.
Rural and Industrial Design and building Association (2009) The farm buildings handbook. RIDBA.
Walker A (2007) Project management in construction. 5th ed. Blackwell Publishing.
Websites:
Promap website

Building magazine website

Rural and Industrial Design and Building Association website

Royal Agricultural University

Module name / Rural Buildings
Module number / 2091
Staff member setting exercise / Sam Parkes
Contact details /
Word or time length guide / 2,500 words plus appendix
Contribution to module assessment (%) / 50%
Date set / Wednesday 13th November 2012
Submission deadline / 9am Thursday 10th January 2013.
Submit to: / RELMSchool Office
Return date:

Assessment brief:

Module 2191 – Rural Buildings

Property Renovation Report

Introduction

This assessment provides the students with a practical exercise in surveying, demonstration of understanding of the process of property construction and renovation culminating in writing a specific report. It is intended as a learning and development exercise as well as an assessment of learning outcomes.

Context

This assessment replicates a professional rural surveyor’s instructions, inspection and report writing for a client wishing to renovate and convert a property. This is a typical report that may be required of a Chartered Surveyor in practice

Brief

Based on the subject property (Four Mile Lodge) write a bespoke report advising your client on the key considerations, extent of works and legal/technical requirements for renovating and converting the property (see client letter and tasks for more detail)

Students are required to submit a detailed Scheduled of Works covering the extent of the works required to renovate and convert the property in line with their report.

Students should comment on key aspects of the works including specific areas of concern, the professional team to be involved, the anticipated process and timetable for the works and any additional matters that would concern a client.

Tasks

These can be summarised as:

  • The Report should deal with all the issues raised in the letter including
  • Summary of Property, location and current condition
  • Review of proposed renovations.
  • Review of proposed conversion
  • Summary for the client of the various regulations that will need to be adhered to and/or that the works are exempt from.
  • Provide a detailed schedule of works covering the extent of the works required to renovate and extend the property in line with their report.
  • An initial project timescale for all aspects of the works in as much detail as possible.
  • Recommend the extent of the additional professional team that the client will need to employ in addition to the student (in the role of overall project manager)

Learning outcomes tested:

Students will be able to:

  1. Undertake a survey of a building for a range of purposes
  2. Identify and propose remedies for common defects in existing buildings
  1. Understand the principles of contract administration and project management.

Submission

Please attach the usual RELM coursework cover sheet and deliver to the registry department by 9am on Thursday 10th January 2013.

Please note that it is specific requirement of this assessment that the report, covering letter and any appendix be bound together and presented in clean and tidy fashion. As such the time to bind the report will need to be taken into account by each student.

Late submissions will be penalised in accordance with college regulations. The School Dean will only approve Coursework deadline extensions in exceptional circumstances. Extension forms can be found on the school intranet pages.

Word Length

Indicative word limit, up to 2,500 words plus appendix. The essence of a good report, and a specific element of this type of report, is that it is clear and concise. Word limit will not be assessed other than as a quality of report indicator.

Referencing / academic misconduct:

All work must be referenced properly to avoid charges of plagiarism or cheating using the referencing system described in the Harvard Referencing Guide and in accordance with the current RAC Academic Regulations

References

Lecture Notes – Year 1 and 2

RICS Code of Measuring Practice.

Plans Provided:

Please note the plan provided are at a scale of 1:200

Marking criteria:

Assessments are marked according to College Policy using the current marking criteria for assignments.

Support Documentation

All guidance, marking criteria and regulation documents are available from the handbooks section of the Student Resources Intranet site URL:

Sam Parkes. November 2012

Ref: Four Mile Lodge /Renovations

Monday 12th November 2012

Dear

Re: Four Mile Lodge – Proposed Extension and Conversion

Further to our recent conversations I write to confirm my requirements for a report in respect of the proposed renovation of Four Mile Lodge

To clarify the Royal Agricultural College would like your considered opinion, with support calculations and details, on the renovation of Four Mile Lodge, including any specific internal alterations and/or possible extensions to make the property achieve a better rental return.

As you will become aware on inspection of the property it is in a poor condition, although the central heating system, including boiler, was renewed around 5 years ago.

Your initial thoughts on costs, timescale and the professional team to undertake the works you propose would be of great benefit.

I attach a basic floor plan which we had produced for the rental particulars.

Thank you

Yours Sincerely

Sam Parkes

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