Application
This unit of competency specifies the outcomes required to produce building design drawings and documentation with appropriate scale and notations using current industry-standard software packages with building information modelling (BIM) capability.
The unit supports drafters who assist and work under the supervision and instruction of architects and building designers and produce design documentation for all types of residential, commercial and industrial buildings as defined in the Building Code of Australia (BCA), up to the stage of client approval of the design concept. It also covers ensuring that the drawings and documentation meet compliance requirements for the type of building and location and are formatted and notated to facilitate understanding by the client.
Licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to building design drafting in some states. Relevant state and territory regulatory authorities should be consulted to confirm those requirements.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the range of conditions. | ||
1. | Produce building design sketches | 1.1. | Client brief and designer’s concept drawings and notes are reviewed and requirements confirmed. |
1.2. | Existing site information and measured drawings are reviewed and information is applied to the production of sketches. | ||
1.3. | Compliance requirements are confirmed and applied to the production of sketches. | ||
1.4. | Building design software and project templates are used according to workplace requirements to produce and save sketches that illustrate designer’s concept, with accurate proportions and within project timelines. | ||
1.5. | Spatial and dimensional awareness is applied when producing sketches to allow ample space for movement of persons. | ||
1.6. | Rendering techniques are applied to sketches as required by designer. | ||
1.7. | Sketches are reviewed in consultation with designer to check that compliance requirements have been addressed, and adjustments are made and saved as required. | ||
1.8. | Scaled renditions of design concept sketches are produced as required. | ||
2. | Review and apply designer’s instructions in response to client feedback on building design concept sketches. | 2.1. | Designer’s instructions, notes and notations to drawings following client consultations are reviewed and client’s required changes to sketches are confirmed. |
2.2. | Sketches are adjusted and cross-checked to confirm that client requirements are incorporated. | ||
2.3. | Impacts of changes on compliance requirements are identified and confirmed through consultation with relevant personnel and according to workplace requirements. | ||
2.4. | Adjusted drawings and identified impacts on compliance requirements are reviewed with designer. | ||
2.5. | Final adjustments to sketches are made according to instructions and following designer’s final consultations with client and other relevant personnel. | ||
2.6. | Sketches are stored and saved according to workplace requirements. | ||
3. | Produce building design drawings. | 3.1. | Building design software and project templates are used to set up design drawings based on client-approved concept sketches. |
3.2. | Details of spatial, structural and technical elements of the building’s design are confirmed with designer and incorporated into building design drawings. | ||
3.3. | Details of strategies to address work health and safety (WHS) issues in the building’s design are confirmed with designer and incorporated into design drawings. | ||
3.4. | Details of sustainable building design for the project are confirmed with designer and incorporated into building design drawings. | ||
3.5. | Readability of drawings is reviewed and drawings are adjusted to ensure clarity of detail, consistency and ease of understanding by clients. | ||
3.6. | Design drawings are saved and stored according to workplace requirements. | ||
3.7. | Design drawings are reviewed in consultation with designers to ensure client and compliance requirements and anomalies are addressed, and drawings are adjusted as required. | ||
3.8. | Design drawings are rendered to watercolour wash or photo-realistic finish as required. | ||
4. | Review and apply client feedback to building design drawings. | 4.1. | Designer’s instructions, notes and notations to drawings following client consultations are reviewed and client’s required changes to design drawings are confirmed. |
4.2. | Design drawings are adjusted and cross-checked to confirm that client requirements are incorporated. | ||
4.3. | Impacts of changes on compliance of building are identified and confirmed according to workplace requirements. | ||
4.4. | Adjusted drawings and identified impacts on compliance requirements are reviewed in consultation with designer. | ||
4.5. | Final adjustments to drawings are made according to instructions and following designer’s final consultations with client and other relevant personnel. | ||
Foundation Skills
This section describes core skills that are essential to performance and not explicit in the performance criteria. Employment skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency. | |
Skill | Performance feature |
Learning skills to: | develop an understanding of compliance requirements and the constraints they may place on client’s requested changes to design concepts seek advice and respond to feedback from designer. |
Numeracy skills to: | interpret and convert ratios and scales on drawings use and apply knowledge about space and shape to draw accurate two-dimensional and three-dimensional scale plans and drawings. |
Oral communication skills to: | consult with external professional personnel regarding interpretation of compliance requirements discuss adjustments to drawings with designer using construction and design terminology. |
Reading skills to: | interpret designer margin notes and simple diagrams to make connections between information and design requirements interpret specialised vocabulary and acronyms used in compliance requirement documents, including the BCA. |
Writing skills to: | consider the audience for design drawings and represent technical information in notations using language suitable for clients with limited or no technical knowledge. |
Range Statement
This section specifies work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. | |
Compliance requirements must include: | current Australian standards applicable to the building design federal, state or territory, and local authority legislation and regulations applicable to the building design National Construction Code. |
Building design software must include: | BIM-capable current industry-standard software. |
Workplace requirements must include: | application of drawing conventions according to: AS1100.101 Technical drawing - General principles AS1100.301 Technical drawing - Architectural drawing building design project procedures relating to: communication protocols for liaising with external consultants file naming, storing and saving systems and procedures quality requirements WHS requirements roles and responsibilities of building project team, including extent and limitations of drafter’s role. |
Rendering techniques must ensure: | depiction of light and shade range of material finishes readability. |
Review must include: | labelling and notation of drawings layout scale white space. |
Sectors
Building design
Competency Field
Drafting