CCST9020 Sustainable Development of the Built Environment The University of Hong Kong

Assignment Brief

Background The engineering world wonders are chosen as monuments to celebrate and display the achievements of humankind. Many of the listed wonders were, at their completion, the largest, tallest, or the first of their type of building or structure. Some were built to meet specific needs, whereas others were built as celebrations of different types. The lists are made to commemorate how humans have developed structures and building methods to adapt to building needs and challenges through time. Some of the wonders are still standing today and they are a testament to the durability and sustainability of the design and materials used in their construction. Others have since fallen or have been destroyed by earthquakes or other means. This provides a great opportunity to learn about and discuss these wonders and the aspects of sustainability that may be involved with them.

The Assignment For this assignment, the students are required to write a research-based report describing, examining and discussing the sustainable development aspects or features of a particular engineering wonder or development. Select any one of the wonders or other developments listed below for the assignment.

Ancient World Industrial World Great Pyramid of Giza SS Great Eastern Hanging Gardens of Babylon Bell Rock Lighthouse Temple of Artemis at Ephesus Brooklyn Bridge Statue of Zeus at Olympia London Sewage System Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus Transcontinental Railroad Colossus of Rhodes Panama Canal Lighthouse of Alexandria Hoover Dam Petra Medieval World Modern World Stonehenge Three Gorges Dam Roman Colosseum Centair, Japan Great Wall of China Channel Tunnel UK-France Porcelain Tower of Nanjing CN Tower Hagia Sophia Empire State Building Leaning Tower of Pisa Golden Gate Bridge Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa Netherland North Sea Protection Works Taj Mahal Snowy Mountains Other developments Dubai’s World Islands Burj Khalifa Tsing Ma Bridge Chek Lap Kok Airport China Rail Network

The report should cover multiple matters, while being prepared according to the observations from your research. Keeping in mind the concepts taught in the lectures and tutorials of the course, the report should:

1) Describe the chosen wonder or development, including (but not limited to) its background, history and reasons for the construction;

2) Examine the aspects of sustainable development of the chosen wonder or development, applying critical thinking skills; and

3) Discuss points of your interest and reflect on the chosen wonder or development, drawing on your knowledge in your discipline.

The final product will be a professional learning research report that should be readable, useful and interesting while being relevant to the course.

Written Report Format Requirements, Due Date, and Assessment The total length of the report shall not exceed 3 pages of text and 1 page of figures (i.e. one page is defined as one side of an A4 sheet of paper). This length limit does not include your reference list. Be sure to cite all references used in the writing of the report though (failure to adequately cite will incur penalty) and note that Wikipedia is not to be cited as a reference source. Make sure you ensure adherence to proper academic conduct (refer to CCST9020 Course Outline for HKU Academic Conduct Rules). In particular (but not limited to), you should not directly lift/copy information from other sources such as the Internet. The report will be assessed based on the following criteria:

1) Description of the chosen wonder or development (25%) 2) Examination of the sustainable development of the chosen wonder or development (25%) 3) Discussion and reflection drawing on your knowledge in your discipline (25%) 4) Academic writing and presentation of the report (25%)

Quality of independent research and references will be embedded in the four aspects above of the assignment assessment. Deadline of submission of this report: 8pm on Thursday, 30 April 2015 (through Moodle)