This course deals in detail with the concepts, methodologies/tools and processes required for designing, building and operating sustainable buildings, and evaluating their resource-efficiency (e.g. energy- and water-efficiency), as well as environmental and socio-economic performance in various stages of their operation and overall lifecycle. The sustainable performance of buildings is thus addressed in a holistic triple-bottom-line approach, based on environmental, economic and social/behavioural criteria relevant to different phases of the building lifecycle.
Bioclimatic and other aspects of high-performance building design (passive, zero-energy and positive energy buildings), as well as the utilization of renewable and locally available resources (energy, water) and technologies are discussed in detail.
Building systems and services (such as thermal comfort, indoor air quality, lighting etc.) are discussed in an integrated system perspective, as relevant to the sustainable performance of singular buildings, as well as building clusters, precincts and cities.
State-of-the-art modeling tools (energy-modeling, BIM, etc) are presented and used in designing/evaluating different types of high-performance buildings.
Lectures given by experts from a number of related disciplines (architecture, building physics, energy technology, building information management (BIM), environmental management, real-estate economy) are designed to offer a solid understanding of integrated sustainable building design principles. Additional in-depth studies are carried out in the form of an assignment/project carried out in an area of specific interest to the student
Field trips include visits to a number of high-performance buildings and urban districts.