Construction and the Built Environment HNC Diploma - Level 4

Year One

Project Evaluation and Design

• Project briefing, user requirements, market research, project feasibility, development finance and financial appraisal
• Legislative control of development: town planning acts, Building Regulations, Introduction to CDM Regulations
• Social influences on design, environmental impact, urban design, constructional and architectural influences on design, architectural characteristics of materials, site analysis and building condition surveys
• Site planning for energy conservation

Construction Economics and Finance

• Analysis of the construction sector in the UK
• Management of the UK economy and the implications for the construction industry
• Supply and demand analysis of the construction industry
• Construction markets and the economics of supply
• Price determination for construction projection
• Investment decisions
• Economics of property development

Building Law and Contract Administration

• Law of Tort and its effects on building operations
• Law relating to Health, Safety and Welfare
• Law of Contract including legal aspects of construction contracts
• Law of Property and Land in relation to construction works
• Principles of arbitration, ADR, adjudication and litigation in relation to the Contract Industry
• European construction requirements

Sustainable Construction Technology and Materials

• Introduction to the Sustainable Building Environment. Including sustainable construction, philosophy, drivers and legislation
• Sustainable Construction Materials. Sustainable and unsustainable materials used in the built environment. Properties of materials, Vernacular materials.
• Specialist installation techniques of Sustainable Construction materials.
• Waste Management – principles, waste management and waste management infrastructure
• Project Management and Supply Chain. Integrating modern and innovative methods of construction. Eco retrofit and building and urban scale
• Analytical methods. Calculations in construction related to sustainable construction and materials (eg Life Cycle analysis, embodies carbon/energy embed in materials)
• Computer Aided Design and applications. Professional software to environmental modelling related materials

Year Two

Management Principles

• Theory and science of management; history and development of management thinking
• Functions of management; the roles and functions performed by managers and their contribution to successful organisations
• Organisational form and structure, organisational environment, environmental scanning, internal environment and organisational culture
• Leadership theories and selection; motivation

Assessment and Management of Risk

• Forecasting, risk and uncertainty
• Risk attitude, risk exposure
• Analysis and assessment of risks in construction and building use
• UK and EU Health and Safety legislation
• Health and Safety documentation
• Roles and responsibilities of the planning supervisor, client, designers and contractors
• Development of safety policies
• Techniques for the control and management of risk and hazards from project inception to completion and occupation
• Case study analysis of risks involved in working at height, groundwork, working in confined spaces, moving loads, mobile plant, electrical hazards, use of hazardous material
• Use of protective equipment

Sustainable Construction Technologies and Environmental Design

• Sustainable Construction. Sustainability in different construction typologies (domestic, commercial, workspace, public spaces). Considering design, build, refurbishment and demolition processes.
• Energy and Power Systems. Energy supply and demand. Including low and zero carbon technologies. Technical design
• Sustainable Water Management. Management of water at different scales and the use of water harvesting systems. Technical design
• Building Services and Design. Function and application of building services. Active and Passive systems and assessment in the basic economics of running a modern building
• Computer Aided Design and Applications. Professional software used to create construction plans and assess building performance. Including assessment of energy and power systems and water usage
• Procurement & Contracts. Contract and procurement frameworks affect sustainable construction and design

Project (Sustainability)

• A supervised project of your own choosing which demonstrates your understanding of specific professional skills in relation to sustainability.

Central Sussex College is committed to providing you with guidance and support to help you make the most of your potential and achieve your goals! We offer an exciting range of academic qualifications, vocational subjects and apprenticeships – based at excellent facilities in Crawley, Haywards Heath, East Grinstead and Horsham. We have something for everyone – so whether you are just leaving school and looking to study for a BTEC or A Levels, are looking to retrain and gain new skills or take your studies further with professional qualification or higher level training at our University Centre, Central Sussex College can cater for you.