Sustainable Building Engineering MSc

• Sustainable Design - Technical SolutionsSustainable Technologies underpin sustainable building design and refurbishment. This module examines the latest development in building services and renewable energy technologies that can be effectively retrofitted to existing buildings. The module provides a detailed understanding of the engineering science underpinning building services (heating and cooling, lighting, ventilation etc.), control devices and Building Management Systems (including commissioning), and renewable technologies (including Photovoltaics, Solar Thermal, Ground Source Heat Pumps, Air Source Heat Pumps, Biomass Boilers, District Heating Scheme, Wind Power, Geothermal, and new emerging technologies as appropriate) and maps the strengths and weaknesses of each solution to typical buildings drawn from the domestic, commercial, industrial, public, utility and health sectors.

• Sustainable Design - Fabric SolutionsLegacy design decisions and previous refurbishment interventions limits the options available to current engineers/designers to deliver economically viable sustainability solutions to improve the performance of existing buildings. This module will examine the relationship between building fabric, sustainable engineering/design and building performance.

• Assessing Building PerformanceDeveloping sustainable building design solutions requires the assessment, analysis, modelling and simulation of the effect of alternative solutions on the whole life performance of a building. The module Assessing Building Performance provides the theoretical basis and practical tools to allow technical, economic and business assessments to be made.

• Property Asset ManagementThis module will provide a sound understanding of the theories, principles and practices used to manage buildings in a sustainable way. It is designed to provide a critical insight into the strategic importance of built assets to the success of private and public sector organisations and to critically appraise alternative approaches to built asset management (fabric and services), including the role of maintenance and refurbishment in the building life cycle.

• Environmental Management SystemsThe module develops a critical awareness of the implications of environmental policy and legislation on the built environment. It encourages the development of a professional approach to develop and implement management systems to meet environmental demands at the organisation and project level, taking account of legal, moral and other pressures.

• People and BuildingsEven when a building is designed and refurbished to a high sustainable standard it is still not uncommon for its performance in use to be worse than expected from building simulation and modelling: the so called performance gap. The module People and Buildings will examine the role that human behaviour plays in the sustainable performance of buildings.

• Integrated Refurbishment Studio ProjectOne unique feature of this Course is the basic theoretical proposition that truly sustainable building solutions can only be achieved if the solutions are developed holistically and informed by the interaction between technology, processes and people. This module will provide the teaching and learning vehicle by which the proposition will be put into action.

• Research Design and MethodsGain an in-depth understanding of the theories and methods of research and research design and develop a theoretical and practical foundation in research for your major project/dissertation. You’ll get an understanding of a range of approaches to research, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods, together with an understanding of a number of specific research methods.

• Major Project: This module supports students in the preparation and submission of a Master's stage project, dissertation or artefact. The Module provides the opportunity for students to select and explore in-depth, a topic that is of interest and relevant to their course in which they can develop a significant level of expertise.

You'll be assessed by a variety of learning and assessment methods, including written assessments, both formative and summative, such as essays, position papers, opinions, analysis, presentation, reports and a portfolio. You may also be assessed by exams.