GreenBuilding Principles and Practices
An Introduction to the GreenBuilding Movement
Course Syllabus
Fall 2012
Instructor:
Bryan Henson
President, Allen Associates
LEED AP, MESM
805-450-6892
Course Overview:
This course is an introductory look at the rapidly developing field of GreenBuilding. The built environment hasa profound effect on natural resources and human health. Approximately 40% of all energy and resources go to this one sector. Until recently, the impacts buildings have on energy, water, materials, resources, waste, and human health and productivity have not been intergraded into design and construction. Fortunately, the move toward renovating existing buildings and constructing new buildings in a more sustainable way is becoming more main stream every day. Students in this course will gain an understanding of how buildings interact and impact environmental systems, and how buildings can be designed and constructed to produce more energy than they use, create water that is cleaner when it leaves than when it enters, and ensure that the health of the occupants is secure.
Topics will include: Site selection, design concepts, construction techniques, maintenance, operation, waste reduction, indoor air quality, incentives, and certifications programs. Resource efficiency (energy, water, materials) will be integrated throughout the topics.
Course Objectives:
Understand the role green building plays in the context of climate change, energy scarcity, materials, and carbon.
Understand the science behind green buildings.
Understand the importance of life cycle analysis for construction materials.
Learn about green building incentive programs, certification programs, and local, state and federal policies.
Gain exposure to cutting edge developments and thinking in the field of GreenBuilding including: Energy retrofits, passive solar design, water conservation, smart grids, biophillic design/biomimicry, and energy modeling.
Communication
GauchoSpace will be used for this course. Please contact me directly if you are not able to access the course page. Announcements, class lectures, homework assignments, etc. will be posted on the site. Please check the site frequently as it is your responsibility to stay up to date with the course material.
Assignments:
Weekly assignments will be a 1-2 page memo analyzing topics covered in the previous class. For example, students will analyze the relationships between bulk water, water vapor, and pressure differentials in relation to building shell durability, moisture management and indoor air quality. Another example would be to compare similar material choices in terms of full life cycle analysis.
Home Work #1:
Write a one to two page memo regarding your interest in green building, reasoning for taking the class, and what you hope to gain from the course.
Students will also be required to select one of several larger projects that they work on throughout the course with a presentation of findings at the end of the term. Potential projects include: Rating an existing building with a rating system of choice, conducting an energy (or waste) audit of an existing building and analyzing its potential for improvement, or conduct a whole building life cycle analysis to determine the overall carbon, energy and waste impacts. This will be discussed in greater depth on October 4th.
Site Visits:
There will be at least one optional site visit during the course. Location and time TBD.
Course Schedule:
ESM 296 - Fall 2010Day / Discussion / Topics / Homework
Sept 27th / Intro to green building / Collaboration, innovation, trial and error. / HW #1
Oct 4 / What is a green building? / Ratings, scorecards, appropriate technology, energy, water and material use, carbon footprint, IAQ. Course project discussion. / HW #1 Due
Oct 11 / What is a green building? / Continuation of previous week's discussion + renewable energy / HW#2 Due
Oct 18 / Building Science 101 / The "black box" of ESM 203. Water, energy, material pathways. / HW #3 Due
Oct 25 / Green building incentives and barriers / Political, economical, institutional… / HW #4 Due
Nov 1 / The future of green building / Net Zero, Passive House, LEED, and what it will take to get there. / HW #5 Due
Nov 8 / TBD / Potential Guest Speaker / HW #6 Due
Nov 15 / Design and Construction / Integrated design process, passive solar, focus on the shell, solar is icing on the cake. / HW #7 Due
Nov 22 / No Class / No Class / No HW
Nov 29 / Healthy Buildings / No HW
Dec 6 / Green a RealBuilding / Look at a real project’s plans and apply the principles learned in class / Final Project Due