Integrating Sustainable Building Design And Construction Principles Into Engineering Technology And Construction Management Curricula

Abstract

A sustainable system can be defined as a system exhibiting the characteristics of continued successful operation indefinitely without degrading or reducing the supplies that feed the system, and without degrading the system’s surrounding environment. This definition can easily be applied to the construction industry, and thus is born the concept of sustainable design and construction. As the world’s population continues to grow at an ever-increasing rate, implementation of resource-efficient measures in all areas of human activity is imperative. The construction industry and the built environment in general represent one of the clearest and most significant avenues where improvement is obtainable and necessary. Buildings have a very significant impact on the environment, accounting for one-sixth of the world’s fresh water withdrawals, one-quarter of its wood harvest, and at least two-fifths of its material and energy flows. In the United States, the construction industry represents 10%-12% of annual Gross Domestic Product. The building construction and design industries have recently begun to recognize that a more sustainable path must be implemented if the industry is to continue to survive and remain a vibrant and significant portion of the economy, providing jobs as well as necessary services. Historically the construction industry has selected the least expensive initial cost alternative to get a project built. Designs have traditionally been undertaken to minimize the initial investment required of developers or owners. With a growing awareness of the negative environmental impacts of the design and construction industries, these industries have begun to re-orient themselves onto paths where fewer raw materials are being used and the selection and specification of materials to be used has begun to take into account the impacts of manufacturing and transportation. Also being considered by innovative and forward-thinking building designers and builders are the health and comfort of users of the built environment. High quality design and construction can reduce energy consumption while providing a healthier indoor environment than conventionally designed buildings provide. Currently the move toward lowering the environmental impacts of building has been largely voluntary, but with the advent of new and tougher indoor air quality requirements, water use restrictions, and land use guidelines, developers, building designers, and construction companies have had to adapt to a changing paradigm. Construction Management programs need to reflect these rapidly changing circumstances and our curricula must be adjusted to a new and evolving situation. This paper will share specific improvements and additions to both Construction Management and Civil Engineering Technology curricula that will introduce students to a new and still evolving landscape for building in the future, one that will allow students to adapt to the new field of sustainable building design and construction successfully.