Sustainability, Environmental Performance and Energy Efficiency in Higher Education: Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb

Abstract

Sustainability, environmental performance and energy efficiency have become main subjects not only for the profession of architecture, but for every profession, as well. Within the scope of this conference, and more specifically the overall energy performance of buildings, the section dealing with the higher technical education has special relevance. The need for incorporating sustainability and energy parameters in higher education has been recognised for some considerable time now. As academic staff members teaching in technical courses at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb, we are always under time pressure in keeping up with the newest performances in structure and technology facing the question: How to realise and improve the graduate framework and the learning and teaching plan of environmental issues in the courses that we teach?The paper examines available study programme ‘Architecture and Urban Studies’ within the master degree programme at the Department of Architectural Technology and Building Science. The new compulsory course Architecture and Technology 1 (AT1_2018/2019) addresses the topics of building energy consumption and emissions, rational use of energy, environmental impact, high performance efficiency and sustainable building. By comparing a selection of students’ works in different groups conducted experimentally for the first time, the paper will discuss the project approach, give a critical evaluation of the selected case studies and some lessons learned from attempts to incorporate environmental issues into the unit syllabus. Through this paper we attempt to share information and deepen the discussion within the academic community. Finally, as a contribution, it is expected to increase the ways by which parameters of energy and environmental sustainability can become an integral guiding principle in the design and delivery of all academic courses offered at the Faculty.