Revised 08/2024
ARC 240 - Designing Sustainable Built Environments (3 CR.)
Course Description
Introduces students to ethics, ideas, technologies, methods and current practices in designing sustainable environments. Lecture 3 hours per week.
General Course Purpose
To introduce Architectural Technology or General Engineering Technology students to the role that architects must play in designing ecologically sustainable environments to address issues of climate change and the use of energy producing resources.
Course Prerequisites/Corequisites
Prerequisite: ARC 133.
Course Objectives
- Discuss the ethics of designing sustainable environments and the forces mitigating against such design
- Identify renewable and ecologically sustainable energy producing resources
- Describe factors affecting energy use in buildings
- Analyze passive design strategies
- Describe the USGBC and LEED rating systems and their design implications
- Identify recyclable building products
- Identify building products which are produced, delivered and installed while producing the smallest carbon footprint
- Cite strategies for sustainable site planning
- Cite current examples of practical applications of the above
Major Topics to Be Included
- The ethics of sustainable design
- Energy producing resources
- Energy use in buildings
- Passive design strategies
- USGBC and LEED rating systems
- Recyclable building products
- The carbon footprint
- Sustainable site planning
- Current practice in designing sustainable architecture