Description
This course introduces concepts of environmental science and principles of sustainability, in the context of the built environment. Major environmental drivers of the sustainable construction movement including climate change, ozone depletion, biodiversity losses, and others are presented. Societal and political factors influencing adoption of sustainable practices are discussed. The significance of various green building rating systems such as LEED, Green Globes, and Envision is introduced. Techniques for improving the sustainability of the built environment, including energy and water conservation, appropriate site selection, appropriate materials use, and construction management techniques to minimize environmental impacts are presented. Basic Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) techniques and software tools are introduced. (prereq: AE 1231, CH 200, junior standing)