Based on the description of the components of the urban environment development, this program establishes guidelines and gives tools for its quantification and analysis so the practitioner can build a model for he analysis of the impact of the urban environment on sustainability with an integrative sense.

Syllabus

Sustainability in Architecture: An Interdisciplinary Introduction — This course introduces the basic elements and trends that define sustainability practices in Architecture today. It follows an interdisciplinary approach that includes performance assessment and urban policies.
Built environment sustainability assessment — The course introduces the basic elements and trends for performing a through built environment assessment and develops the tools for urban sustainability policy impact analysis.

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This course offers an interdisciplinary approach to sustainabilityin Architecture. Learners will be introduced to the basic elements of sustainability assessments (first model layer), as well as trends informing the space today.

The coursework enables students to develop a conceptual neighborhood model for assessing performance and urban policies.

In the first week, participants will learn todevelop a conceptual model from the architectural elements of buildings; the basic building block of which will be the performance of materials. The second week explores methods of optimizing performance. Coursework will detail the needs and constraints inherent in selecting materials and neighborhood urban elements (the second model layer for green, blue and grey infrastructure).

In the third week, learners will develop the basic tools for introducing energy and measuring the potential impact on climate change (CO2). A new layer (third) on our neighborhood stainability model, this will be approached from a global perspective. In the fourth and finall week, the course will explore techniques for a joint assessment directly connected to policy issues.
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The course introduces the basic elements and trends for performing a through built environment assessment and develops the tools for urban sustainability policy impact analysis.

During the first week the dimensions for urban sustainability are introduced first through an analysis of the classics, later followed by a master lecture on climate change by Nobel prize winner Edward S. Rubin and ending with an interview of the late Nobel prize winner Sir Harold Kroto on Nanoscience.

The second week builds the connection with the tools available through science for making our cities sustainable. The first video develops the possibilities of Nanomaterials, followed by the key impact of Green Infrastructure on the city metabolism and ending with an analysis of the role of smart grids on energy distribution for the future cities.

Week 3 the core chapters for assessment and impact analysis of the built environment. The first video develops the theoretical framework followed by the necessary Integrated Design approach to the assessment and impact evaluation presented on the last video.

Along the fourth week the main techniques for modelling a city are put together for understanding their essence and field of application. Beginning with the most detailed approach (BIM), the prevalent Life Cycle Analysis follows to end with an economical point of view through business models formulation.

The last week (fifth) the final envisaged paradigm of the circular city is presented starting from the grounding concepts which are developed in the proposed Circular City model. As a final point the Sustainability Plan for the University of British Columbia is analysed.