Sustainable Buildings: Design, Construction, and Operations
Our built environment has a substantial impact on energy and material resources as well as being a critical determinant of health, comfort, and productivity for occupants. In response, there are numerous local, national, and international entities adopting green, sustainable criteria for new construction and renovations. This course approaches sustainable development for buildings by examining how building components and systems affect human performance and well-being.
The next course will be held Fall 2009.
- Fall 2008 Course Website
- Fall 2008 Syllabus
- Registration
- Student Feedback
- Green Building Resource Links
Our built environment has a substantial impact on energy and material resources as well as being a critical determinant of health, comfort, and productivity for occupants. In response, there are numerous local, national, and international entities adopting green, sustainable criteria for new construction and renovations. This course approaches sustainable development for buildings by examining how building components and systems affect human performance and well being. Sustainable development starts with site planning and evaluation, and proceeds through construction, commissioning, and occupancy phases. The course includes many case studies of historic and contemporary structures exemplifying various sustainability features. The course presents rating systems for high performance buildings developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and other international organizations. The course will help prepare student for LEED accreditation exam. Field trips are arranged to tour buildings and green roofs in the Boston area. (4 credits- graduate, undergraduate, or non-credit)
Fall term
The next course will begin in August 2009.
First lecture
TBD. Check the Harvard University Extension School for updates. Come to the first class and decide from there!
Course tuition
(as of Fall 2008) non-credit and undergraduate credit: $800, graduate credit $1,725
Instructors
- John D. Spengler, PhD, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation, Harvard School of Public Health
- Leith Sharp, MEd, B.E. (Env)
- Nathan Gauthier, BS, Assistant Director of the Office for Sustainability, Harvard University
- Agnes Vorbrodt-Schurma, MArch, MBA, ALM, Principal Architect, VvS.
- Rafal Schurma, MArch, MS, Principal Architect, VvS.
- Teaching Fellow: Andrea Ruedy Trimble, BArch, MS.
Questions?
- For questions about the course, contact Andrea Ruedy Trimble
- For questions about registration, contact the Extension School: 617.495.4024
- For more information on the Harvard Extension School: http://extension.harvard.edu/
To register
E119 is held during the fall semester. The next course will be held in Fall 2009.
Registration, which will begin in August 2009, is through the Harvard University Extension School: http://extension.harvard.edu/2008-09/register/
Student feedback
“Many of the lectures were amazing. I loved the class, I learned a lot, and I would do it all over again. This is by far my favorite class out of the four I have completed here.”
“Amazing topic, amazing energy and interest, amazing people attending the class!!!”
“This course was very ambitious—there was a lot of information covered…We were clearly blessed with great instructors, and I think this course should become a mainstay of the Management degree… The field trips were great.”
"This is the first course that I have taken in which the students were really enthusiastically engaged in the actual class. The class ran from 5:30 to 7:30 PM and at the end of each class the students where disappointed that class time was over. At the end of each class the instructor and guest speaker would spill out into Sever Hall and an hour-long discussion group would happen... The instructors and teaching fellows of this course demonstrated unparalleled professionalism and leadership that fostered a great feeling of camaraderie among the students.”
