Requisites: Pre-requisite: Interest and knowledge of sustainability

This module offers a comprehensive introduction to sustainability, exploring its implications from the global scale down to individual buildings. Students will examine critical topics such as global and national energy and environmental challenges, transportation systems, renewable energy technologies, brownfield site redevelopment, low-energy building design, carbon footprint assessment, BREEAM certification, and building performance simulation. By unpacking each area, learners will identify the key drivers, performance criteria, and best practices that define sustainability in theory and in practice.Combining regulatory frameworks with clear visual aids, the module demonstrates how these diverse topics interrelate, highlighting connections between policy, technology, design, and environmental impact. Through case studies and practical examples, students will develop the analytical skills needed to evaluate sustainability strategies and propose improvements across the full spectrum of the built environment.Upon completing the module, students will be able to articulate the overarching principles of sustainability at both macro and micro levels, apply performance metrics to building projects, and align their designs and recommendations with current policy goals, such as the UK’s commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Upon completion of this module you will be able to

LO1: To evaluate global and national energy and environmental challenges and their implications for the built environment.

LO2: To assess the role of transportation systems, renewable energy technologies, and brownfield redevelopment in sustainable development.

LO3: To apply low-energy building design principles and building performance simulation tools to optimise resource efficiency.

LO4: To conduct carbon footprint and BREEAM assessments to measure and benchmark building sustainability.

LO5: To integrate regulatory frameworks and performance metrics into strategies that align with net-zero carbon targets.