Advanced technologies allow architects to address climate change by designing a more environmentally friendly built environment. Courses in this certificate provide an understanding of the environmental impact associated with the construction and energy consumption of buildings.
The 12 credit Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Building Design is comprised of 4 courses for those who wish to gain the foundational skills and knowledge to address sustainability in the design of buildings.
Who would be suited to take this program?
While sustainability standards in the architecture industry is increasing many firms are making large investments in addressing climate change. This certificate will attract professionals in the architecture industry that want to update their skillset with cutting edge tools, techniques to address sustainability goals. Related professions include Architects and Architecture Consultants.
What are the Required Courses?
Code | Title | Credits |
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Core Courses | ||
Select four (4) of the following: | 12 | |
Net Zero Building Design | ||
Life Cycle Assessment and Design | ||
Building Energy Modeling for Sustainable Design | ||
Passive House and Beyond | ||
Building Dynamics | ||
Topics in Sustainable Urbanism |
What will I learn?
This certificate program covers:
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Principles and technologies governing net-zero building design to achieve the outstanding performance that goes beyond minimum green requirements. Case studies of existing high-performance green buildings around the world will be analyzed in terms of their design, system integration, renewables, and environmental performance, which will be accompanied by lectures about the principles and tools applied to the projects. The use of existing net-zero energy standards will be also discussed.
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Life Cycle concepts as first applied to inanimate objects and systems by the U.S. military in the mid 20th Century through their development as an important part of the modern global environmental movement. Opportunities for design students to integrate data driven design decisions through methodologies and tools that translate formal Life Cycle Assessment into their own design workflows.
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Building Energy Modeling (BEM) and energy optimization techniques using the EnergyPlus whole-building energy simulation program to develop student competency with whole-building energy simulation. Students will practice whole-building energy simulation, including the hourly modeling of dynamic thermal envelope loads and system simulations; and explore various green and sustainable design strategies and systems to optimize the envelope and system performance of their projects. This will allow them to be better prepared for interdisciplinary collaboration and integrated design practice for energy efficiency
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Leading edge green building programs designed for highly efficient buildings and regenerative design, including Passive House, Living Building Challenge, and Enterprise Green Communities Certification Plus. Each program’s requirements and application for single family, multifamily and commercial building typologies will be investigated through in-depth case studies and presentations. A cross-program comparison will analyze overlaps, gaps, strengths and weaknesses of the programs - and challenge students to discern where their own sustainability values lie.
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Theories and practice of adaptive architectural solutions. It will examine architecture in relation to the latest research in biology, material science, embedded systems and robotics. Students will research technologies, review case studies, and design adaptive proposals for architecture. In general, they will consider the role architecture as a discipline plays in climate challenges we are facing today. This class is interested in the territory where new technological and scientific advances, and architecture meet. It explores the importance of new technologies in contemporary design and their implications on architectural attitudes.
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Cities are growing at an unprecedented speed. Cities currently account for about 70 percent of global carbon emissions and over 60 per cent of resource use. We have to develop a vision for more sustainable cities and new protocols and processes to implement more sustainable vision for urban areas.
Why study Sustainable Building Design at NJIT?
You will learn how to tackle sustainability challenges at the scale of a building and learn about energy efficiency, passive house standards, life cycle assessment, and how design decisions impact the environment. This certificate will help designers to make strategic design responses to lower the environmental footprint of buildings and respond to global warming.
Prerequisites
NJIT’s standard admission requirements apply to this graduate certificate, but individual courses within the program have additional prerequisites. Check the course descriptions for full details.
Related Degree Programs
This certificate can lead into the current NJIT MS Architecture degree. M Arch students may also take the courses of the certificate as elective courses and apply them for both (the certificate and their M Arch degree).
Take Note
Check the course descriptions for more information. Some courses have prerequisites and must be taken in order.
Faculty Advisor: John Cays