We are expanding the course offerings this coming fall to include a number of new courses, including three that we are seeking instructors for: green residential remodeling, the economics of green building, and solar energy. A more detailed description of each is provided below. With these courses, instructors will be involved in designing and creating these courses as well as teaching the eight-week, online programs.
The BAC courses attract a diverse group of students. Most students are either in a design practice already, or are in some different career trying to figure out if a career change makes sense. For example, some recent students included an American soldier stationed in Iraq, real estate agents, computer scientists, and of course practicing architects, landscape architects, and engineers. All of the instruction is "asynchronous," so it's not necessary to be online at the same time as students. There is a required training program for instructors in the online teaching platform BAC uses (Angel).
Anyway, if anyone has interest in possibly teaching and helping develop one of these courses, contact me directly or Lance Fletcher, AIA, the Director of Sustainable Design: "Lance Fletcher"
Draft course titles and descriptions:
Green Residential Remodeling and Renovation
While designing new green homes has been the focus of many organizations and practitioners over the last twenty years, most people live in existing homes built before our current interest in efficient resource use and healthy indoor environments. These homes need to be addressed. This course will examine the options available for retrofitting or completely renovating an existing house to make it more efficient in terms of energy, water and materials use and to improve or guarantee the quality of its indoor environment. Approaches to the envelope which conserve what is deserving of retention while greatly increasing energy efficiency will be considered, as will efficient, fossil-fuel free mechanical systems and, where appropriate, renewable energy options.
The Economics of Green Building
From the start of the current green building movement, the issue has been surrounded by a combination of myths and supposition, based on estimates, projections and resistance to change. For the last ten years, however, it has been possible to test these assumptions by studying the actual costs and benefits of completed green buildings. This course will examine the economics of green building, including first costs, operating costs and maintenance costs, as well as the importance of integrated design to controlling these costs. Green building benefits due to increased efficiency and durability, well-designed daylighting and healthy interior environments will also be reviewed. Both government and private sector policies, regulations and programs which encourage or discourage the construction of green buildings and green communities will be considered. Among these are tax and development incentives, zoning requirements, certification requirements, building codes and grants.
Solar Energy: Design with the Sun
The interaction of buildings and sunlight is rich and complex. This course will examine the many possibilities provided by the sun to power, light and heat our buildings. These possibilities are affected by geographic location, climate, building site, and building form, orientation, fenestration and thermal mass-all of which will be considered. Passive and active solar thermal systems, solar domestic hot water systems and photovoltaics will be studied along with design strategies to prevent unwanted solar gain in climates and seasons when that is a problem. The relative cost and benefits of different solar strategies will also be addressed.
