You are in > Home > SAC Learning > Courses > Undergraduate Courses > Science and Technology Courses > Sustainable Building Technology

Sustainable Building Technology

Pages In This Document

Why Study Sustainable Building Technology ?

This course has been designed to cover the scientific and technical knowledge and understanding required to design the built environment to the highest standards which minimise damaging carbon emissions.

The UK house building industry is currently at the beginning of what will viewed by future generations as the period when carbon emissions and the financial burden directly caused by the need to provide heat and power to homes stopped increasing and started to fall. Graduates in Sustainable Building Technology will join the group of professionals charged with this hugely important and rewarding responsibility.

There are increasing employment and retraining opportunities in the design of the built environment and students of these courses will be entering a growth industry. There is increasing interest in eco-building. The construction and engineering industries are required to meet legislation for new build. The general public's interest is also growing, encouraged by developing environmental awareness and through popular media including programmes such as Grand Designs, Channel 4, and Outrageous Wasters, BBC3.

A course leaflet can be downloaded from the right of this page.

About The Course

Sustainable building design has become a national and international government priority. For example, from December 2008, all houses for sale in Scotland must have an energy efficiency assessment. Also at this time, the UK government plans to build five “eco-towns” (20,000 homes in each) to be modelled on green developments pioneered by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, including sustainable localised low and zero carbon technologies (LZCT) in schools and other public buildings.

Sustainable Building Technology is proposed as an essential partner to existing SAC environment-focussed programmes in that it is crucial to all communities to design, build and manage the built environment with the same sustainable ethos as exists for the natural environment. Sustainability of the built and the natural environment are connected matters and SAC is exceptionally well-placed to put them together in its education programme output.

The courses also aim to meet the sustainability continuing professional development needs of technical staff in local government, construction and engineering. Block release study may be possible and interested employers are asked to contact the college to discuss study needs.

These are the only built environment courses in Scotland to include sustainability as a core, not a specialist, stream. Students will learn a wide range of skills that will be essential to build environment projects for the next 20 years and beyond.

Awards Available

Click on a course title for further details

HND Sustainable Building Technology

Study In Ayr: SAC S01 72FK Y HND/SBD

Length Of Course

The HND takes 2 years of full-time study. Part-time study is also available.

Minimum Entry Requirements

2 Highers (CC) or 1 A-level pass, to include a science subject.

English and maths at GCSE/Standard Grade pass are required.

Progression Routes

Candidates who sucessfully complete the HND will be eleigible to apply for direct entry to year 3 of the BSc Building Services Engineering degree course offered by Glasgow Caledonian University.

In addition, SAC is in discussion with other Scottish Universities to develop progression routes to degrees in Building Services Engineering, Architectural Studies, Architectural Technology and Architectural Engineering. Please contact us for further information about this.

HNC Sustainable Building Technology

Study In Ayr: SAC S01 27KF Y HNC/SBD

Length Of Course

The HNC takes 1 year of full-time study. Part-time study is also available.

Minimum Entry Requirements

2 Highers (CC) or 1 A-Level pass to include a science subject.

English and Maths are required at Standard Grade/GCSE pass level or equivalent.

Progression Routes

Successful completion of the HNC allows students to progress into year 2 of the HND Sustainable Building Technology course.

Candidates who sucessfully complete the HND will be eleigible to apply for direct entry to year 3 of the BSc Building Services Engineering degree course offered by Glasgow Caledonian University.

In addition, SAC is in discussion with other Scottish Universities to develop progression routes to degrees in Building Services Engineering, Architectural Studies, Architectural Technology and Architectural Engineering. Please contact us for further information about this.

Course Content

Further information is available in SAC's undergraduate prospectus and in our course leaflet, which can be downloaded from this page. Please contact us for further information.

The aim of the Sustainable Building Technology course is to develop graduates who will have the scientific and technical skills, knowledge and understanding that will allow them to contribute to the design of building projects with a sustainable ethos that is anticipated to be essential to all communities. The major subject areas of the curriculum will be the energy performance of buildings, utilities supply options to meet energy needs, comfort and safety in buildings, sustainable materials specification, construction methods and natural environment protection and management.

Example modules

Sustainable Building Services Engineering covers the technical details of the systems used for building heating, ventilation, cooling and lighting. Case studies of housing and business facilities in rural communities will be considered.

Energy Performance of Buildings looks at the very important area of energy targets and associated carbon emissions. Technology case studies, of interest to the course because of their anticipated potential in design applications, will be considered and include biomass-based heating and ground-source heat pumps.

Career Opportunities

Opportunities for successful students will be found in architectural technology, and in the building services, engineering and design sectors. This includes the newly-created and highly regarded role of the low-carbon onsultant building designer. Alternative careers may be as technical representatives, officers and project managers with companies specialising in renewable energy technology or buildings and facilities energy management, or as local government officers in planning or building control departments.

Course Contacts

Ayr Course Contact

Dr Gary Tierney
Lecturer
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work SAC, Riverside Campus, University Avenue,
Ayr
KA8 0SX
TelWork 01292 886161
Fax 01292 886199

Add to Address Book | Help

Ayr Campus General Contact

Mrs Jill Thomson
Student Recruitment Officer
SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) Work SAC Ayr, Riverside Campus, University Avenue,
Ayr
KA8 0SX
TelWork 01292 886196

Add to Address Book | Help

Student Experiences

.