Engineering a sustainable built environment

CIVIL-239 / 3 credits

Teacher:

Language: English

Remark: Pas donné en 2026-27

Summary

This course explicitly addresses the issues of sustainability and energy in the built environment through an engineering lens. We cover the sustainability and energy landscape, how different systems in the built environment can be engineered to be sustainable, and specific tools.

Content

The course introduces the intersections between different areas of civil engineering and sustainability topics, the engineering knowledge needed to address sustainability topics, and engineering tools that can be used to analyze and assess sustainability. Topics covered include: The sustainability landscape, Energy supply and demand, Mobility and sustainability, Materials and structures, Natural systems, Sustainability in the civil engineering industry. Engineering knowledge and tools covered include: Energy, Systems thinking, Life cycle assessment, Multi-criteria decision-making, Engineering economics.

 

Keywords

Sustainability, energy, life-cycle assessment, systems thinking, civil engineering

Learning Prerequisites

Required courses

None

Recommended courses

None

Important concepts to start the course

None

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

  • Explain to an engineer, designer, policy-maker, or other professional why sustainability is important in civil engineering.
  • Assess / Evaluate and be critical of metrics used to measure sustainability.
  • Analyze civil engineering systems in the context of sustainability.
  • Quantify environmental, economic, and social impacts of built environments through life-cycle assessment.
  • Construct models of systems to understand the dynamics of complex engineering systems.
  • Develop strategies for intervening in systems.

Transversal skills

  • Plan and carry out activities in a way which makes optimal use of available time and other resources.
  • Take account of the social and human dimensions of the engineering profession.
  • Take responsibility for environmental impacts of her/ his actions and decisions.
  • Demonstrate the capacity for critical thinking
  • Use both general and domain specific IT resources and tools

Teaching methods

Lectures, exercises

Expected student activities

Participate in lecture, engage in class discussions and activities, complete exercises and assignments.

Assessment methods

Assignments (20%), Midterm exam (30%), Final exam (50%)

 

Supervision

Office hours Yes
Assistant.e.s Yes
Forum Yes

Resources

Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)

No

Moodle Link

In the programs

  • Semester: Fall
  • Exam form: Written (winter session)
  • Subject examined: Engineering a sustainable built environment
  • Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Type: mandatory

Reference week

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