Certificate in Sustainable Built Environment

Download the Program Overview PDF

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Certificate in Sustainable Built Environment is a yearlong program designed for working professionals seeking to enhance or start their career path in green building and the built environment. The program explores the systemic, philosophical and historical forces that have given rise to the field, and examines the technological, political and economic forces shaping its current and future development, providing a solid overview of the trends favoring a shift to a more sustainable built environment.

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

Green Building has become the fastest growing trend in the design and construction world. Understanding the rapid changes in this dynamic new field is essential for anyone interested in providing materials, services or new innovations to this large and critical area of the economy. In this certificate program you’ll learn from one of the leaders and pioneers of the green building world – author and designer, Jason F. McLennan and the founder of the Living Building Challenge – the world’s most progressive and stringent green building program. McLennan, along with a highly expert team from the Cascadia Green Building Council will provide powerful insights, case studies and knowledge required to have a thorough grounding for MBA’s with a specific interest in green building and development.

Faculty Jason McLennan in Future of Green Building video

STUDENT PROFILE

The Certificate in Sustainable Built Environment offers a broad foundational knowledge basis for the growing green building industry. Business students with an interest in supporting the growing green building market, will find the program highly useful- specifically for those individuals interested in:

1. Creating new products for the design and construction sector
2. Creating new services to support the design and construction sector
3. Development, finance and real estate from a green perspective

PROGRAM FORMAT

This program is taught in a hybrid format, using monthly face-to-face “intensive” experiences, combined with both synchronous and asynchronous distance learning between sessions incorporating a variety of learning methodologies. A prerequisite for the program is a demonstrated interest in the sustainable built environment and a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Courses

Q1    Understanding the Context for Change

In Quarter One, you explore issues and opportunities in the arenas of both commercial and residential construction, new construction and retrofits and projects at both the individual and the whole community scale. (3 credits)

What you will learn:

1. Understand the scope, history and future trajectory of the green building movement
2. Understand the role of the built environment in the larger environmental and social context
3. Evaluate green building projects and opportunities against the current state of the art and expected future trends
4. Understand project performance against standard metrics for both construction and operations
5. Effectively communicate both issues and opportunities in green building to multiple audiences, including customers, contractors, local officials investors and banks

Topical Outline

1. Introduction & Context – Part One
2. Introduction & Context – Part Two – Full Day Intensive
3. The Built Environment – Site & Water Issues
4. The Built Environment – Energy Issues
5. The Built Environment – Health and Productivity Issues
6. The Built Environment – Materials Issues
7. Full Day Intensive – Field Trips and Bringing it together
8. The Community Scale – City, Neighborhood, Block – Infrastructure
9. Commercial/Residential Differences in Green
10. No class
11. Conclusion – Third Intensive – Student presentations & Final Field Trip.
12. Team Projects Due

Q2    Platforms and Constraints

This course discusses the policy, law, certifications and metrics that provide both the platform and the constraints for the move to a more sustainable built environment. Embedded in this course is an optional eight-hour LEED Green Associate training program that leads to certification or a similar 8-hour Living Building Challenge workshop.

What you will learn:

1. LEED Green Associate training
2. Learn the parameters of the Living Building Challenge
3. Understand regulatory barriers to innovations in green building
4. Determine appropriate metrics for measuring the sustainable performance of green buildings and projects
5. Effectively communicate both issues and opportunities in green building to multiple audiences

Topical Outline

1. Introduction
2. Green Building Certification Overview – First Intensive – LEED, Energy Star, Passive House, Built Green, Green Globes and Living Building Challenge
3. Product Certifications and Material Transparency
4. LEED in the marketplace
5. Second Intensive – Living Building Challenge or LEED Green Associate Workshop
6. How codes and regulations promote or prohibit green building
7. Changing Process – Changing designers, engineers, builders
8. Greenwash and Market Claims
9. Technological and cultural barriers – interactive
10. Innovation beyond compliance – Field Trip
11. Final period.

Q3    The Business Case for Building Green

In Quarter Three, you learn how to analyze costs, both capital and operating, and develop bids and contracts. You explore options on how to structure and finance new and existing projects as well as marketing options. You examine Green Leasing strategies and how they can help improve building performance. (3 credits)

What you will learn:

Topical Outline

1. Introduction
2. The Costs of Building Green – First and Long-term – Total Project Cost
3. First Intensive – Understanding Value in the marketplace – guest speakers and field trip
4. The Future Value – productivity, health benefits and others
5. Marketing Green Buildings – how to promote value
6. Marketing Green Products – Second Intensive – Student collaborative work
7. Financing Green Building – Now and the Future
8. Innovation – Green Leases and Incentives
9. Case Study Exploration – Survey of what has worked to increase value
10. Third Intensive – Student Project – New Product Offering
11. Final Period

Q4    Action Learning Practicum

In Quarter Four, you apply concepts learned and are able to identify a real or potential building project worthy of time and research. Students will learn to analyze and describe each step of the project from concept to development to occupancy and make the case for a project. Additionally, students will be skilled in presenting the project to a panel comprised of representatives from the design, construction, real estate and financial communities. (3 credits)

What you will learn:

1. Apply green building project development and delivery skills to a real or potential project
2. Speak confidently and present on quantitative topics related to energy and resource use in buildings and by people
3. Make an effective presentation and case for a green building project
4. Apply systems thinking to a green building project

Topical Outline

1. Introduction
2. Framing the Project – The Corporate Headquarters – First Intensive
3. Cost Analysis – Total Cost of Ownership – Traditional View
4. Holistic Cost Analysis – Making a Broader Case
5. Site Acquisition and/or Existing Building Acquisition
6. Second Intensive – The Green Light – team collaboration
7. Value Creation – Your Secret Sauce
8. Finding Your Team – RFP’s, Competitions and choosing your architect
9. Contracting
10. Project Presentation – Third intensive – Community Review
11. Final Project Due – Final Essay