Program Curriculum
Below is the program for the class of 2009, representing an overview of the knowledge and skills students develop during the project.
For the current academic year’s program, visit http://www.flemingc.on.ca/SustainableBuilding
| Course | Hours |
| Architecture and Design | 45.00 |
| Construction for Sustainable Building: Mechanical | 157.50 |
| Construction for Sustainable Building: Structural | 157.50 |
| Contracting and Project Management | 45.00 |
| Design for Sustainable Building: Mechanical | 90.00 |
| Design for Sustainable Building: Structural | 90.00 |
| Project Administration for Sustainable Building | 135.00 |
| Services and Mechanical Systems for Sustainable Building | 45.00 |
| Sustainable Building Design | 45.00 |
| The Natural, Sustainable and Green Building Movements | 45.00 |
Architecture and Design
Course Number: CNST047
The act of creating a building in a modern context requires a builder to communicate effectively with a number of design professionals including architects, architectural technologists and structural engineers. Builders must be able to read and understand construction documents and express their own ideas in this medium. A builder must also understand the roles and responsibilities of each of the design professionals involved in a project, in order to direct communications appropriately. This course introduces students to the language of architecture. Through analysis of examples, students will learn to read a set of construction documents, including structural, plumbing, heating and electrical and be able to compose materials lists based on the contents of those drawings. Through presentations from qualified professionals, students will understand the roles of, relationships between and responsibilities of architects, engineers and technologists and develop and maintain useful working relationships with them.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Construction for Sustainable Building: Mechanical
Course Number: CNST075
The numerous mechanical systems in a sustainable building must be installed properly to ensure optimal performance, serviceability and lifespan. They must also be balanced so they work as a coherent system. Many of the systems must be installed to stringent regulations and properly inspected prior to use.This course gives students the opportunity to put their mechanical systems design into operation on a building project. Applying the assistance of a variety of professionals, the students will complete the mechanical installations for the chosen building project using a team approach that divides the mechanical elements of the building into a number of inter-related areas of focus, including water collection and treatment, waste water treatment, plumbing, electrical wiring, electrical generation, heating, cooling and ventilation.
Units: 157.50
Hours: 157.50
Construction for Sustainable Building: Structural
Course Number: CNST074
The structural elements of a sustainable building must be built to high standards, employing the best construction strategies. The structural elements must function properly together, to create an integrated whole that will be sustainable, durable and beautiful.This course gives students the opportunity to put their structural design into operation on a building project. Applying the assistance of a variety of instructors and professionals, the students will complete the structure for the chosen building project using a team approach that divides the structural elements of the building into a number of inter-related areas of focus, including foundation, exterior walls, roof framing and sheathing, insulation, floors, windows and doors, interior framing and partitions, finishes, fixtures and landscaping.
Units: 157.50
Hours: 157.50
Contracting and Project Management
Course Number: CNST048
A successful building project requires careful planning and management. A general contractor is responsible for all the on-site activities for a building project, including the hiring of sub-trades, time and materials management, budgeting and work site safety.In this course, students will learn the role of the general contractor and project manager in the building process, including their professional status, their legal responsibilities and the scope of their work in building design, studying written works and the legal frameworks governing the profession. From a practicing sustainable building contractor, students will learn how the principles of successful general contracting are applied in a sustainable building context. Based on their understanding of contracting, the students will create a working plan for the hands-on component of the course, including materials estimates, labour quotes, sequence of tasks and client relationships.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Design for Sustainable Building: Mechanical
Course Number: MECH156
Sustainable buildings rely on numerous mechanical systems to achieve their performance goals. These mechanical systems must adhere to principles of sustainability and function in a unified way to ensure the ongoing success of the project goals. Systems theory must be put into practice for a particular project, making optimal use of the available site, conditions, energy sources and client needs with the best knowledge and human resources.This course gives students the opportunity to put their mechanical systems theory and exercises into practice on a building project. All aspects of the mechanical systems are considered. Applying research and the assistance of a variety of professionals, the students will complete the mechanical design for the chosen building project using a team approach that divides the mechanical elements of the building into a number of inter-related areas of focus, including water collection and treatment, waste water treatment, plumbing, electrical wiring, electrical generation, heating, cooling and ventilation.
Units: 90.00
Hours: 90.00
Design for Sustainable Building: Structural
Course Number: CNST073
Sustainable building design involves a lot of theory, but at some point all the theory must become reality in a particular time and place. A successful sustainable building is based on a design that makes the best possible use of the given site, materials, client needs and available knowledge and resources.This course gives students the opportunity to put their design theory and exercises into practice on a building project. All aspects of the building design are considered, from siting and orientation to structural elements, as well as appearance and finishes. Applying research and the assistance of a variety of professionals, the students will complete the structural design for the chosen building project using a team approach that divides the structural elements of the building into a number of inter-related areas of focus, including foundation, wall construction, roof framing and sheathing, insulation, floors, windows and doors, interior framing and partitions, finishes, fixtures and landscaping.
Units: 90.00
Hours: 90.00
Project Administration for Sustainable Building
Course Number: CNST072
The creation of a successful sustainable building project depends upon strong administration skills in a variety of areas. It is here that the challenge to be sustainable is met: by creating an administrative framework that ensures the financial sustainability of the project while also embracing sustainable principles concerning the health and safety of workers, protection of the site environment and public education.This course engages the students in the complete range of administrative duties for a sustainable building project. These roles include budgeting, purchasing, site management, health and safety, publicity and public relations and documentation. Each of these areas requires students to set policies, maintain records, and ensure a continuing overlap between sustainable intentions and sustainable practices.
Units: 135.00
Hours: 135.00
Services and Mechanical Systems for Sustainable Building
Course Number: MECH114
In order to minimise the environmental impact and occupant health impact of a building, an innovative set of mechanical systems must be successfully integrated, including water collection and use, waste water disposal and treatment, heating and cooling, ventilation and electrical power. These are rapidly developing fields, and a successful sustainable builder must have a general knowledge of the kinds of options available and the tools to assess which technologies can be combined to create an effective solution in a particular circumstance. This course provides an introduction to the different categories of mechanical services, and the research tools for students to continuously stay abreast of developments so they can employ the most effective systems to suit a wide variety of building projects. Through presentations from leaders in the design and installation of such systems, as well as through case studies, (including field trips), learners will understand the needs met by each system, and the costs and complexities involved in putting the system into practice.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Sustainable Building Design
Course Number: ENVR034
Sustainable buildings are unique in many aspects of their design. They must be well-integrated into the environment, incorporate passive solar aspects, and use a range of low-impact foundation and drainage strategies. Materials must be selected to create an appropriate balance between thermal performance and building mass, and day-lighting and aesthetics must all blend together to provide a practical, functional, beautiful and healthy environment. This course will introduce students to a wide range of siting strategies, passive solar strategies, sustainable materials and architectural design strategies appropriate to sustainable building. Through analysis of examples (including site visits to existing buildings), students will become increasingly familiar with a range of sustainable building methods and materials, and be able to assess the health, environmental, cost and aesthetic impacts of each. Applying their knowledge of drafting skills, the students will engage in design exercises based on the needs of a wide range of potential clients, creating basic plans to meet the needs of these clients.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
The Natural, Sustainable and Green Building Movements
Course Number: ENVR033
The natural, green and / or sustainable building movement is not an organised or well-defined movement. Rather, it is a growing trend toward an awareness that our built environment has a huge impact on the natural environment, and on our health and well-being. This issue is of particular importance in our northern climate, coupled with work habits that encourage us to spend the majority of our time inside the confines of buildings. There are a vast number of ways in which our buildings can have less dramatic impacts on the natural environment and simultaneously be healthier and more pleasant places to spend our time. These wide-ranging strategies for improvement are the basis for the green building movement. This course helps to set the stage for student understanding of this movement: its origins, principles, and philosophies, as well as the thinkers and practitioners who have helped to shape and form it, in Canada and internationally. Through analysis of examples, research studies and existing data, students will be able to develop a sound case for sustainable building. On course completion, students will have entered fully into the ongoing conversation between building occupants, builders, building designers and regulators about what constitutes a built environment that addresses basic human and planetary health needs as key design considerations.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00