Sustainable Biomaterials Residential Structures Track
Sustainable practices are changing the face of the design and construction of residential property. With growing emphasis on green buildings, including apartment buildings and single-family homes, our students are making an impact in the industry.
Sustainable practices include improving the strength and use profile of wood, from cross laminated timber to bamboo. Buildings are more environmentally friendly than ever, and that trend will continue as costs are reduced on the front end, as well as during the years when repair and maintenance are required.
Courses in the Sustainable Residential Structures option teach the latest techniques about how to design, manufacture, and build residential structures considering the whole system design concepts that consider the full life-cycle impacts when building, using, and maintaining a residential structure.
The Sustainable Residential Structures program is unique in the combination of:
- Material knowledge specializing in wood and other sustainable biomaterial products used in construction.
- Understanding the design and construction process using building information modeling and structural design.
- Addressing practical building concerns of energy, material use and building envelope design by understanding green building and durability concerns in residential construction.
Affordable housing drives research
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Hands-on Experience
Students gain hands-on lab experience conducting some of the latest research in the residential construction industry. In one recent project, students tested different safety systems to eliminate fall injuries during construction. The wood lab is undertaking cutting-edge experimentation with the use of bamboo as a conduit to protect wiring within a structure. By being involved in the latest research projects, students gain experience in the latest building construction practices, by communicating their work through presentations and technical publications, and by making the industry more sustainable by improving safety!
Our faculty maintain close connections with a variety of companies who are eager to hire our students as interns. This internship experience allows students to make professional connections, build their resume and earn money while they are working on their degree.
What makes our program different?
- Focus on materials. In Sustainable Residential Structures, we feel that having a clear understanding of materials, how they interact with jobsite conditions, time and use is important. In this curriculum, you will become familiar with the proper use of wood and other biological-based materials used in construction.
- Sustainability is in our name. Our program focuses on sustainability and how we can use buildings to attain a more sustainable future. Sustainability in our program is about metrics. We will show you how to use life cycle analysis, energy simulation tools, and life cycle costing to demonstrate the effectiveness of practicing sustainability.
