MBuiltEnv(SustDev) Postgraduate Guide

Master of the Built Environment (Sustainable Development) Faculty of Built Environment Post Professional Degree

Never Stand Still

Built Environment

The Master of the Built Environment (Sustainable Development) is the ďŹ rst degree of its kind in Australia. This program enables professionals to advance their knowledge and skills in the principles of sustainable development, exploring the planning, design, construction and management of buildings and the urban environment.

Students will examine issues of sustainability, their interconnectedness and interdependencies at building, neighbourhood, city and regional scales. They will also develop skills in energy/environmental modelling, assessment tools, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), sustainable planning and design, Triple Bottom Line (TBL) and advance their understanding of habitability and urban planning considerations.

Importantly students have the option of specialising their degree through either a research stream or design studio, with outstanding opportunities for research and internships within the CRC (Cooperative Research Centre) for low carbon living.

Program Structure Masters of the Built Environment (Sustainable Development) 8132 3 semesters, 1.5 years full time A total of 72 units of credit (UOC) is required, consisting of core courses (24 UOC), a Research Project or Design Studio course plus elective courses (48 UOC) Study may also be undertaken as a Graduate Certificate (7332) or Graduate Diploma (5132) over 2 semesters, 1 year full time.

Part time option available for domestic students

Core Courses Sustainable Development and the Urban Environment This course is a review of innovative approaches to the planning, design and management of the ‘sustainable city,’ with an emphasis on techniques which seek to maintain and/or improve air quality, water quality and biodiversity.

Resources, Materials and Sustainability This course explores the life cycle of building materials from the availability and acquisition of the raw materials, through processing and manufacture, to on-site construction and use, maintenance and refurbishment, and eventual demolition and reuse/recycling or disposal.

Energy and the Built Environment This course provides an overview of energy related issues in the built environment including demand and supply solutions, technologies and infrastructure, greenhouse emissions, transportation. It also includes energy related interactions with other aspects of sustainable development. The course also discusses policy, planning, design, management and technological strategies as applied at different scales in the built environment, drawing on best practice ‘real world’ case studies.

Human Factors, Sustainability and Habitability This course examines the impact of buildings and urban environments on quality of life or habitability, and of values and preferences on sustainability or quality of the environment, focusing on five fundamental human factors: environmental responsibility; health and wellbeing; comfort and amenity; safety and security; and economic and social equity. Frameworks to facilitate critical examination of the diverse interactions between people and place, including evaluation of built environment performance and consideration of design and management strategies for intervention and change.

Research Project Option Research Seminar (6UOC) Graduate Project (12 UOC) Research Seminar This course provides a general introduction to research design and the range of methodologies used in built environment disciplines. Lecturers offer guidance to enable students to determine which methodology best suits their project. The course provides an opportunity for students to apply their knowledge to a piece of written work that is assessed at the end of the course.

Graduate Project Throughout this course students will undertake a supervised research project relevant to the broad domain of sustainable development in the built environment. A research topic may extend to areas of interest in closely related disciplines.

Design Studio Option Design Studio (12 UOC) Urban Design Studio (12UOC). This course may be substituted for SUSD007 on arrangement with the Director of Discipline.

Design Studio This studio course provides the opportunity for students to work together in teams with colleagues from the Faculty of Engineering on real world, industry-linked projects focused on the integrated design of sustainable, high performance buildings. The studio will be structured around cross-disciplinary collaboration and integration of low energy, passive design strategies from project conception, and will include opportunities for interaction with experienced industry professionals. Lectures in advanced topics of ESD design and evidence based methods and tools, including evaluation and prediction of building thermal, energy and daylighting performance, will complement and inform students’ studio work.

Urban Design Studio 1 This studio investigates the paradigms and typologies of urban design to develop a vocabulary of urban space upon which design studio projects can be built. This is followed by a conceptual project, which provides an initial opportunity of applying what has been learned to a specific urban setting.

Suggested Electives

How to apply

BENV7030

Design for Energy Efficiency

BENV7031

Sustainable Design & Practice

BENV7720

Land and Environment Law

ECON5128

Economics of Climate Change

GEOS9011

Environmental Impact Assessment

HPSC5500

Society, Environmental Policy and Sustainability

IEST5001

Frameworks for Environmental Management

IEST5002

Tools for Environmental Management

REST0006

Property Development

SUSD0009

Environmental Auditing

SUSD0010

Managing the Sustainable Built Environment

UDES0006

Case Studies in Urban Development & Design

Career outcomes There is an increased demand for built environment and related professionals to develop knowledge and skills appropriate to sustainable development. There is an expansion of specialised and rewarding career opportunities in both the public and private sector.

Most graduates pursue careers with local councils, as sustainability coordinators for businesses, or consultancy work.

In order to apply for this program, applicants must have a recognised Bachelor degree with grades of credit average or above. Admission may be permitted to the Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma, with the possibility of upgrading to the Masters program, subject to satisfactory performance.

Applications can be made directly to the university at apply.unsw.edu.au Application close dates: Semester 1, 2014: 28 November 2013 Semester 2, 2014: 30 May 2014 Note: Applications may be considered after the closing date, subject to availability of places. If all places are filled for this coming semester, we will automatically assess your eligibility for the following semester.

For further information on eligibility or how to apply, contact : Domestic Applicants Student Recruitment Office on (02) 9385 1844 or studentrecruitment@unsw.edu.au International Applicants International Office on +61 2 9385 6996 or internationaloffice@unsw.edu.au For more information on the Master the Built Environment (Sustainable Development) (8132), visit UNSW Built Environment website be.unsw.edu.au

Alumni Profile

Sonal Kemkar Master of Built Environment (Sustainable Development), 2011 Senior Project Manager, White House Council on Environmental Quality Executive Office of the President

After receiving my Master of the Built Environment in Sustainable Development from UNSW Built Environment, I moved to Bangkok, Thailand to build on my experience in sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region at the United National Environment Programme.

I was inspired by the growing momentum in the energy policy space back in the U.S. and accepted a position as the Technical Program Manager at a Washington, D.C. based nonprofit organisation promoting energy efficiency and green buildings. I advised the New York City Mayor’s Office on provisions in a bill as part of the city’s “Greener, Greater Buildings Plan.” The City Council voted overwhelmingly to pass the legislation and it was enacted as part of Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC initiative to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030.

In 2010 I began working with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, supporting President Obama’s Better Buildings Initiative.

The Initiative is spearheaded by former President Clinton and the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness to support job creation; achieved by catalysing private sector investment in commercial and industrial building energy upgrades to make America’s buildings 20 percent more efficient over the next decade. I then transitioned to a new position in the Executive Office of the President. My work focused on promoting sustainability and environmental stewardship throughout Federal government operations.

What I appreciate most about my time at UNSW BE is the interdisciplinary nature of the program. Having come with a technical background in design and construction, the exposure to classes in everything from economics to urban planning helped me think past the building level and develop my interest in broader energy policy. I was impressed with the professors in the program and their willingness to take the time to discuss sustainability matters that were important to me. Many of those conversations helped me realise the kind of impact my voice could have in the global conversation on sustainable development.

CRICOS: 00098G