The overall goal of the class is to make the students more informed and aware consumers of materials used in housing. The class will connect the economic and energy impacts of producing common materials with the environmental impacts, e.g., carbon, water, and pollutants. The concepts of embodied energy, water use, and land impacts will be used to examine common building materials. The concept of Life Cycle Analysis will be introduced and used to evaluate the use and trade-offs for different building materials. The opportunities and trade-offs for reuse and recycling materials at the 'end of life' will also be explored.

GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives

Typically offered in Spring only

Independent study of management or technology problems selected with faculty approval or the offering of experimental courses.

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer