Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	Sustainable Construction
School	School of Engineering
Department	Civil Engineering
Module Code	04 20470
Module Lead	Christopher Rogers
Level	Masters Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-40 hours Seminar-8 hours Guided independent study-152 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	This module introduces the concepts of sustainable design and construction and provides an understanding of the environmental and resource implications of construction activity. It considers the theoretical and methodological basis of approaches designed to quantify the impacts associated with choices made at different stages of the construction life cycle, as well as tools designed to evaluate relative environmental and sustainability performance. The module is centred on a group based case study with an individual report which will develop knowledge of policy and legislative drivers, carbon critical design, life cycle assessment and costs, socio-economic impacts and the impacts of construction activity (energy, water, materials, waste, biodiversity, etc.) associated with civil engineering infrastructure and buildings.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Critically analyse the basis of sustainable construction and the role of construction activity in the context of the wider environment Understand the theoretical and methodological basis of techniques used to measure relative environmental/ sustainability performance Describe the implications of the construction life cycle in terms of sustainability and the interdependency of individual life cycle stages Describe and review critically the key issues and tools available for analysing sustainability in the following types of construction activity: a) Individual buildings; b) Civil engineering & infrastructure; and c) Multi-building developments.
Assessment	20470-07 : Module Mark : Mixed (100%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 100% coursework comprised of group project presentations with Q&A, individual reports and flyer. Reassessment: Reassessment 100% coursework
Other	Birmingham version of Dubai based module 32674
Reading List	DETR, Towards an urban renaissance: final report of the Urban Task Force / chaired by Lord Rogers of Riverside, London: Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, 328p (1999).