Module Descriptors

Core modules

HVAC Systems and Plumbing

Students will acquire a thorough understanding of concepts of HVAC systems and their interaction with other operational building activities. The module covers the principles of psychometrics and the various maintenance strategies, requirements and models including preventive and corrective maintenance. The module also considers the design and selection of air and water distribution systems within buildings including heating processes, cold water supply and demand, hot water services, pipe sizing and pump selection, system testing and balancing, duct design considerations, low and high velocity systems, fan characteristics and selection, and system testing and balancing.

Electrical Services, Lift and Fire Systems

Students will acquire a thorough understanding of concepts of electrical services and their interaction with other operational building activities. The module covers aspects of electrical energy supply, electricity tariffs, switchgear and the design of electrical installations to satisfy wiring regulations. This module also covers the principles of electrical machines and power electronic devices used in building services applications. It considers fire safety engineering and smoke control, escalators, lifts and vertical transportation design, space allowance for building services, commissioning and testing, and alarm systems.

Building Acoustics and Illumination

Students will acquire a thorough understanding of building acoustics, and illumination and their interaction with other operational building activities. In Acoustics, the module covers the basic terms and physical principles of sound power and intensity, propagation of noise, legal requirements and noise standards, room acoustics, sound generation in services systems, and vibration isolation. In Lighting Design, the module considers the human visual system, the nature and control of light, photometric units, lighting calculations, interior lighting design, lamps and luminaires, and energy efficiency aspects of lighting systems.

Building Management System

A Building Management System is central to ‘Intelligent Buildings’ concepts; its purpose is to control, monitor and optimise building services, e.g. lighting, HVAC, water system, security, CCTV and alarm system, access control, audio-visual and entertainment systems, ventilation, filtration and climate control, and time and attendance control and reporting (notably staff movement and availability). The module will cover the different types of commissioning: basic, advanced and continuous. The roles of the commissioning teams at the different phases of a building’s design, construction, handover and operation will also be discussed.

Climate and Comfort

The primary focus of this module will be the study of the thermal, luminous and ventilation performance of buildings within the built environment context. The module will examine the basic scientific principles underlying these phenomena and introduce students to a range of technologies and analyticali skills for designing comfortable indoor environments. Students will be challenged to apply these skills and explore the role light, energy and air can play in shaping a built environment.

Elective modules

Reliability Engineering and Maintenance Management

The module will provide detailed knowledge of the theories, principles and practices of reliability engineering and apply these principles in the design, operation and maintenance of engineering systems. Students will explore advance probabilistic concepts and theories, define important reliability measures, and introduce related computational algorithms for the reliability analysis of engineering systems models. Practical skills in methodologies will be applied to life failure data analysis with a focus on reliability as failure mode avoidance.

System and Maintenance Management

Students will be able to understand the principles of engineering system maintenance management, and the various maintenance strategies, requirements and models including preventive and corrective maintenance. The module will introduce simulation methods for maintenance, condition monitoring principles and diagnostics, and real time fault detection.

Energy Management 1

The module will introduce the concepts and applications of modern energy management practices. Topics covered will include the need and impact of energy management, types and equipment used in energy auditing. It will also introduce the economic aspects of energy sourcing, purchase and use. The module will include economic assessments of alternative decision-making approaches based on present worth, payback period and life cycle costing, and the range of available financing options.

Energy Management 2

The module will include the identification, evaluation and improvement of systems that are major energy users. Topics include lighting; building envelopes; HVAC; electric motors and drives; boiler and thermal systems; industrial system; thermal energy storage; CHP and renewable energy systems; building controls and automation; and maintenance and commissioning.

Risk Analysis and Management

Students will acquire a thorough understanding of concepts and principles of risk analysis and management and their interaction with other activities. Students will learn how to apply these directly in a range of product and services industries.

Renewable and Sustainable Resources

This module emphasises the links between sustainability, improved performance and resource management in terms of what resources are used and the way they are used with emphasis on sourcing and using renewable materials.  It examines the principles of reuse, recycling and renewal in achieving sustainability in the built environment. It looks at the consumption of materials, energy and water and at the production of waste through the whole life cycle of the building.

Sustainable Built Environment

This module emphasises the need for a symbiotic and functional relationship in which ecology, culture and technology evolve and adapt.  The module introduces the fundamental principles guiding sustainable development of the built environment including avoidance or minimisation of negative impacts on the environment; conservation and efficient use of natural resources; preservation of cultural patterns; and ecological harmony and respect for biodiversity.  The concept of sustainable development is also discussed.

Sustainable Indoor Environment

The module gives an overview of general requirements needed for achieving a healthy indoor environment and investigates the role of sustainability within indoor environment design. The primary objective of this course is to foster knowledge and understanding of building technology systems that support people’s activities and well-being in indoor environments. In addition to this, the module also teaches students the minimisation of negative impacts and maximisation of positive impacts of indoor environment facilities on economic, environmental, and social systems over the life cycle of the building.

Skins and Spaces

In order to achieve successful design for comfort, health and energy efficiency, architects, urban planners and services engineers need to have a common understanding of the basic principles and techniques involved in integrating the environmental performance of the envelope surrounding enclosure and space. The aim of this module is to provide such understanding in order to encourage a good overall environmental design.

These are not part of the electives that was approved by the CAA and neither were they added later. Students on Project route can take one module (not listed in the BSE electives) from another programme if if deemed useful for their research project subject to the approval of their supervisor.