Construction

You will learn about the challenges of creating a more sustainable built environment, and follow the process of how buildings are put together, from the feasibility study and foundations all the way up to the roof. Along the way you will study the characteristics and properties of different building materials and techniques, and what impact different choices may make on the local and global environment. You will explore both traditional and modern methods of construction, and learn how these are managed and implemented using IT based approaches including Building Information modelling

You will study the principles which underpin why building services (e.g. drainage, electrical, gas, heating and ventilation) are routed throughout buildings in the way that they are. You will examine how decisions relating to building services influence overall energy consumption (and energy generation), as well as the critical role that building occupancy plays in the overall carbon footprint of built assets. You will learn about some of the technical aspects of building services, and the ways in which energy may be conserved, managed and generated efficiently.

Construction projects are expensive, complicated and unpredictable. They pose great financial risks, and great risks to the health and safety of workers. In this module you will learn about the most significant ways that law and contracts operate to manage these complexities. You will gain a solid understanding of the legal framework surrounding the construction process, including planning permission and building regulations, with a focus on the importance of fire regulations. You will also examine the different ways that contracts are used to distribute responsibilites for design, construction and management of cost, quality and time.

You will study the theories of how people and processes should be managed from a practical and project-based perspective. You will look at how a project should proceed throughout the entire cycle, from planning, through construction all the way to decommissioning, and how the effective collaboration between people is at the root of every successful outcome. You will examine how projects are digitally facilitated in terms of information and process management, relying on a range of different software tools. An element of your learning will also relate to the economic aspects of successful project outcomes.

You will work together with your fellow students and experience the process of an integrated project. You will gain a practical understanding of the multidisciplinary roles involved in a project and see how vital collaborative working is to success.

As a student on the property pathway, you will focus on the characteristics of the completed built asset. You will carry out surveying tasks in order to critique the quality and condition of buildings, and put them in the context of the property market.

As a student on the Quantity Surveying pathway you will focus on the costing of a construction project. You will gain a grounding in the core QS specialty of measurement, a technical and practical discipline which is foundational to the QS profession.

As a student on the construction management pathway you will gain practical experience of setting out a site in readiness for construction. You will also develop skills relating to the process of construction planning, and how this process can be supported and implemented using IT and software.

As a student on the architectural technology pathway you will focus on the technical design and detailing which is core to the Architectural Technologist profession. You will have the opportunity to develop your own design ideas using industry standard design software.