Module manager: Dr Sally Shahzad (Wyville)
Email: s.shahzad@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
BA/BEng Architecture, Architectural Engineering or related degrees
This module is not approved as an Elective
The module aims to promote the knowledge and application of sustainable criteria in the built environment with a holistic approach towards a world view of sustainability. In the context of climate emergency, energy and global challenges, the module seeks to foster an awareness of building resilience with a particular emphasis on building performance and end user needs. Through an in-depth investigation of the existing and future practices and challenges, the students will develop critical sustainable standpoints and approaches.
Sustainability in architecture demands a holistic approach, balancing environmental, social, and economic considerations. These objectives aim to foster awareness of sustainable design principles, address climate challenges, and enhance building performance while prioritising user needs and embracing innovative technologies for a resilient built environment. The following objectives are covered to address these matters:
1. Develop an awareness of sustainable criteria and design principles by exploring the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability
2. Analyse climate emergency, resource depletion, energy, and global challenges and their impact on the built environment and its inhabitants, fostering a holistic understanding of the interconnectedness between global phenomena and local architectural practices
3. Evaluate building performance according to architectural and sustainable criteria
4. Research and understand end users and the two way relationship between the end user and the built environment for a user-centric and responsive design
5. Enhance building resilience with an emphasis on end users to withstand and adapt to current and future challenges
6. Develop critical sustainable approaches by questioning conventional practices, exploring new methods, and integrating cutting-edge technologies and materials to create designs that advance the field of sustainable architecture
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Cultivate a comprehensive understanding of sustainable criteria and their application within the built environment, fostering a holistic appreciation of sustainability principles
2. Critically examine global challenges, such as climate change and energy crises, and their implications for the built environment and its users, integrating this knowledge into sustainable design practices
3. Assess building performance through a dual lens of architectural excellence and sustainability, employing relevant metrics and standards to gauge efficiency and effectiveness
4. Conduct thorough research on the needs and behaviours of building users, ensuring that design solutions are user-centric and enhance overall comfort and satisfaction
5. Develop strategies that improve building resilience against environmental challenges, with a particular focus on the well-being and needs of end users
6. Cultivate the ability to formulate and implement innovative, critical, and ethical sustainable approaches in architectural design and urban planning, addressing both current and future challenges
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills:
a. Communication skills
b. Problem solving & analytical skills
c. Critical thinking
d. Anticipatory/future thinking.
e. Referencing
- Introduction to Sustainable Development and Climate Emergency
- User-Centred Design and Behaviours
- Thermal and Light Performance in Sustainable Architecture
- Energy, Building Resilience, and Resource Management
- Building Structures – A Bottom-Up Approach
- Materials for Sustainable Architecture
- Renewable Energy Integration
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Fieldwork | 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Lecture | 7 | 2 | 14 |
| Practical | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Seminar | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Independent online learning hours | 35 | ||
| Private study hours | 80 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 35 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 150 | ||
Discussions and oral formative feedback on the coursework will be provided during the tutorials and seminars (5 x 1 hour sessions). Additional formative feedback will be provided during the final presentation, as an opportunity to improve the work. Summative feedback will be provided after submission of the work.
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 10/04/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team