Get Sust! Issue 27

Learn while you earn...

Spotlight on Reading University's School of Construction Management and Engineering (SCME)

Led by Derek Clements-Croome, Professor of Architecture Engineering, the SCME has developed an innovative MSc course in ‘Intelligent buildings’ that can be studied part-time across eight intensive residential weeks at the University spread over two years - ideal for those who wish to develop their expertise without putting their careers on hold. (The course can also be taken full-time in one year.)

Contrary to its name, an intelligent buildings is not one that employs high-tech computer control systems (although these may be involved). Rather, an ‘intelligent building’ is a building that creates an environment which enables the occupying organisation to achieve its objectives, and enhances the potential of occupants, while allowing efficient management of resources with minimum lifetime cost.

The intensive MSc programme explores the complex balance of intelligent buildings elements, and includes the latest thinking and developments in areas such as:

• design and construction of the fabric
• intelligent controls
• investment and operational management issues
• needs of building occupiers
• the local environment
• energy usage
• a building’s marketability
• business objectives
• cost-effectiveness
• sustainability.

Reading’s SCME also offers more ‘conventional’ courses covering a wide range of topics - energy, carbon and the environment; sustainable heat and power; energy in buildings; sustainable urban systems; carbon management; sustainable design, construction and operation.

For example, recent projects MSc projects include "Small Wind Turbines for the Urban Environment" and "Assessment of building integrated DC solar power technology”.

Learn more

	•	Full details of the Intelligent Building MSc course are at www.extra.rdg.ac.uk/ib
	•	The SCME occasionally runs summer internship schemes for second year undergraduates, who can benefit from becoming involved in the School’s leading research programmes. Contact Dr Richard Bonser. E-mail: r.h.c.bonser@reading.ac.uk