They call it “Paper House”: a modular, 500-square-foot, high-performance, net zero, low carbon house designed and built by the students in UMass DesignBuild, a joint effort between the Building and Construction Technology Program and Department of Architecture at UMass Amherst and the Five College Architectural Studies program.
DesignBuild is in its second year, and it seeks to address major problems, both in the educational world, and in the broader world at large.
“A builder might go through their whole education and never see the work involved in designing a house,” says Carl Fiocchi, a lecturer and professional master’s program coordinator in the Building and Construction Technology Program. “The reverse is true for architects, too, who might never get any experience actually building their designs.”
The DesignBuild class seeks to bridge this gap between the builders and designers with a two-semester sequence. In the spring semester, students are given a set of design parameters—the house’s overall footprint, budget, materials, etc.—and with those in place, design the...
The start of a new semester brings with it a new series of public lectures. We are happy to announce the four speakers mentioned below, who will present on various current topics in the built environment.
All lectures are open to the public and are held on Mondays from 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm in the Olver Design Building Room 170. Zoom options will be available, too. Want to get notified when these are? Sign up for our email list.
MassDOT: Route 2 Gill Slope Failure and Rapid Repair Procedures
Patricia Leavenworth, PE, Director for MassDOT Highway District 2, Connecticut River Valley, Western MA
09.18.23 | 4:00-5:15pm | Design Building Room 170
Energy Modeling for Homes: HERS Rating Process & MA Stretch Energy Code
Lia Douillet, HERS Consultant, Ecotechnology, Florence, MA
10.16.23 | 4:00-5:15pm | Design Building Room 170
Building a Greener Future: Mercy Corps’ Global Sustainability Efforts
Francis Xavier Tuokuu, Ph.D., Senior Advisor, Mercy Corps
11.06.23 | 4:00-5:15pm | Design Building Room 170
Climate-smart Construction: Plant-based Prefab: A Carbon Drawdown...
Reading Day is traditionally when when we honor the current year’s group of BCT award and scholarship recipients at the Environmental Conservation Awards Picnic. This is always an exciting part of the academic year because we can shine a light on outstanding student achievements and provide scholarship support.
The complete list of the 2022-23 award and scholarship winners is shown below the image and more pictures from the event can be found here. Congratulations to all the recipients!!! We are tremendously proud of you all!!!
2022-23 Award Recipients
BCT Outstanding Senior Award
Ian Milliken
Associated General Contractors of Western Massachusetts: Building and Construction Technology Endowment
Eli Schomp, Brendan Ware
Building and Construction Technology Alumni Scholarship for Academic Merit
Anna Biondo, Cyprian Zulawnik
Building and Construction Technology Alumni Scholarship for Leadership
Oliver Pullin
Harry L. Folsom Award from the Donald B. Hyde Memorial Scholarship Fund
Madison Mathieu
Harry and Virginia Braconier Scholarship
Diana Andrea Brito Picciotto, Eli Schomp, Brendan Ware
Henry E. Zottoli Memorial Scholarship
Jocelyn Krooks, Edward Mullen...
UMass Building and Construction Technology Program and Boston architecture firm Leers Weinzapfel Associates are this summer hosting a workshop for architecture faculty that provides a thorough background on timber as a building material. See below for more information:
TIMBER FACULTY WORKSHOP
APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!
Monday, June 26th - Wednesday, June 28th
Apply Here
Applications are due May 26th, 11:59pm eastern time.
Selected attendees will be notified by June 1st
Venue: John W. Olver Design Building, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Led by: Leers Weinzapfel Associates with support from Building and Construction Technology Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Venue Host: Department of Architecture and Building and Construction Technology Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Led by Tom S. Chung FAIA, Principal Leers Weinzapfel Associates and Professor of Practice in Architecture at Auburn University and Dr. Peggi Clouston, Professor of Wood Mechanics and Timber Engineering, we welcome Tenure-track faculty at accredited Architecture schools throughout the US to apply for an intensive 3-day workshop geared towards equipping faculty interested in teaching Mass Timber design.
Workshop will...
The John W. Olver Design Building - BCT's home on the Amherst campus - is not just another campus building. The beauty and warmth of the timber structure, and its environmental footprint that treads lightly, represents a visionary approach to contemporary building design in that it integrally respects the responsibility we have towards the earth we live on.
None of this would have been possible without the support and environmental consciousness of Congressman John Olver, who was the prime reason that the Olver Design Building was built with Mass Timber, the only naturally renewable building material.
John attended a presentation by Peggi Clouston in 2014 about Mass Timber which led to several more meetings and ultimately a meeting of the minds where our technical background combined with John’s long term efforts to support forest health, sustainable construction, and rural economies.
Our conversations ultimately led to the idea of creating a timber demonstration structure which would support the UMass Amherst climate action plan and...
