We are Hiring: Lecturer (full-time) in Digital Design & Professional Communication

We are Hiring: Lecturer (full-time) in Digital Design & Professional Communication

We are excited to announce the availability of a full-time (12 month) Lecturer position in our BCT program, focused on Digital Design & Professional Communication in the AEC field. Reviews begin in early April with a job start date of September 1, 2024. See below for details: APPLY NOW Job no: 522021 Work type: Faculty Full Time Location: UMass Amherst Department: Environmental Conservation Union: MSP Categories: Faculty, College of Natural Sciences About UMass Amherst UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region. About the Department and the Program Building and Construction Technology (BCT) is one of the programs in the Department of Environmental...
Read More
BCT Students’ Preconstruction Team wins First Place at ASC Region 1 Competition

BCT Students’ Preconstruction Team wins First Place at ASC Region 1 Competition

We are thrilled to announce that after a semester of hard work and dedication, BCT's amazing preconstruction student team, under the skillful guidance of Prof. Fernando Romero, have achieved their goal and brought home the first place trophy at the 34th Annual Associated Schools of Construction Region 1 Student Competition and Conference in Albany, NY. Our student teams were able to secure 3rd place in 2021, 2nd place in 2022, and this year, we clinched the ASC competition and brought home the 1st place trophy. As Prof. Romero said: "I am incredibly proud of each and every one of my students who made this possible, and it is a true testament to our collective effort and commitment. Your outstanding performance was noticed, and the judges were thoroughly impressed by your fantastic presentation." Additionally, the UMass Commercial team's hard work and dedication earned them a commendable 4th-place finish. The team members were: Preconstruction: Jocey Krooks, Madison Mathieu, Connor Perley, Brendan Ware, Lucas Kubaska, Luke Fairbanks. Commercial:...
Read More
UMass DesignBuild Program Celebrates Completion of 2023 Build with an Open House

UMass DesignBuild Program Celebrates Completion of 2023 Build with an Open House

On Thursday, November 2, the UMass DesignBuild Program celebrated the completion of its 2023 project, Paper House, named after Holyoke, The Paper City. There, in Holyoke in collaboration with OneHolyoke CDC, the Paper House will be placed on its permanent site where it will become a contributing member to Holyoke’s affordable housing inventory, addressing the inequities of affordable housing and climate justice in an underserved community. In addition to many Building and Construction Technology, Architecture, and Five College Architectural Studies faculty, plus all the students who participated in the DesignBuild program, as well as donors and sponsors of the program, the celebration was attended by multiple UMass officials: Chancellor Javier Reyes; CNS Dean Mike Fox; Humanities Associate Dean Pari Riahi; Environmental Conservation Head, Paige Warren; and Diane Barstow, CNS Development Head. The celebration was additionally honored with the attendance of the Director of OneHolyoke CDC, Mike Moriarity, and President of DOC, Joubin Hassanein both major collaborators. Fresh Cider and Atkins donuts were enjoyed...
Read More
Enroll Now in Our Winter 2023/24 Courses

Enroll Now in Our Winter 2023/24 Courses

Enroll now in our BCT Winter 2023/24 courses. These are open to students and professionals and can provide a valuable skill as well as credit towards your major or minor. Courses BCT 320 - Introduction to CAD & BIM in Construction & Architecture Online | 3 Credits | Winter Session | 12/18/2023-1/31/2024 This course provides students with a broad introduction into Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) with a focus on construction- and architecture-specific applications. By using industry-standard AEC software (such as Autodesk AutoCAD, Trimble SketchUp, and Autodesk Revit) in hands-on exercises, assignments and projects, students gain the capability to model construction projects and create and distribute industry-standard architectural drawings. BCT 414 / ECO 614 - Sustainable Building & LEED Certification Online | 3 Credits | Winter Session | 12/18/2023-1/31/2024 The LEED Professional Credentials indicate professional excellence and a strong depth of knowledge as well as practical understanding of the LEED Rating Systems and how they apply to the high-performance design and construction of the built...
Read More
Hammer Time: How Students, Faculty, Local Businesses and Holyoke’s Community Development Corporation Are Teaming Up to Fight the Housing Crisis

Hammer Time: How Students, Faculty, Local Businesses and Holyoke’s Community Development Corporation Are Teaming Up to Fight the Housing Crisis

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...
Read More