Outreach / Service Archives - Page 2 of 14 - Building and Construction Technology

BCT Students Start Construction on the “Hygge House” Design-Build Project

February 22, 2022February 22, 2022 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

The Hygge House1 is a portable, 350 sq. ft, Net Zero, Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) designed and built by students in a collaborative effort between UMass Building & Construction Technology, UMass Architecture, Five College Architectural Studies, & East Branch Studio. The semester-long design-build course that encapsulates this project is led by L. Carl Fiocchi (BCT), Robert Williams (Architecture), Naomi Darling (Five Colleges) and Kent Hicks (East Branch Studio). It offers learning opportunities in high performance construction, construction practices, low load mechanical systems selection and installation, performance verification, and carbon accounting. The project as well as the course helps students understand the climate impacts of carbon in the built environment and explores ways to design and build better structures, as the inefficiency of buildings is responsible for approximately forty percent of global carbon emissions. After the Build is completed, students will have the opportunity for teaching about the building when the Hygge House is used as an Auxiliary Stage at the Green...

Creating a Bridge to the Future with BCT and Digital Ready

December 16, 2021 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

On December 1, 2021 BCT faculty and students hosted Digital Ready (DR), a Boston-based non-profit that provides talented, young Black and Latinx students from Boston Public Schools a no-cost, head-start to a STEM degree from UMass. The DR cohort of 27 students participated in a unique peer-to-peer learning exchange program developed by CSN faculty Dr. Paul J. Wolff III and students in the new communication course required for all BCT majors (Communicating Building Science and Sustainability). The Immersion Event featured live presentations, hands-on demonstrations, building/lab tours and one-on-one time with current BCT students. The event began with ice-breaker activities and was followed by a series of presentations featuring coursework, extra-curricular activities, internships and a Q&A discussion about what it is like to live, learn and work at the UMass Amherst campus. The Immersion Event culminated with lunch at the award-winning UMass Dining Halls for all participants. The Digital Ready Cohort enjoyed live skits, informational giveaways and interactive presentations of student work such...

The Sustainability Road Less Traveled: BCT’s Applied Learning Pathways Lead to Jobs

October 27, 2021August 12, 2023 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

During the last year, 10 pioneering UMass students took the road less traveled – pursuing the BCT (Building Construction Technology) Applied Learning Pathways, a new option for students to ‘study abroad’ at the Mount Ida Campus of UMass Amherst in Newton, Massachusetts. Students worked one-on-one with a faculty sponsor to create a customized, hands-on learning experience based on their interests in sustainability. These one-of-a kind pathways built the students’ confidence and portfolios (i.e. GIS mapping, augmented/virtual experiments, original research, multi-media videos, 3D models) as they collectively pursued more than 30 academic credits toward the completion of their degrees. “As a master’s degree student at UMass, I wanted my learning to be meaningful and to have an impact,” said Abigail Moore, B.S. ’19, M.S, ’21. “The Independent Study project I designed with my professor focused on the idea of ‘Living Buildings;’ structures that generate more than they consume – and I was able to focus on understanding how these buildings can work with...

We’re Hiring: Assistant Professor in Advanced Building Technologies

October 22, 2021October 5, 2022 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

Effective immediately, we are seeking qualified applicants for the following position in BCT: Assistant Professor - Advanced Building Technologies Apply now Job no: 510501 Work type: Faculty Full Time Location: UMass Amherst Department: Environmental Conservation Union: MSP Categories: 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 diverse 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. Job Description The Building and Construction Technology (BCT) program in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (http://bct.eco.umass.edu/) invites applicants for a full-time, tenure-track position in the area of Advanced Building Technologies. This is an academic year appointment at the level of Assistant Professor. We seek candidates with...

Register now for BCT’s Winter & Spring Online Professional Education Courses

October 20, 2020September 26, 2022 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

With an increasing number of our courses now online, we are announcing the immediate availability of the following professional education courses for the upcoming Winter Term (Dec. - Jan.) and Spring Term (Feb. - May). For more on education posts, check best essay writing service reddit. There is no need to be a matriculated UMass student to take these courses. Anyone with a professional interest in our field can take them on a per-credit fee basis. Register Now! Learn more about these courses and register now on the University Without Walls (UWW) website at the following link: Find Courses and Enroll (filter by “Subject” and look for “Building and Construction Technology” or “Environmental Conservation”) Want More? Many of these courses can be taken to fulfill requirements of our Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Building Construction or our Professional Masters in Sustainable Building Systems. Contact us anytime if you would like to learn more about those options. Upcoming Courses Winter Term Sustainable Building & LEED Certification This course introduces core concepts...