BCT NAHB Student Chapter Volunteers for Rebuilding Springfield

BCT NAHB Student Chapter Volunteers for Rebuilding Springfield

On Saturday April 26th the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Student Chapter in BCT volunteered for Rebuilding Springfield. The rainy weather did not stop the NAHB members and the many other volunteers from cleaning up yards, fixing homes, and helping out residents of the neighborhood. Students at this event were Neil Hourahan, John Coroa, John Yip, Chloe Rutkowski, Frankie Kelly and Tom Bliss. The NAHB is looking forward to other volunteer opportunities and any students interested in joining the group can find more information here: https://www.umass.edu/bct/for-students/nahb-student-chapter/ ...
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BCT faculty to host One Day Mass Energy Conference

On May 1st, 2014, the UMASS Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources is hosting the "One Day Mass Energy Conference" to help communities with renewable energy and energy efficiency. Participate in a one-day workshop connecting municipal and planning officials, community groups, and businesses. Explore the opportunities in green energy and a green economy. Interact and network with the workshop’s variety of attendees. For more information and to register visit: http://www.massenergyconf.org/...
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BCT Student Chapter Wins Award at International Builders’ Show

BCT Student Chapter Wins Award at International Builders’ Show

This past week, the UMass chapter of the National Association of Homebuilders travelled to Las Vegas to compete in the Residential Construction Management Competition, a star feature of the International Builders’ Show. This was UMass’ first time ever being represented at the RCMC after many past chapters had tried to complete the project, but failed due to lack of organization and funding. The Residential Construction Management Competition requires each student chapter to play the role of a construction company and develop a fully comprehensive development proposal for a real plot of land in the United States. This year the site was a 60-acre plot of land in Aurora, Colorado, just east of Denver. The UMass Chapter, also known as Minuteman Construction Co., proposed a 40-home neighborhood targeting the move up market (household income $80,000-$100,000) that focused on affordability, sustainability, and connectivity. Co-presidents Tom Bliss and John Coroa were the only returning members to the chapter this year after the disappointment of...
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Simi Hoque’s Urban Modeling

Dr. Simi Hoque is passionate about improving the ways in which buildings use the earth’s resources.  She teaches environmental systems and sustainable design principles in the Department of Environmental Conservation at UMass Amherst. Her research, partially funded by the Center’s Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station, is focused around the application and development of energy-efficient buildings. Dr. Hoque specializes in energy modeling, resource efficiency, and systems design. She is co-author of a recent online publication (October 2013) intended to provide a quantitative approach to assessing sustainability indicators in a city. Research Cities today generate almost two-thirds of the world’s primary energy demand. By 2030, this is projected to increase to three-quarters, matching the urban sector’s expected share of global energy-related CO2 emissions. The current urban outlook demands a comprehensive understanding of urban sustainability policies and programs to address climate change and energy security. Dr. Hoque’s research is aimed at developing an analytical framework to integrate the performance indicators for buildings, transportation systems, and green spaces...
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