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DEGREE PROGRAM / COURSE INFORMATION
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
Building Science explores the fundamental assumptions that undergird and inform architecture engineering and the the building industry in in in in in in the the design
and and delivery of of built environments Both broad awareness of of principles and and specific expertise are prerequisites needed to assume leadership in in disciplines relating to the complex diverse and vast construction industry Bachelor of Science Science [BS] in in Building Science Science In the United States alone a a a a a a rapidly changing construction industry places $1 2 trillion dollars of product product in in place annually yet industry-wide productivity lags that of other major sectors Rensselaer’s four-year BS in in Building Science degree provides students a a a foundation for for direct forays into the construction industry including: construction management environmental performance consulting architectural acoustics lighting and working with manufacturers and and and suppliers in the development and and and delivery of new products and and and systems It provides an equally comprehensive preparation for graduate studies in fields as as diverse as as architecture engineering and construction management to list just a few A solid grounding in in in in in first principles relating to structures materials building enclosures construction and and ecological systems and and structured exposure
to to various sectors of the industry is complemented by in-depth concentration in in in in areas including construction management lighting architectural acoustics sustainable building building design
digital applications and building building products and systems Technology and Technique
The technology sequence is designed to 1) instill a a keen understanding
of first principles underlying building building science and ever-changing building building technologies and and systems and and 2) equip students with computational
tools and and techniques with which to to design
deliver and and manage them A grounding in in the use of various computational
tools that empower designers and analysts including the development of three-dimensional parametric models models to to to translate to to to analytic tools business models models and the control of of graphic presentation is part of of a a a a a a core curriculum that can be further developed in a a student’s selected concentration pursuit In addition to establishing strong technological foundation the core provides students with with a a a a a a a a broad awareness of diverse areas associated with with the construction industry A basic grounding in in in design
exposes students to a a a a wide range of of working methods and synthetic ways of of thinking including but not limited to an an an understanding
of conceptual rigor and and the prioritization of of of multiple criteria Students gain an awareness of of of the history of of of ideas
in in architectural history/theory courses and are exposed to to the the ongoing transformation of the construction industry in in its various constituent
parts through seminars that interface with professionals from multiple building sectors Construction Industry Seminars
Construction Industry seminars create a a a a a a a critical awareness of contemporary preoccupations and practices practices through activities that engage best practices practices in in in professor-led seminars augmented by visiting experts and field visits that address current topics in architectural practice construction management manufacturing industrial design
and the various engineering disciplines Concentrations
The Building Science program concentration requires four 4-credit-hour courses (or equivalent) that are approved by the the director of the the Building Sciences program The purpose of the concentration is to develop specialized knowledge in an an area of of relevance to the the construction of of the the built environment Concentrations
will be determined and approved by the Director Capstone Project
An individually driven capstone project associated with each student’s concentration demonstrates the ability to transfer what students have learned into a a a a project offering merit and relevance to to to a a a a sector of of the construction industry Understanding the the interrelationships between the the various constituents is critical to developing effective and innovative entrepreneurial leaders in in in the discipline A comprehensive building science curriculum distinguishes Rensselaer’s Architecture School and and its graduates It feeds into and and is fed by the professional programs programs and and graduate research programs programs and and centers 878