Excellence in building science education: Experiences with a Central European experiment

Authors

  • Ardeshir Mahdavi TU Wien, Department of Building Physics and Building Ecology, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Vienna, Austria
  • Bob Martens TU Wien, Institute of Architecture and Design, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Vienna, Austria
  • Ulrich Pont TU Wien, Department of Building Physics and Building Ecology, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Vienna, Austria
  • Matthias Schuss TU Wien, Department of Building Physics and Building Ecology, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Vienna, Austria
  • Helene Teufl TU Wien, Department of Building Physics and Building Ecology, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Vienna, Austria
  • Christiane Berger Aalborg University, Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology, Rendsburggade 14, level 3, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14311/APP.2022.38.0316

Keywords:

building science, building technology, curriculum development, environmental education, multidisciplinary teaching

Abstract

The spectrum of educational programs in building science is wide and diverse. Whereas the academic landscapes across the world vary significantly, general discourse postulates certain rather broad characterizations. For instance, some schools, especially in the Anglo-Saxon context, are suggested to target a selective, private, and high-tuition approach. Others, particularly in the European context, have a more broad, public, and affordable nature. Even though highly simplistic and perhaps even misleading, this distinction has been frequently accompanied by the implicit assumption that true excellence (the so-called world-class) education in general and building science education in particular is possible only in the former settings. In this paper, we report on a specific academic degree program, namely the Master in Building Science and Technology (BST) program, which may be argued to cast doubt on this assumption. Initiated at TU Wien, Austria, BST was offered over a period of almost two decades. In this paper, we briefly present the genesis of this program, its features, its accomplishments, and its termination. Thereby, our primary objective is to inform similar and future initiatives, particularly across Central Europe, where many public universities exist, the building industry has a substantial presence, and the education of a future generation of technically competent, environmentally conscious, and socially responsible building planners and engineers is of essence.

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Published

2022-12-21

Issue

Section

Innovative Technologies and Systems

How to Cite

Excellence in building science education: Experiences with a Central European experiment. (2022). Acta Polytechnica CTU Proceedings, 38, 316-322. https://doi.org/10.14311/APP.2022.38.0316