Materials, Resources and Indoor Environmental Quality

This course gives students the tools they need to evaluate a material based on how it impacts the built and natural environment. Since people in western cultures tend to spend most of their time indoors, specific attention will be paid to Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). Environmentally responsible materials selection will be discussed, including the importance of waste, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and all aspects of the manufacturing process. Interior design issues that are covered include the importance of natural daylighting, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), and acoustics. Current materials rating systems and specification writing aids will be reviewed. Case studies representing best practices in sustainable design of interiors will be presented for discussion. This course is directly useful to anyone selecting materials for any kind of building project. Please Note: Section ZC is completely online and does not meet on campus. Students will receive course login information on the course start date. For more information about the online program, please visit www.the-bac.edu/green.