Hello future architects and builders! We caught wind of South Central College’s Building Design & Energy Technology course and spoke with instructor Ryan Langemeier to learn more.
Joel Haskard: How did South Central College decide to offer this course?
Ryan Langemeier: We applied for a Perkins New Academic Program Development Grant and were awarded funding to develop a Building Energy Technology Diploma. This grant assisted with curriculum development, the purchasing of equipment (thermal imager, blower door), and travel to energy related conferences.
From the Building Energy Technology Diploma, we implemented the Building Design and Energy Technology AAS Degree.
Building Design and Energy Technology (BDET) was a program re-design from Architectural Drafting and Technologies program. The intent of the redesign was to provide a broader overview of the building assemblies and systems. We now include, architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing content/drafting into the curriculum.
How the building is designed, detailed and the materials specified has a direct correlation to the overall building energy usage. It is with these two areas: Building Design and Energy that we developed the new Building Design and Energy Technology degree.
Joel: What kind of energy technologies will be covered in the course?
Ryan: We have a course called Building Analyst. The Building Analyst course is based upon Building Performance Institute (BPI) standards. The course is to prep the student to take the Building Analyst Certification and Envelope Professional examinations.
We also have a Materials and Methods course. This Materials and Methods course discusses LEED principles and preps the student to take the LEED Green Associate exam.
The energy technologies relate to BPI – energy software, thermal imager, blower door, and the duct blaster. We include AutoCAD and REVIT (electronic drawing software) to assist in the drawing/drafting component
Joel: Who are the ideal student candidates?
Ryan: The ideal (traditional or non-traditional) student will display a passion for building design and the energy sector.
Learn more:
Questions?
- For questions about the program, contact Ryan Langemeier at 507-389-7260 or [email protected]
- For enrollment information contact SCC’s Admissions Office at 507-389-7220 or via http://www.southcentral.edu
