Course Title: Postgraduate Diploma in Building Performance (Energy Efficiency in Design)
The PGDip BP(EED) course is open to the following categories of applicants:
- Registered Architects
- Professionally qualified architects who are or have been members of the RIAI, subject to interview.
- Registered Architectural Technologists
- Professionally qualified Architectural Technologists, subject to the requirements scheduled below.
- Registered Building Surveyors
- Chartered Engineers
- Professionally qualified Engineers, subject to a minimum 2.2 Level 8 qualification plus 2 years minimum relevant accredited professional experience, or equivalent.
- Other technical design professionals subject to a minimum 2.2 Level 8 qualification plus 2 years minimum relevant accredited professional experience, or equivalent.
Applicants may be required to demonstrate ability in architectural technical drawing and building fabric design.
Over the past five years the Dublin School of Architecture has developed a range of upskilling courses in Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) for building design professionals. NZEB is the energy performance standard required under the European Union Energy Performance in Buildings Directive (EPBD). This Directive requires that all new public buildings must meet the NZEB standard from the end of 2018 onwards, and ALL new buildings from the end of 2020 onwards. The Directive also provides for the deep renovation of existing buildings to the NZEB standard beyond 2020. Achieving the NZEB standard will require a culture change at all levels in the building industry, from procurement, to design, construction, use and maintenance of the building over its life cycle.
This will require industry upskilling on an unprecedented scale across the EU. From our experience in developing upskilling programmes over the past five years it is clear that the extent of the knowledge gap within the disciplines of the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector is as yet neither appreciated or acknowledged. Recognising the scale of this emerging upskilling challenge the lecturing team in the TU Dublin School of Architecture has developed new skills and teaching methods over the past five years and has prepared a range of new courses in science based building performance.
For building design professionals such as architects, architectural technologists, engineers and building surveyors, an understanding of NZEB will be critical to professional survival. The NZEB standard will apply to all new public building from the end of 2018 and to all buildings by 2020. The need for NZEB upskilling is clear.
Graduates of the Postgraduate Diploma in Building Performance (Energy Efficiency in Design) will be uniquely qualified to design and assess the energy performance in new and existing building typologies including multi-unit residential and non-domestic typologies measured against national performance metrics.
They will be able to research and advise on insulation options assessed as safe in accordance with the best international standards and detail, specify and oversee the installation to ensure performance targets are met.
Graduates will understand the dynamics of thermal, moisture and air movement through building fabric and design the optimal balance of all three to ensure the integrity of any retrofit solution proposed and protect the structural longevity of the building fabric.
In short they will be leaders in the field of retrofit assessment and design. Their skills will be equally applicable to new build work where the principles of building fabric design are significantly more easily accommodated.
With energy analysis skills building on and enhancing their construction industry experience, graduates will be ideally placed to secure employment in the area of energy renovation of the existing building stock – an emerging and expansive field of construction activity across the European Union, in response to the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
MRIAI and RIAI (Arch Tech) graduates will be eligible to apply for RIAI Environmental Accreditation.
The course is delivered through a series of modules, some in blended online mode supported by workshops every four weeks, some in traditional part time college-based mode.
Semester 1 of the PGCert is delivered through a series of three 5 ECTS blended online modules as follows:
- NZEB Policy & Technologies
- NZEB Calculation & Cost Optimality
- Energy Modelling Tools #1 (DEAP)
These modules can combine to form a CPD Diploma in NZEB Tools.
Semester 2 of the PGCert is delivered through a further series of three 5 ECTS blended online modules as follows:
- Energy Modelling Tools #2 (PHPP)
- Hygrothermal Risk Assessment for Building Performance
- Thermal Bridge Calculation for Building Performance
Semester 3 of the PGDip is delivered through a combination of 5 ECTS blended online and10 ECTS traditional part time college-based project modules as follows:
- Building Environmental Assessment Methods
- Building Performance NZEB Design Project: Multi-Unit Residential
Semester 4 of the PGDip is also delivered through a combination of 5 ECTS blended online and 10 ECTS traditional part time college-based project modules as follows:
- Energy Modelling Tools #3 (Dynamic Simulation / NEAP)
- Building Performance NZEB Design Project: Office
The delivery of TU413 Postgraduate Diploma in Building Performance (Energy Efficiency in Design) course suits those upskilling, re-skilling & returning to work.
As the programme is ‘nested’, please visit the webpage for TU412 PG Cert BP(EED) for Stage 1 information.
There are a range of ways in which the schedule and delivery have been structured to suit students who are fully employed professionals. The programme is designed so that most study takes place each week between Friday morning and Monday evening, at times the student chooses. Modules are taught one at a time.
- In the (5-ECTS) taught modules the only fixed dates are webinars on the first four Tuesdays at 8pm, an online exam at 8pm on the second and fourth Thursdays, the feedback workshop at the end of the fifth week and the project submission. Once a semester the feedback workshop will be held on campus.
- In the larger (15-ECTS) project module seminars are held on Fridays. In general these are online, though 2 or 3 will be held on campus to benefit student learning.
Flexibility is provided via (a) the online resources; (b) videoed lectures that can be repeatedly watched (slowed down or sped up); (c) the recording of webinars to allow later watching; (d) the provision of repeat online exams within the same semester; and the Autumn supplemental exams and project submissions.
A key aspect is that students may decide when they can view lecture materials. Students should plan for a weekly commitment of ~20 hours in most weeks of each module.
TU413 Postgraduate Diploma in Building Performance (Energy Efficiency in Design) is a 2-year 'nested' programme. All access to TU413 (and to the 3-year Masters (TU414) it is part of) is via the 1-year course TU412 Postgraduate Certificate in Building Performance (Energy Efficiency in Design). Please visit the Course Page for more information, to register an expression of interest or to apply.
Year 2 of the Postgraduate Diploma in Building Performance (EED) was challenging and extremely worthwhile. It has completely changed my thinking and that of my work colleagues. We intend to steer the company towards an ethos of sustainable design and already have clients approach us about Passive House / EnerPHit / and better choice of materials. I have made lifelong friends from the course: meeting likeminded females was a real bonus!Patricia, Architect.
The wider life cycle picture, assessment methods and engaging in holistic discussions about sustainable design in Year 2 were really important, topics that should be core to the education of any designer, professional or client engaged in the construction sector. To be honest, the learning was transformative for me as to where my priorities would lie going forward. I highly recommend extending what you've learnt in First Year into Second Year for a wider-ranging comprehensive knowledge base and skills and, most importantly a holistic picture for all of us to become better and more conscientious designers.Daire, Architect.