Image: David Stevenson www.dscreativ.com
The new Master of Architectural Science (High Performance Buildings) program at the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning will provide students with a strong pathway into the emerging industry sector of high performance building design.
Commencing in early 2015, Ashak Nathwani – Honorary Associate – said the postgraduate degree offered an intensive and practical pathway for students interested in building services, architectural practice, business, design and property management.
‘One of the things we were keen to do was to narrow the gap between what academia was doing, and what is in practice in the property industry. We’re very to close to what the industry is looking out for, or yearning for.
‘It’s the only course of its kind in Australia, which we can say with authority. There are two other courses of a similar approach – one is in America and one is in Asia. We’ve actually looked at what they’re covering and we offer more than what they’re covering.’
‘That gives us an opportunity for a unique course and that’s why we’re excited it’s happening – that we’re offering something that industry and future students will gain from,’ he said.
As a more recent phenomenon, high performance buildings seek to address the challenges posed by sustainable, urban living environments over the coming decades. ‘Every building is getting more “intelligent” whether it be the lift system, the lighting, or the air-conditioning system,’ said Nathwani.
‘It’s incorporating the state-of-the-art technologies and that’s what we need to cover in our course. People need to understand how the property market works and what it means to have a high return on a property. The course also incorporates building economics, which is very important from an operational point of view.’
Nathwani said that students would have some flexibility in subject choice. ‘You have a choice. You can select some of the subjects – engineering, sustainability – plus additional electives that will give you that extra knowledge. All the lectures will be in a manner that everyone can follow and benefit from. The high performance building is something that students from the property industry will not find too foreign or difficult to grasp.’
Nathwani said that for some students a pathways program to the degree and into industry could be explored in greater detail. ‘We’ve thought very carefully about how we can enhance what the students are already being offered.’
Open Day at the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning will be held at the University of Sydney on Saturday 30 August.
For more information visit the University of Sydney website.
