Core Course
REC605 – Construction and Sustainable Buildings
Course Unit Code: REC605
Type Of Unit: Compulsory
Level of Course Unit: Second cycle
Semester: Second Semester
Number of ECTS Credits: 7.5
Mode of Delivery
Face to Face
Prerequisites
None
Course Objectives
The objective of this course to examine the sustainability agenda’s development and explore various conceptual models of sustainable development in the context of real estate. It will evaluate how societal trends impact and are impacted by construction activities, with a focus on minimizing human activities’ environmental effects and fostering economic and human welfare. Additionally, the course will analyze innovations in building construction and performance, and diagnose building defects while suggesting remedial actions
Learning Outcomes
- Explain sustainable development principles and their application in the construction industry.
- Recognize the environmental impact of construction activities and recommend strategies for resource efficiency and pollution reduction, and sustainable material use.
- Review and employ energy efficiency strategies, renewable energy techniques, and green building standards to enhance the sustainability of building projects.
- Explore the social and economic dimensions of sustainable construction and formulate initiatives that promote well-being, adaptive reuse, and economic growth.
- Identify and integrate innovative construction technologies and sustainable practices in real estate development.
Course Content
- Introduction to Sustainable Development in Construction
- Environmental Considerations in Construction
- Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Integration in Buildings
- Social and Economic Dimensions of Sustainable Construction
- Sustainable Construction Strategies and Innovation
- Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies
- Green Building Certifications and Standards
- Sustainable Design and Planning
- Policy and Regulations Framework
- Sustainable Buildings Reuse (Renovation, Retrofit, Adaptive Reuse)
- Sustainable Buildings for Health and Well-being Case Studies and Best Practices
- Case Studies and Best Practices
Course Features
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Lectures; in-class discussion and debates; in-class exercises; problem sets; team work; video case studies, team presentations, interactive online learning via Moodle (quizzes, interactive activities, assignments, forums)
Assessment methods and criteria
Activities & Assignments: 60%
Final Assignment: 40%
Readings
(Mandatory)
Lecture Notes and PowerPoint Presentations. Provided during class sessions or available on the course platform by the Instructor.
(Optional: suggestions for further study)
Book chapters, scientific articles, online sources
Indicatively:
Cortesi, A., Vardopoulos, I., & Salvati, L. (2022). A partial least squares analysis of the perceived impact of sustainable real estate design upon wellbeing. Urban Science, 6(4), 69
Kanellopoulos, A., & Norambuena-Contreras, J. (Eds.). (2022). Self-healing construction materials. Cham, Switzerland: Engineering Materials and Processes, Springer Nature. ISBN: 9783030868796
Lima, L., Trindade, E., Alencar, L., Alencar, M., & Silva, L. (2021). Sustainability in the construction industry: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Cleaner Production, 289, 125730.
Robinson, S., & McIntosh, M. G. (2022). A literature review of environmental, social, and governance (esg) in commercial real estate. Journal of Real Estate Literature, 30(1–2), 54–67
Sandanayake, M. S. (2022). Environmental impacts of construction in building industry—a review of knowledge advances, gaps and future directions. Knowledge, 2(1), 139–156.
Sepasgozar, S. M. E., Hui, F. K. P., Shirowzhan, S., Foroozanfar, M., Yang, L., & Aye, L. (2020). Lean practices using building information modeling (BIM) and digital twinning for sustainable construction. Sustainability, 13(1), 161
Vardopoulos, I., Vannas, I., Xydis, G., & Vassiliades, C. (2023). Homeowners’ perceptions of renewable energy and market value of sustainable buildings. Energies, 16(10), 4178
• Video: Sustainability in Design and Construction: An Introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppnoIRS7G_8
• Video: Buildings of the Future: Net Zero Energy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi-Zu09vX3o
• Video: CSR In Real Estate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmJWxFUueiA
• Video: One-bit Bots: Robotic Construction Outside the Box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8VSZ7lT0QU
• Online Resource/ Platform: United States Green Building Council: https://www.usgbc.org/
• Online Resource/ Platform: The future of real estate valuations: The impact of ESG: https://www.rics.org/news-insights/wbef/the-future-of-real-estate-valuations-the-impact-of-esg
• Online Resource/ Platform: The future of real estate valuations: The impact of ESG: https://www.rics.org/news-insights/wbef/the-future-of-real-estate-valuations-the-impact-of-esg
• Online Resource/ Platform: A guide to PropTech (and how it’s shaking up real estate): https://www.ucem.ac.uk/whats-happening/articles/what-is-proptech/
English (UK) 
Ελληνικά