About this course
This course is about using the Sustainable Building Assessment Tool to assess and improve the sustainability performance of residential buildings, such as houses and apartments, and their immediate neighbourhoods.
The Sustainable Building Assessment Tool supports an integrated and responsive approach to achieving high sustainability performance in buildings. The tool is based on a holistic approach to addressing sustainability and includes social, economic and environmental criteria. It is easy and low-cost to use and is particularly suitable for developing country applications.
What this course offers
The course will show you how you can use the SBAT to assess designs and buildings to improve their sustainability performance. It also shows you how to follow a standardised methodology and protocols in order to carry out accurate assessments. The course also shows how data can be collated for sustainability reports and to enable self-assessments to be validated.
What you will learn
The course covers the following topics.
1. What is sustainability?
In order to address sustainability in buildings, it is important to understand what this means for buildings. The course describes sustainability and shows how it relates to global climate change and sustainable development commitments. It presents a practical working definition of sustainability which enables this to be effectively addressed and integrated into the planning, design, construction, operation and demolition of buildings.
2. How do you measure environmental sustainability performance in buildings?
The Sustainable Building Assessment Tool measures environmental sustainability performance in buildings using 5 criteria. These are Energy, Water, Waste, Materials and Biocapacity. For each of these, building performance objectives are defined and descriptions of criteria used to measure performance are provided. Standardised measuring and reporting protocols used to capture performance in the SBAT and validation documentation are also described.
3. How do you measure economic sustainability performance in buildings?
The Sustainable Building Assessment Tool measures environmental sustainability performance in buildings using 5 criteria. These are Transport, Resource Use, Management and Local Economy. For each of these, building performance objectives are defined and descriptions of criteria used to measure performance are provided. Standardised measuring and reporting protocols used to capture performance in the SBAT and validation documentation are also described.
4. How do you measure social sustainability performance in buildings?
The Sustainable Building Assessment Tool measures social sustainability performance in buildings using 5 criteria. These are Access, Health, Education, Inclusion and Social Cohesion. For each of these, building performance objectives are defined and descriptions of criteria used to measure performance are provided. Standardised measuring and reporting protocols used to capture performance in the SBAT and in validation documentation are also described.
5. Are there tools and guides that can be used to support assessments and project development?
The course provides access to the SBAT Residential tool and a manual on how to apply it. The tool and manual provide a valuable framework that can be used to structure how sustainability is addressed in buildings and designs.
How you will learn
The course is online and you will be able to access the following resources
- Course presentation
- Course book
- Course quiz
- Templates and guides
- Course work
- Additional reading
The course is self-paced and you can work through the material in your own time. Course numbers are capped, so the length of access to courses will be limited to provide access to new participants. However, we aim to provide access for at least 1 month.
Course certificate
A course certificate can be provided should you wish to receive formal confirmation of your successful completion of the course. For this, you must download and apply tools and guides provided and submit coursework. This will be reviewed by the Course Instructor and, where requirements are met, a course certificate will be issued.
What do I need to attend the course?
You will need access to the Internet and a Gmail account with a password to access the course.
Who developed the course?
The course was developed by Instructors who have designed and run management and technical courses for the United Nations, government departments, universities, professional bodies and community organisations.
Accessing the course, course books, tools and guides
Access to the course enables you to view the presentations, the course book, tools and guides, the additional reading, the coursework and take the quiz. You can access the online courses through the shop. Live courses are also held from time-to-time, if you are interested in these please register here.
Course books, tools and guides can be viewed online during the course. If you would like to download and use these, these can be accessed through the shop.