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Comfort in Buildings

The course provides a comprehensive overview of sustainability in construction, emphasizing the depletion of natural resources, global energy utilization, and challenges faced. It explores site selection parameters, the impact on the environment, and methods for preserving site resources. The integrated design approach and its benefits are discussed, along with the importance of basic amenities and the urban heat island effect. The course covers various aspects of building environmental considerations, focusing on heat transfer, thermal and visual comfort, and sustainable building practices. Heat transfer is explained through conduction, convection, and radiation, with a specific emphasis on heat gain in buildings, both internal and external. The discussion extends to thermal comfort, considering factors influencing human perception of heat and cold, and includes models for air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned spaces. Visual comfort is explored in terms of lighting design, covering daylighting strategies and artificial lighting parameters in compliance with building codes.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Green development

The module offers a comprehensive overview of sustainability, highlighting its significance and the challenges encountered in the field of construction. It delves into the depletion of natural resources resulting from human activities, analyzes global energy consumption across various sectors, and anticipates future energy demands in India, all while exploring diverse energy sources. The discussion encompasses criteria for site selection, emphasizing its importance and examining various types of sites and their environmental impacts. The module also imparts knowledge on strategies for preserving site resources such as topsoil, water bodies, and plantations. Additionally, it provides a concise introduction to the integrated design approach, aligning project requirements with its associated benefits. The importance of basic amenities in proximity to buildings and an exploration of the urban heat island effect are also included in the discourse.

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Taught by Subject Matter Experts

Provides a basis for understanding sustainability in construction

Suitable for those in the construction industry

Explores the challenges in construction related to sustainability

Requires some prior knowledge of construction practices

Focuses on the Indian context, which may not be relevant to all learners

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Reviews summary

Foundations in building comfort & sustainability

According to learners, this course offers a comprehensive foundational understanding of building comfort and sustainability, making it highly relevant for professionals in the field. Students frequently praise its clear explanations of complex topics like heat transfer and psychrometry, alongside its adherence to current building codes such as NBC and ECBC. While many find it excellent for beginners, some more experienced students suggest that the course could benefit from more advanced topics and practical case studies or exercises. Recent reviews indicate that the course content has been updated and is current, addressing past concerns.

Best suited for those new to building physics and comfort concepts.

"Good for beginners."

"It doesn't go deep enough for someone already familiar with basic building physics."

"I found it an excellent starting point for understanding comfort in buildings, even without a prior background."

The course content has been updated and is current.

"The historical reviews mention outdated content, but it seems L&T EduTech has updated the material, as I found it current with relevant codes."

"I noticed the course content felt very current and relevant to contemporary practices in building design."

"It appears past concerns about outdated information have been addressed by the course providers, which is great."

Content aligns with key industry building codes and standards.

"...the inclusion of NBC/ECBC guidelines makes it highly relevant for professionals."

"I appreciated how the course aligned with provisions outlined in the National Building Code (NBC) and Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC)."

"The course materials felt very current with relevant industry codes and standards, which is crucial for my work."

Provides a strong base for understanding building comfort principles.

"This course provides an excellent foundational understanding of thermal and visual comfort in buildings."

"Absolutely essential for anyone in sustainable architecture. The depth on thermal comfort models... was unique and highly valuable."

"Fantastic course that really breaks down complex topics into digestible modules. I particularly appreciated the detailed explanation of psychrometry and its applications."

"I found this course provided me with a strong base for future studies in building science."

Learners seek more advanced content and real-world application.

"While comprehensive, I felt some parts could benefit from more case studies or practical exercises, especially regarding heat gain calculations."

"It covers a wide range of topics, but doesn't go deep enough for someone already familiar with basic building physics."

"I was hoping for more advanced lighting design techniques and real-world examples."

"I think adding more emphasis on practical software tools for comfort analysis would enhance it further."

"I found some examples a bit too theoretical, lacking sufficient real-world context."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Comfort in Buildings with these activities:

Organize and review course materials.

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Enhance your understanding and retention of course content by regularly organizing, reviewing, and summarizing the materials provided in the course.

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Create a system for organizing notes, assignments, and other course materials.
Review materials after each class or lecture.
Summarize key concepts and ideas in your own words.

Explore online tutorials on sustainable building materials.

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Expand your knowledge of sustainable building materials and their applications by following guided tutorials, broadening your options for environmentally conscious construction.

Browse courses on Sustainable Building Materials

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Identify reputable online platforms offering tutorials on sustainable building materials.
Watch and take notes on tutorials covering different types of sustainable materials, their properties, and construction methods.

Read 'Sustainable Construction: Principles and Practices' by Charles J. Kibert.

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Gain a comprehensive understanding of sustainable construction principles and practices through this authoritative text, enriching your knowledge of the field.

View Sustainable Construction on Amazon

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Read and summarize key chapters on sustainable building concepts, materials, and design strategies.
Identify and analyze real-world case studies of sustainable buildings.

Three other activities

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Review building codes and standards.

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Familiarize yourself with the established rules and regulations governing building construction, ensuring compliance and enhancing your understanding of sustainable building practices.

Browse courses on Building Codes

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Obtain the relevant building codes and standards applicable to your region or project.
Review the sections pertaining to green building, sustainability, and energy efficiency.
Summarize the key requirements and recommendations outlined in the codes and standards.

Calculate building heat transfer and thermal comfort.

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Reinforce your understanding of heat transfer principles and thermal comfort models through repetitive calculations, enhancing your ability to apply these concepts in real-world scenarios.

Browse courses on Thermal Comfort

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Review the principles of heat transfer and thermal comfort.
Solve practice problems involving heat gain, thermal resistance, and indoor air quality.
Use psychrometric charts to analyze and control indoor air conditions.

Design a sustainable building plan.

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Apply your knowledge of sustainability principles to develop a comprehensive plan for a hypothetical building project, showcasing your understanding of integrated design and environmental considerations.

Browse courses on Sustainable Building Design

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Select a building type and location.
Research and incorporate sustainable design strategies.
Create a detailed plan outlining the building's sustainable features and materials.

Career center

Learners who complete Comfort in Buildings will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

We've selected 50 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Comfort in Buildings.

Architecture

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Is considered a foundational text for anyone starting in building design. It provides a comprehensive visual vocabulary of architectural design principles, explaining form and space in relation to light, view, openings, and enclosures. It is widely used as a textbook in academic institutions to solidify an understanding of basic design concepts.

Architecture: Form, Space, and Order

Paperback

Architecture: Form, Space, & Order

Paperback

$$$

A Global History of Architecture

Hardcover

$$$

A Visual Dictionary of Architecture

Paperback

$$$

Introduction to Architecture