Program Overview

Master of High Performance Buildings

The Master of High Performance Buildings degree, offered jointly by the College of Architecture and Armour College of Engineering’s Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, is a post-professional program for individuals seeking the skills necessary to create design-driven, technologically innovative sustainable buildings. From new construction to energy-efficient retrofits, the program emphasizes mastery of cutting-edge building technologies in a hands-on setting, as well as an integrated approach to design practice that seamlessly blends building science, energy efficiency, and advanced systems integration to reduce the environmental impacts of buildings.

This program has received the Zero Energy Design Designation from the U.S. Department of Energy, acknowledging it as a leading education program that is preparing tomorrow’s architectural and engineering leaders to design and build the most sustainable buildings possible.

Curriculum

The Master of High Performance Buildings degree is a 30-credit, one-year program, although there is flexibility for working professionals who wish to complete the degree program while working full time.

Required Courses

• CAE 513 (3 Credits) Building Science: Study of the physical interactions between buildings, people, and climate (i.e., temperature, humidity, wind, sun, rain, snow, etc.). Topics include: heat transfer, psychometrics, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, ventilation, infiltration, solar insolation, heating and cooling load calculations, building energy efficiency, and building codes.
• CAE 556 (3 Credits) Net Zero Energy Building Design I: An interdisciplinary project-based course in which students work in teams to design and provide full design documentation for a net zero energy building, meaning that it combines energy efficiency and renewable energy generation to consume only as much energy as can be produced onsite through renewable resources on an annual basis.
• CAE 557 (3 Credits) Net Zero Energy Building Design II: An interdisciplinary project-based course in which students work in teams to design and provide full design documentation for a net zero energy building. Teams are expected to effectively and affordably integrate principles of building science, construction engineering and management, economic analysis, and architectural design in an integrated design process.
• ARCH 546 (6 Credits) Architecture Studio VI: Advanced: The aim of the design studio is to develop formal solutions which address the complexities of modern metropolis and advance disciplinary knowledge at large.

Elective Courses

Architecture

• ARCH 502 (3 Credits) Advanced Topics in History & Theory I: Intended to build on the knowledge and abilities gained in the foundational architectural history and theory courses.
• ARCH 483 (3 Credits) Material: Transparent: An exploration of historical and current technology through the work of artists, architects, craftsmen, and engineers in a brittle medium.
• ARCH 509 (3 Credits) Topics in Advanced Technology: This research seminar examines advances in the technologies that affect the practice of architecture.
• ARCH 513 (3 Credits) Environment & Building Systems I: Selection and design of building support systems: heating, ventilating, air conditioning, water supply, sanitary and storm drainage, power distribution, lighting, communications, and vertical transportation.
• ARCH 514 (3 Credits) Environment & Building Systems II: Selection and design of building support systems.
• ARCH 551 (3 Credits) Design of Energy-Efficient Buildings I: Design criteria for achieving human performance goals in energy-efficient buildings.
• ARCH 552 (3 Credits) Design of Energy-Efficient Buildings II: Design criteria for achieving human performance goals in energy-efficient buildings.
• ARCH 597 (Variable Credits) Special Problems: Independent study and project.

Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering

• CAE 466 (3 Credits) Building Electrical/Lighting Systems Design: Study of the analysis and design of electrical systems in buildings utilizing the National Electric Code.
• CAE 467 (3 Credits) Lighting Systems Design: An intensive study of the calculation techniques and qualitative aspects of good luminous design.
• CAE 474 (3 Credits) Introduction to Building Information Modeling: Fundamentals and practical use of information technologies in design.
• CAE 506 (3 Credits) Building Envelope Rehabilitation: Repair and rehabilitation of existing building exterior envelopes.
• CAE 515 (3 Credits) Building Information Modeling Applications for Building Performance: Building Information Modeling (BIM) is at the core of building performance optimization and sustainability.
• CAE 517 (3 Credits) HVAC Systems Design: Study of the fundamental principles and engineering procedures for the design of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems.
• CAE 524 (3 Credits) Building Enclosure Design: Design of building exteriors, including the control of heat flow, air and moisture penetration, building movements, and deterioration.
• CAE 526 (3 Credits) Energy Conservation in Buildings: Introduction to both theory and hands-on applications in building energy conservation and energy efficiency in buildings new and old.
• CAE 550 (3 Credits) Applied Building Energy Modeling: This course introduces students to building energy modeling software and techniques that are widely used in industry applications.
• CAE 553 (3 Credits) Measurement and Instrumentation in Architectural Engineering: Hands-on experience with energy and indoor environmental quality measurements in buildings.
• CAE 569 (3 Credits) Construction Methods, Cost Estimating, and Project Budgeting: The role of program management and project budgeting in establishing a construction project.
• CAE 597 (Variable Credits) Special Problems: Graduate course work in the problem subject matter.

Environmental Engineering

• ENVE 576 (3 Credits) Indoor Air Pollution: Indoor air pollution sources, indoor pollutant levels, monitoring instruments and designs, and indoor pollution control strategies.
• ENVE 597 (Variable Credits) Special Problems: Independent study and project.

Faculty

The M.HPB draws faculty from both the College of Architecture and the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering. The faculty is dedicated to exploring the interfaces and overlaps between the disciplinary areas of architecture and engineering.

• Edoarda Corradi: Associate Teaching Professor, IPRO Director
• Youngjin Hwang: Assistant Professor, Director M.HPB
• Eva Kultermann: Associate Professor, Co-Director B.Arch Program
• Brent Stevens: Professor, Civil and Architectural Engineering Department Chair

Program Sequence

The program begins with a coursework that focuses on the physical interactions between buildings, people, and climate, including an in-depth exploration of heat transfer, psychometrics, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, ventilation, infiltration, solar insolation, heating and cooling load calculations, building energy efficiency, and building codes.

Two semesters of interdisciplinary project-based design courses have students working in teams to design and provide full design documentation for a net zero energy building. Teams are challenged to effectively and affordably integrate principles of building science, construction engineering and management, economic analysis, and architectural design in an integrated design process.

The final required course is an advanced options studio offered by the College of Architecture that engages students in real-life challenges and design-based solutions. Studios are focused on the design of structural and material systems that recognize issues of ecology as well as the broader, integrated concerns of climate, energy and natural resource use, and sustainability.

The remaining coursework is made up of elective offerings, allowing students to customize their education and focus on topics related to their own interests. Elective topics range from systems design and modeling to building enclosure design and envelope retrofit strategies.

Advising

Advising provides students with academic guidance as they fulfill their degree program requirements. All M.HPB degree seeking graduate students will be assigned a primary academic advisor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, and a secondary advisor in the College of Architecture.

New graduate students will be required to meet with their primary advisor prior to registering for the following semester. The GP Graduate (Program) Advising Hold becomes active before the next semester of registration opens for the following:

• Co-Terminal students in the first semester of graduate co-terminal enrollment
• Traditional masters students at 9 earned or enrolled credits
• Doctoral students at 18 earned or enrolled credits

The GP Hold prevents registration before the following semester until lifted by the advisor. The mandatory advising session is required for the student to clear the advising registration hold.

Students will be notified by their primary advisor how to best schedule their required advising appointment. In general, students may begin scheduling their advising appointments two weeks prior to the first day of registration for the following semester.

At this advising appointment, students will receive a Registration PIN (also referred to as an alternate PIN) and the registration block, which is placed on a student’s record by the Graduate College, will be removed. This will be the only required advising appointment for Graduate students. After their first semester, Graduate student Registration PINs will be visible in the Illinois Tech Portal (under IIT Personal ID numbers).

All graduate students registering for research courses numbered 591, 594, 597, and 691 must receive approval from their faculty advisor, in the form of an electronic permit, before registration.