November 5, 2007

Green Education

Algonquin College introduces Green Architecture program

TERRY TINKESS

CORRESPONDENT

OTTAWA

As interest in green building technology grows, so to does the demand for qualified personnel to design healthy facilities and correct the shortcomings of existing ones.

In order to meet a growing demand, educators at Ottawa’s Algonquin College decided the time was right for the creation of a

Green Architecture program.

Jan Boogerd, academic chair of architecture, civil, GIS, technical writer, water and wastewater, biotechnology, English and general education programs at Algonquin says developing the program wasn’t something that happened overnight.

“We have the same concerns about ecosystems that all people in our community have,” says Boogerd, “and for the past two to three years we’ve been looking at ways that we could help the community husband its resources. About a year and a half ago we sat down and began to sketch-out a green architecture program because obviously we’re looking at reusable building materials and minimizing the use of non-renewable resources in buildings.”

Boogerd says often what is required is expertise in the field to be integrated into the existing housing stock and into new construction. Since part of Algonquin’s mandate is to train people for possibilities in the job market, an industry hungry for people with that skill set made it a good match.

Green Architecture is a graduate program that covers three consecutive terms over 50 weeks. In most cases, students who are accepted into the program are already architectural technologists. “In short, they are people who understand the structural issues in the building,” says Boogerd, “They understand the environmental issues in the building, and by that we mean, heat, light, cooling and so on.”

Qualified students essentially produce the working drawings which provide contractors with the plans to erect buildings.

ALGONQUIN COLLEGE

Program Chair Jan Boogerd examines a scale model with two Architectural Technology students.

The program builds on the knowledge architectural technologists have and it specifically concerns how to address the environmental systems in the buildings with a view to using less in the way of renewable energy. It looks at generating power for those buildings from solar and other sources and likewise for heating water.

“They learn how they can help to integrate systems into new buildings or older buildings that would serve to minimize the use of non-renewable resources. They deal primarily with the technical issues around making that happen.”

The Green Architecture program at Algonquin is currently one of a kind.

Boogerd says that so far, interest in the program has been good.

“Interest has been primarily from former graduates, simply because they are closer to the program and they would have been aware of the possibility of this course when it was still in the development stage.

“We’re also seeing a degree of interest from people currently enrolled in other technology programs wanting to transfer to our program because they feel they’ll be better placed to get into the green technology program. We don’t discriminate between applicants, but there is the perception that it is easier to stay at home.”

There was some concern there might not be enough interest initially because the program was listed quite late on the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS). Any concerns were quickly set aside: they already have enough successful applicants to run the program and they expect to have between 20 and 30 students enrolled when they get started.

According to Boogerd, there is a change in philosophy in the building industry which makes the creation of this program very timely. “One thing that formerly wasn’t being done was for design and implementation to be looked at in the same way. People tended to look at the finished product and then do a little check-mark list of what made it good, what made it bad. Understanding before you begin, I think, makes for a better start.

“As much as we are trying to educate prospective applicants that the program exists, we’re also, at the same time, trying to educate the industry about the qualifications and abilities of our graduates and how they might use them effectively in their operations.”

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