Building Science

Overview

Building Scientists specialize in the technical aspects of architecture, including energy performance, structural integrity and resilience, resource use optimization, and the comfort and health of those who occupy buildings. Building Scientists are qualified to work for organizations that deliver architectural, engineering, construction and building science services. If you want to become one, join the Building Science program from Northern Arizona University.

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Identify and research fundamental components and related problems of building science.
• Apply knowledge of the historical context of building science to solving contemporary building design problems.
• Research solutions that can be used to minimize energy and resource usage, conserve water, and minimize construction waste for a variety of energy-efficient building types.
• Research solutions that can be used to improve the full-spectrum of human comfort parameters for building occupants for a variety of energy-efficient building types.
• Develop protocols, tools and organizational methods necessary to solve building science problems.
• Develop solutions that can be used to minimize energy and resource usage, conserve water, and minimize construction waste for a variety of energy-efficient building types.
• Develop solutions that can be used to improve the full-spectrum of human comfort parameters for building occupants for a variety of energy-efficient building types
• Analyze and solve advanced building science problems
• Apply knowledge of modeling building energy performance, water resource use, and associated carbon emissions using appropriate modeling tools, to a variety of building types.
• Develop and utilize digital tools to quantify and analyze the performance parameters of a variety of complex building systems.
• Apply knowledge of environmental economics to the evaluation and selection of building performance alternatives.
• Document and explain advanced building science solutions to a variety of audiences.
• Accurately explain the design strategies used to improve building performance to a variety of audiences.
• Communicate predicted performance results of the design strategies used to improve building performance, to a variety of audiences.