It’s imperative. Reducing building energy consumption through adaptation and design has become a basic criterion of architectural practice. Available tools are making real-time energy modeling and analysis a seamless part of the design process. The aim of this program is to go even further—to deepen architects’ knowledge about basic principles and best practices and to hone their skills at the frontiers of research where truly innovative energy conservation strategies are being forged.

The Master of Science (M.S.) with a major in Architecture and a concentration in High Performance Buildings is focused around the use of building physics and building technology for sustainable architectural design. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of the energy performance and environmental impacts of buildings, as well as on the integration of these metrics in the development of innovative architecture. The program is founded on a first-principles approach to building physics, envelope design, modeling and analysis, life-cycle assessment, applied simulation, AEC Integration, and critical ecological thinking.

The program is structured so that students with a professional degree in architecture, architectural engineering, or mechanical engineering can complete the M.S. degree in one year.

The program has been developed to address the need for architecture firms and integrated practices to have “in-house” experts on building technology to judge the impact of architectural design decisions on building performance at the early stages of design. These green building practitioners will be able to oversee the engineering and detailing of the building at later stages of the design process to ensure that performance targets are documented and fulfilled. Graduates of the program will be able to co-engineer and integrate novel building technologies into buildings.