study programme

Sustainable Building Design

Original title in Czech: Environmentálně vyspělé budovyFaculty: FCEAbbreviation: NPC-EVBAcad. year: 2021/2022

Type of study programme: Master's

Study programme code: N0732A260018

Degree awarded: Ing.

Language of instruction: Czech

Accreditation: 28.5.2019 - 31.12.2029

Profile of the programme

Academically oriented

Mode of study

Full-time study

Standard study length

1.5 years

Programme supervisor

Degree Programme Board

Fields of education

Area Topic Share [%]
Civil Engineering Without thematic area 100

Study aims

In line with trends in the construction industry not only in the Czech Republic but also in the world, closely related to the minimization of consumption and efficient use of energy, there is a need to create a prospective master's program responding to current challenges in the construction and operation of nearly zero energy buildings.
The intention is therefore to prepare practitioners for practice in the design, construction and operation of near zero energy buildings with regard to their impact on all environmental compartments, in particular the indoor environment in buildings.
The aim is to provide students with knowledge about the design and operation of advanced energy-efficient buildings with a quality indoor environment and to acquaint them with:
- the necessary theoretical background in mathematics and physics,
- principles and use of methods of multi-criteria evaluation of constructions in the phase and operation,
- progressive and advanced methods of designing environmentally sound buildings,
- design and construction of buildings with a focus on energy savings,
- addressing the issue of preventing the transmission of noise and vibration, particularly from technological equipment in a building,
- approaches to the measurement and control of technical systems in buildings,
- assessing the life cycle cost of the building,
- principles of facility management and its application in the operation of buildings,
- design and operation of so-called intelligent buildings,
- BIM and application of the model in other phases of the project, such as advanced presentations, analyzes, simulations, construction and facility management,
- principles of Smart Cities and Smart Regions,
- diagnosis of defects and failures of building structures,
- measuring methods suitable for the assessment of the indoor environment in buildings and for the control of technical building systems,
- building energy audits,
- up-to-date approaches to the cladding of nearly zero energy buildings,
- fire safety issues in the operation of buildings,
- computer modeling of the state of the internal environment of buildings, their energy performance and the behavior of building technical systems,
- principles and principles of project management according to IPMA - International Project Management Association,
- evaluation of economic efficiency and financial feasibility of construction investment projects.

Graduate profile

A graduate of this study program will deepen the knowledge of sustainable construction and buildings with almost zero energy consumption. During his studies he will acquire theoretical and professional knowledge in the field of multi-criteria evaluation of buildings, energy audits of buildings, life cycle evaluation of buildings, orientation in building operation with emphasis on intelligent building management systems and intelligent buildings as a whole. During the study, the emphasis will be on knowledge of legal issues in the field of construction, building management, energy and water management, recycling and waste disposal.
Based on the acquired knowledge, the graduate of the follow-up Master's study program Sustainable Building Design will be able to work in construction practice in areas where he / she will apply the following professional skills:
- understand the principles of multi-criteria evaluation of buildings,
- will be familiar with the issue of acoustics in buildings and the possibilities of reducing the transmission of noise and vibrations, including the design of adjustments to reduce these adverse effects,
- will be able to design nearly zero-energy buildings with a high-quality indoor environment in terms of heat-moisture, acoustic, light, abrasion, toxic, aerosol and microbial,
- will be able to carry out energy audits of buildings,
- will be able to diagnose defects in the thermal properties of buildings, operating states of basic systems of technical equipment of buildings,
- gain an understanding of building management and operation systems with a focus on intelligent buildings,
- understand facility management issues, including optimizing the economic operation of buildings and the environmental impact of their operation,
- can determine the cost of the object's life cycle (so-called LCC).
After the prescribed length of practice, the graduate will be able to authorize according to Act No. 360/1992 Coll. as an authorized engineer.

Profession characteristics

Based on the acquired knowledge and skills, the graduate of the follow-up Master's study program Sustainable Building Design will be able to work in construction practice in areas where he / she will apply the following professional skills:
- understand the principles of multi-criteria building evaluation and be able to work with the most commonly used methodologies for multi-criteria building evaluation,
- will control BIM work,
- will be familiar with the issue of acoustics in buildings and the possibilities of reducing noise and vibrations, including the design of adjustments to reduce these adverse effects,
- will be able to design buildings with a high-quality indoor environment in terms of heat-humidity, acoustic, light, abrasion, toxic, aerosol and microbial microclimate,
- be prepared to work as an energy auditor or energy specialist,
- be able to diagnose defects in the thermal properties of buildings and in the operational conditions of the technical equipment of buildings and the indoor environment,
- be familiar with building management and operation systems with a focus on intelligent buildings and be able to use this knowledge in practice,
- understand facility management issues, including optimizing the economic operation of buildings and the environmental impact of their operations, and thereby applying them to organizations specializing in this activity,
- is able to determine the cost of the building's life cycle (LCC), optimize it and optimize the economic operation of the building as a whole;
- will be able to consider settlements on a larger scale so that they can also be employed in civil service in the construction or environmental departments,
- master current English professional terminology in the areas of sustainable and smart construction, facility management and BIM, which is a prerequisite for successful graduate work in practice, whether working for foreign builders or foreign design or construction companies,
- will be able to authorize after the prescribed period of practice according to Act No. 360/1992 Coll. as an authorized engineer.
Characteristic professions:
- authorized engineer.
- energy auditor.

Fulfilment criteria

He / she has fulfilled all study obligations prescribed by the study plan of the study program, obtained the prescribed number of credits (90 credits) and submitted his / her diploma thesis within the set deadline. Successfully passed the state final examination, which consists of the following parts:
- defense of bachelor thesis,
- an oral state examination which comprises three thematic areas.
- Oral state examinations, which combine two compulsory topics (Building Construction and Building Services) are compulsory and one optional (to be selected from: Building Management and Design and Operation of Sustainable Buildings).
The compulsory area of ​​Building construction is based on the subjects Multicriterial Assessment of Building Constructions, Modern Building Cladding, Energy Savings in Reconstruction, Noise and Vibration in Buildings.
Compulsory area Technical equipment of buildings is based on the subjects of Experimental Methods and Measurements and Systems of Measurement and Regulation in Building Services.
Optional area Building Management based on Facility Management 1, Facility Management 2 and Investment Economics.
Optional circuit Design and operation of sustainable buildings based on the subjects Energy Audit of Buildings and Multicriterial Assessment of Building Constructions.

Study plan creation

Structure of the follow-up Master's degree program Sustainable Building Design is based on the tradition of long-term study programs at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Brno University of Technology (hereinafter referred to as the “Faculty of Civil Engineering”). in the European Union (EU).
The content of the study program is designed to meet the requirements of:
- Act No. 111/1998 Coll., on Higher Education and on the Amendment to Other Acts, as amended (hereinafter referred to as the “Higher Education Act”),
- Government Regulation No. 274/2016 Coll., on Standards for Accreditation in Higher Education,
- Government Regulation No. 275/2016 Coll., on Education in Higher Education
all in accordance with the methodological materials of the Board of the National Accreditation Office for Higher Education and the documents of the Brno University of Technology (hereinafter “BUT”) and the Faculty of Civil Engineering of BUT.
The follow-up Master's study program Sustainable Building Design is taught in Czech in full-time form of study.
The rules and conditions for creating curricula are governed by:
- the Higher Education Act,
- Government Regulation No. 274/2016 Coll., on Standards for Accreditation in Higher Education,
- Best practices for the preparation of study programs (material NAU 8/2017),
- Methodological materials for the preparation and evaluation of applications for study program accreditation (NAU material)
- by the BUT degree programs,
- The rules of the quality assurance system for educational, creative and related activities and internal evaluation of the quality of educational, creative and related activities of BUT,
- BUT Study and Examination Regulations (hereinafter referred to as “SER”),
- BUT Standards of Study Programs,
- other documents as well as the current Dean's Directive Rules for the Organization of Studies in Bachelor's and Master's Degree Programs at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology. Orders for compulsory optional subjects are governed by a valid Dean's Instruction for enrolling students for study programs and orders for compulsory optional subjects.
Rules for organization of studies in Bachelor's and follow-up Master's degree programs at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Brno University of Technology specify in detail the study in degree programs, specify the academic year and its time division and study period, study plans, credit system, way of teaching and its securing, course documentation, study counseling, way of study completion, verification of study results, credit and graded credit, colloquium and exam, grading scale, weighted average, continuous study and conditions for continuation of study, enrollment and enrollment in the next year of study, interruption of study, recognition of examinations or fulfillment of other study obligations, abandonment of study, termination of study for failure to meet the requirements arising from the study program, final examination, examination board for final state examination, diploma thesis and its defense, final state examination, overall study evaluation, rules of study organization, study documentation, publication of final works, procedure for detecting plagiarism, obstacles to study, termination of study, praise and awards, medical fitness and communication through the BUT information system, student card, etc.
The courses are evaluated by ECTS credits. The credit expresses 1/60 of the average annual workload of the student during the standard period of study. The student obtains credits for the given subject only after its prescribed completion, ie after granting a credit, graded credit, or by passing an examination under the conditions given by the SER, internal standard Rules for the organization of studies in bachelor and follow-up master's degree programs. and the composition and content individually set out in each subject.
In the follow-up Master's study program Sustainable Building Design, the student must obtain at least 90 credits in the set credit structure:
- 81 credits in compulsory subjects,
- at least 3 credits in the specified group of compulsory elective courses (compulsory elective courses of type A, which are among the subjects of the profiling foundation),
- at least 4 credits in the specified group of compulsory elective courses (compulsory elective courses of type B, which do not belong to the profiling foundation),
- at least 2 credits in elective courses (eg Physical Education, Foreign Languages, etc.).
Compulsory courses are usually completed in the semesters and years as stated in the study plans. If the student does not successfully complete the required course, he / she must enroll it again in the following year of his / her studies.
Compulsory elective courses are chosen by the student for the given academic year from the current offer of the study plan, while respecting the rules for their selection specified in the Information System of the BUT. Choice of compulsory elective courses in each semester is chosen by the student so that at the end of his / her follow-up master's program he achieves at least the prescribed minimum of credits in each group of compulsory elective courses. group of PV subjects. In the case of unsuccessful compulsory elective courses, the student can decide whether to repeat them or to enroll in another group of compulsory elective courses instead of a failed subject.
Elective courses extend students' general knowledge. Subjects are chosen by the student from the faculty offer or from other faculties and parts of BUT (so-called free subjects) and can be completed in any year or semester of the bachelor study. If the student does not successfully complete the enrolled elective course, he / she may or may not enroll in the following academic year.
The study program also enables student mobility and part of study at other selected universities with a similar focus.
The minimum number of credits required to continue studying is a minimum of 30 credits to advance to the next year.

Availability for the disabled

At the Faculty of Civil Engineering, BUT, barrier-free access to all teaching rooms is currently provided. However, students must be physically fit to be qualified as a civil engineer. In practically oriented laboratory teaching, they must be able to operate measuring instruments and similar laboratory equipment independently without endangering themselves or their surroundings.
BUT provides support to students with specific needs, for details see Guideline 11/2017 (www.vutbr.cz/uredni-deska/international-documents-and-documents/-d141841/uplne-zneni-smernice-c-11- 2017-p147550).
In order to promote equal access to higher education, BUT incorporates the Alfons Advisory Center, part of the BUT Institute of Lifelong Learning, to provide guidance and support services to applicants and students with specific educational needs. Specific educational needs include learning disabilities, physical and sensory disabilities, chronic somatic illness, autistic spectrum disorders, impaired communication skills and mental illness (alfons.vutbr.cz/o-nas).
Students are provided with information concerning the accessibility of study programs with respect to the specific needs of the applicant, information about the architectural accessibility of individual faculties and university parts, about accommodation at the BUT dormitory, about the possibilities of adapting the admission procedure and adapting the study itself. Other services of the Center for Students with Special Educational Needs also include interpreting and rewriting services, or assistance services - guiding, spatial orientation, in order to enable these students to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in the same way as other students. This is done through the so-called adaptation of study, ie by appropriate adjustment of the study regime, which cannot be understood as a simplification of the content of study or relief of study obligations.

What degree programme types may have preceded

The follow-up Master's degree program of Sustainable Building Design is a continuation of the Bachelor's degree program of Sustainable Building Design and similarly focused Bachelor's degree programs.
A graduate of the follow-up Master's degree program of Sustainable Building Design may continue to study a doctoral degree program of similar orientation.

Course structure diagram with ECTS credits

1. year of study, winter semester
AbbreviationTitleL.Cr.Com.Compl.Hr. rangeGr.Op.
NTA036Energy Audit of Buildingcs4CompulsoryCr,ExP - 13 / C1 - 26yes
NTA037Experimental methods and measurementscs4CompulsoryCrP - 26 / C1 - 26yes
NHA059Noise and vibrations in buildingscs5CompulsoryCr,ExP - 26 / C1 - 26yes
NIA021Construction work quality control and building diagnosticscs4CompulsoryCr,ExP - 13 / C1 - 26yes
NHA060Multi criteria assessment of buildingscs5CompulsoryCr,ExP - 26 / C1 - 26yes
NTA038Management and Control of HVACcs5CompulsoryCr,ExP - 26 / C1 - 13yes
NBB011Applied Physics (EVB)cs3Compulsory-optionalCr,ExP - 26 / C1 - 135634yes
NAB028Numerical and applied mathematicscs3Compulsory-optionalCr,ExP - 26 / C1 - 135634yes
1. year of study, summer semester
AbbreviationTitleL.Cr.Com.Compl.Hr. rangeGr.Op.
NUA022Facility management 1cs5CompulsoryCr,ExP - 26 / C1 - 26yes
NHA061Smart buildingscs4CompulsoryCr,ExP - 26 / C1 - 26yes
NHA062Modern building envelopecs3CompulsoryCr,ExP - 13 / C1 - 26yes
NTA039Computer modeling 1cs2CompulsoryCrC1 - 26yes
NHA063Fire safety during builiding operationcs5CompulsoryCr,ExP - 26 / C1 - 26yes
NUA023BIM Designcs2CompulsoryCrC1 - 26yes
NHA064Specialized seminarcs3CompulsoryGCrC1 - 26yes
NZB016Presentation Skills (EVB)cs4Compulsory-optionalCr,ExP - 26 / C1 - 265636yes
NUB018Project management IPMAcs4Compulsory-optionalCr,ExP - 26 / C1 - 265636yes
2. year of study, winter semester
AbbreviationTitleL.Cr.Com.Compl.Hr. rangeGr.Op.
NTA040Diploma seminarcs5CompulsoryGCrC1 - 39yes
NVA066Economy of Investmentscs4CompulsoryCr,ExP - 26 / C1 - 13yes
NHA065Energy Savings in Building Renovationscs4CompulsoryCr,ExP - 26 / C1 - 26yes
NUA025Facility management 2cs4CompulsoryCrP - 26 / C1 - 13yes
NHA066Professional Practical Trainingcs2CompulsoryCrVT - 240yes
NTA041Computer modeling 2cs4CompulsoryCr,ExP - 13 / C1 - 26yes
NZA017Lawcs2CompulsoryCrP - 26yes
NUA026Smart Cities and Regionscs3CompulsoryCr,ExP - 26 / C1 - 13yes
NHA067Specialized projectcs2CompulsoryCrC1 - 26yes
All the groups of optional courses
Gr. Number of courses Courses
5636 1 NZB016, NUB018
5634 1 NBB011, NAB028