Sustainable Building Advisor Program
You are: a working building professional - architect, engineer, project manager, city manager, resource conservation specialist, etc - wanting a wide range of skills and knowledge on green building practices
The Sustainable Building Advisor Program is designed for working professionals who want intensive and wide ranging instruction on green building practices. Students attend one two-day (Friday/Saturday) session per month for nine months. Graduating students will be able to use the designation SBA, Sustainable Building Advisor. Those who elect to take a national exam and pass will be able to use CSBA, Certified Sustainable Building Advisor.
2010-2011 SBA Courses:
- Vancouver - Sept 2010
- Victoria - Feb 2010
- Nelson BC - Sept 2010
- Calgary - Oct 2010
- Toronto - Oct 2010
- Regina - Sept 2010
Registration Fees: $2,750.00
Register at http://brighter-green.com/registration/ or contact SBA@Brighter-Green.com for more information.
More about the SBA Program
Over 300 students from the following professions have graduated from the SBA program.
- Architects
- Engineers
- Project Managers
- City Managers
- Resource Conservation Specialists
- Other Building Industry Professionals
Click here to view interviews with graduates of the SBA Program.
Students who complete the Sustainable Building Advisor Program will be able to:
- Identify and discuss the key practices of sustainable building.
- Establish competencies in applying LEEDTM, BuiltGreenTM and other relevant criteria or established guidelines.
- Analyze the costs and benefits of incorporating sustainable building measures.
- Take advantage of financial incentives and technical assistance offered by government, utilities and non-profit organizations.
- Work with architects, designers, builders, building operators, and utilities to improve a building's performance.
- Establish a sustainable design goal for project development.
- Assist in the education and training of staff in sustainable building.
SBA Course Format and Curriculum
The Sustainable Building Advisor Program is designed for the busy professional. The course format and curriculum offer a variety of information, from expert instructors in an efficient learning environment.
Expert Instructors
Local experts in their fields teach the latest in sustainable design, construction and operation techniques with an emphasis on both practical applications and underlying theories
Class Format
Interactive class discussion and rigorous inquiry is be integrated throughout the course. Participation will be encouraged and expected to enhance a cooperative, fun learning experience.
Site visits to exemplary local projects will provide opportunities to test conceptual understanding with practical examples.
Curriculum and Graduation Requirements
Each of the 9 units offer focused readings, internet resources, presentations and classroom discussions. Course content addresses various types of construction and development. Graduation requirements include monthly 3-5 page papers and a final group project. Students can miss a maximum of 2 classes in order to graduate.
Unit 1: Fundamentals of Sustainable Building and Design
- The "case" or rationale for green building
- A view of the current state of green building in the region and nationally
- The principles of sustainable design
- An introduction to the practicum project
Unit 2: The Importance of Place: Site, Transportation and Land Use Issues
- An introduction to sustainable site design
- An understanding of the site planning process
- Sustainable site analysis and conduct a site assessment
- Importance of transportation planning, siting, relationship to sustainability
- Strategies to achieve sustainable transportation patterns and site development
Unit 3: Energy Efficient Design
- How the design of building energy systems impacts the human experience and the global environment
- The value of contextual, holistic approach to building energy system design
- How a building dynamically interacts with its occupants and the local climate, including renewable energy flows
- Fundamental building energy systems, including HVAC and lighting
Unit 4: "Green" Materials Selection
- Factors in material selection and the issue of trade-offs
- Resources to assist in determining materials appropriateness
- Analytical process to evaluate materials for a project
- Material considerations when using the LEEDTM rating program
- Material considerations when designing a green home
Unit 5: Indoor Environmental Quality & Health
- Benefits of improving indoor environmental quality
- Common indoor air pollutants
- Barriers and solutions to achieving good indoor air
- Implementation issues to help achieve good quality indoor air
- Ventilation system design strategies
- Linkages between health, well-being and productivity
- Physical, psychological and financial benefits of daylight and view
Unit 6: Water and Site Design
- Benefits of adopting a natural systems-based approach
- Sustainable site development patterns
- Impact reduction through landscape layout, plant selection and placement
- Outdoor water conservation strategies and practices
- On-site management methods for storm water and wastewater
- Indoor water conservation
Unit 7: Sustainable Job Site Operations
- Construction waste management, site protection and IAQ protection
- Incorporating green building materials
- Planning and practices for sustainable construction
Unit 8: Building Operations and Maintenance
- Facility management (FM) functions, duties of FM department, FM professionals, and FM position in sustainability
- Building Commission (Cx), what it is, how it is accomplished, and its critical importance to the performance of a building
- Effective operations and maintenance
- Effective training programs within a building
Unit 9: Presentation of Team Projects and graduation.
To receive local certification, students will be required to demonstrate understanding and competencies of the course material through participation in small group project presentations and written papers. Presentation and written papers will be scored on a pass-fail basis.
