MEng (Hons) Architectural Environment Engineering Integrated Master's degree at the University of Nottingham

Aims to help you develop a basic awareness of the building design process and the design skills and techniques used by engineers. Covers construction sector overview, hand sketching and computer drafting tools, communication and IT skills, simple assessments of building performance, field trip, and presentation training.

Provides basic understanding of design software and techniques for building services systems design and practical fabrication skills. Covers heating, lighting, piping design, water supply, drainage and basic control systems through lectures, design project tutorials, and engineering fabrication practicals in metalwork, plumbing, electrics and wall building.

Introduces the environmental agenda as it applies to the architectural profession, exploring key bioclimatic strategies to maintain appropriate conditions for building occupants. Uses physical modelling and computer simulation techniques.

Introduces engineering concepts that inform environmental performance of buildings. Covers fundamentals of fluid mechanics (fluid properties, hydrostatics, fluid dynamics) and analysis of flow through piped water systems and design of hot and cold water services.

Introduces technical knowledge and techniques for surveying buildings and structures and identifying common defects using qualitative and quantitative methods. Covers moisture ingress, surface and interstitial condensation, freeze/thaw resistance, rot, infestation, sulphate attack, carbonation and corrosion.

Introduces principles, concepts and analysis of thermodynamics relevant to building environmental engineering applications. Covers dimensions and units, thermodynamic properties, forms of energy, work and heat, ideal gas law, steady flow energy balance equation, 1st and 2nd law of thermodynamics, heat engines, refrigerators and heat pumps, steam tables and Rankine cycle.

Provides understanding of the role that electricity plays in controlling the environment within buildings and the wider built environment.

Explores how mathematics underpins engineering design through real engineering problems in structural analysis, heat transfer systems and fluid mechanics. Covers complex numbers, single variable calculus and methods for solving systems of equations.

Builds on Mathematical Methods for the Built Environment 1, drawing on real engineering problems in control systems, heat transfer and fluid mechanics. Covers vector calculus, multi-variable calculus and further matrix methods.

Extends mathematical skills to tackle advanced engineering problems. Covers systems of ODEs, separation of variables and application of Fourier series, drawing on real engineering examples in control systems, heat transfer and fluid mechanics.

Introduces fundamentals of acoustic and lighting phenomena as they relate to design within the built environment. Covers psychological and technical considerations that underpin design requirements and exploration of acoustic and lighting strategies.

Develops and advances principles of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics from Thermofluids 1 with applications to architectural environmental engineering. Topics include vapour compression and absorption refrigerator cycles, psychrometry, air conditioning, heat conduction equations, convection heat transfer and radiation heat transfer.

Introduces large scale building services including natural ventilation, air conditioning and other environmental control systems. Discusses reasons for using or avoiding A/C and consequent design issues. Covers heat gains and losses assessments, thermal comfort, system types, plant selection, location, sizing and design alternatives.

Introduces computer simulation tools to understand energy behaviour of buildings and examine non-steady state performance. Explores transient building response and uses simulation to explore energy flows through buildings in relation to climate, design, materiality and occupant behaviour.

Addresses project development issues and project management issues. Covers procurement of land and buildings, project management, development finance, economic factors, strategies and controls, facilities and property management, risk management and human resources management.

Develops awareness of fluid mechanics and its application within building environment engineering. Teaches fundamental principles of fluid mechanics and their application to practical problems in building environment design.

Helps develop and extend skills in designing building services of increasing complexity. Covers large scale HVAC systems, utility services, lighting and fire protection services, natural ventilation and sustainable systems. Expands design principles into coordinated design and system integration.

Introduces smart energy systems which exploit synergies across multiple sub-systems to optimise energy use and reduce carbon intensity. Highlights importance of data science, introduces renewable energy technologies with hands-on lab sessions, and involves building a model of a smart energy system.

Opportunity to work as part of a consultancy team to produce a group report. Involves analysing a current building for net zero energy demand potential, researching relevant standards, applying manual calculations and computer simulation. Includes developing a building services solution with HVAC design, system investigation, engineering calculations, plant sizing and controls consideration.