Writing About the Built Environment
- General Purpose
The Built Environment major offers a variety of careers in the residential commercial, industrial, and design fields within the building industry, with a focus on energy efficiency, sustainable design, and the construction process. Majors focus on applied learning techniques and use the most current software, including Building Information Modeling (BIM). Hands-on learning prepares students for jobs in energy management, construction management, renewable energy, energy analytics, weatherization and retrofits, and building systems design.Careers include Construction Manager, Consultant, Contractor, Commercial Builder, Industrial Engineer or Project Manager. Students design, build and perform projects for clients and may conduct research in topics such as construction assembly, energy efficient systems, indoor environment quality (IEQ), design building and prefabrication, design virtualization and energy modeling, and sustainable design and construction. As a capstone experience, students participate in a professional internship.In addition, Architectural Technology and Design develops skills in the planning and design of sustainable structures that positively affect the environment. Architects think synthetically and analytically and explore architecture’s overlap with arts and sciences, its history and theory, as well as anthropometrics, materials science, structures, construction methods and more.Audiences include fellow designers, engineers, architects, general contractors, and clients.
- Types of Writing
- Proposals
- Designs of energy efficient structures
- Construction blueprints
- Project estimates and budgeting
- Developing construction schedules
- Analysis
- Evaluations
- Web sites development
- Research papers
- Types of Evidence
- Primary sources
- Secondary sources
- Information from research
- Facts, statistics
- Quantitative evidence
- Qualitative evidence
- Empirical evidence
- Writing Conventions
- Technical writing skills are important to communicating with contractors.
- Building science professionals should also have a working knowledge of building codes, specifications, municipal regulations, architectural terms, engineering principles, environmental regulations, and products.
- Important Terms/ Professional Organizations
- American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS)
- Student Builders Association (SBA)
- Professional Construction Estimators Association (PCEA)
- Habitat for Humanity
- Renewable Energy Initiative
- Appalachian State Sustainability Council
- Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
- Building Information Modeling (BIM)
- NCS (National CAD Standard)
- UDS (Uniform Drawing System)
- Sustainability
- Carbon neutral
- Local to Global
- Ecological footprint
- Renewable energy
- Ecosystem
- Anthropometrics
- Citation Style
Always check with the instructor before determining a citation style, but APA (American Psychological Association) is often used.
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Sources Consulted
Building Sciences: Sustainable Building Systems. (2017). Appalachian State University. Retrieved from