Designing buildings and systems to withstand climate change and extreme events.
About this course
As climate patterns shift, the buildings we design must do more than save energy; they must survive. BLDG 4980 looks at how to plan and design infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather, from intense heatwaves to heavy flooding. You will learn to look at a building's weak points and figure out how to strengthen them without losing the sustainability goals you built into the original design.
We use real climate data and past event reports to test your designs. You will work on retrofit plans for existing structures, focusing on keeping the building safe and operational when the weather gets tough. This course builds on what you learned in building diagnostics and performance monitoring, putting it all together in a final design project.
Who takes this course
This course is part of the curriculum for:
Credits: 3 · Hours: 45
Prerequisites
- BLDG 3750 Building Diagnostics
- BLDG 4300 Net Zero Building Design
- BLDG 4650 Building Performance Monitoring
Learning outcomes
- Assess existing building infrastructure for vulnerability to flood, heat, and wind events
- Apply climate projection data to long-term facility planning and design
- Evaluate passive and active resilience strategies for structural integrity
- Develop retrofit plans that balance sustainability with operational continuity
Evaluation
| Component | Weight (%) |
| Climate vulnerability case study | 30 |
| Resilient retrofit design project | 40 |
| Final examination | 30 |