Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

• To practice the efficient use of natural and man-made resources in both commercial and residential building construction.
• To understand how the design and construction of a building impacts the regional environment and the health and safety of the constructors and its end users.
• To use construction materials and methods that support and contribute to the strengthening of their local economy.

• Students will individually interview a professional who is currently involved in Sustainable Design or Construction using questions developed by the learner.
• Students will perform an environmental assessment of their own home or office space and present it to the class.
• Student teams will perform mini-ecocharettes on instructor provided construction projects and present their findings and improvement suggestions to the class.
• Students will complete homework assignments, quizzes and tests (mid-term & final) that will assess their understanding of the concepts discussed.

Themes, Issues & Concepts:

• Internet
• Email
• Sustainable Design
• Sustainable Materials
• Sustainable Methods
• Waste Management
• Scheduling
• Estimating
• Procurement
• Quality
• Durability
• Flexibility
• Adaptability
• Quality Control
• Environmental Stewardship

Process Skills:

• Research
• Interviewing
• Persuasion
• Teamwork
• Evaluation
• Critique
• Improvement
• Awareness
• Questioning
• Presentation
• Organization
• Thinking “outside of the box”