course-details-portlet

AAR4546

Material Emissions as Design Drivers - Design

Choose study year

Assessments and mandatory activities may be changed until September 20th.

Credits 15
Level Second degree level
Course start Spring 2026
Duration 1 semester
Language of instruction English
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement Portfolio

About

About the course

Course content

This course focuses on project work in interdisciplinary groups. The students apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the theory course AAR4817 to a design project.

In an emissions driven design process students work with existing buildings, gather a set of requirements, propose a program and develop design proposals. Various alternatives and scenarios are considered, such as a combination of demolition and new building(s), reuse of materials from on-site or elsewhere, and/or adaptive reuse and supplementary buildings with the goal of achieving circularity.

LCA calculations accompany the design process, and the results support decision making.

The overall outcome are design projects of high architectural quality in their relation to the existing built environment while minimizing or, ideally, eliminating embedded emissions and achieving a positive impact to communities.

This course is coordinated with the Circular Studio AAR4690.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

  • Recognize materials not only for their aesthetic qualities and physical properties but also in relation to their potential for environmental performance and impact on the environment
  • Identify and test building design strategies and material choices optimizing concept, form and construction towards reduced material emissions.

Skills:

  • Develop circularity concepts for buildings
  • Understand and use LCA of buildings to inform the design process, base architectural design on material emissions.
  • Use relevant methods and tools for the design and documentation of minimizing embedded emissions of buildings.

General competence:

  • Participate in and lead interdisciplinary design teams with focus on low embedded emissions and circularity of high-quality buildings

Learning methods and activities

Design studio guidance; computer labs; project presentations and discussions with teachers, external professionals and classmates. Site visits.

Studio based learning: Students are expected to be physically present and available to the group for the majority of the ‘working day hours’ when prescribed.

Conduct a project report with architectural design representations, including physical and digital models, documentation of and reflections on the LCA guidance of the design process.

This course is offered to international master's students. Language of instruction is English.

Further on evaluation

The end product of the architectural design project will be delivered in the form of a report, posters and models.

The delivered report is authored by the entire student group. The report will have two parts: The design project will be presented with an integrated analysis report describing the LCA and other calculations in more detail.

The final presentation after submission of the report is mandatory.

The assessment in the course is carried out as a portfolio assessment with an adjusting oral presentation. The final mark for the portfolio is based on the design project (60%) which must include the whole design process, and the integrated analysis with reflections on the LCA-guided design process (40%). These two elements together should demonstrate how the scientific knowledge and skills acquired can be used to underpin design decision making and how emissions are minimized by material choice and other design strategies.

Students should show evidence of a systematic effort to adapt their design to minimize material-related emissions (both qualitative and quantitative).

In the adjusting oral exam, students must conduct an oral presentation of the project work for the examiner. All group members must present a part of the project or analysis.

Both parts and the presentation must be passed to pass the course. If not passed, all parts must be retaken.

Regarding appeals: In the event of a grade appeal, the entire portfolio must be sent to new examiners. If the grade after an appeal is different from the original grade, a new oral examination must be held, cf. uhl § 3-9 (5). After the oral examination has been completed, the final grade is determined.

Postponed examinations are usually scheduled for the next regular exam period.

Specific conditions

Admission to a programme of study is required:
Architecture (MAAR)
Architecture (MAAR2)
Sustainable Architecture (MSSUSARC)

Required previous knowledge

Students taking this design course AAR4546, also need to take the theory course AAR4817.

To take this course, you must be enrolled in one of the following programs:

  • Architecture (MAAR)
  • Architecture (MAAR2)
  • Sustainable Architecture (MSSUSARC)

Exchange students have to fulfil the same requirements as for the enrollment in one of the study programs MAAR, MAAR2, MSSUSARC.

Course materials

Project brief; illustrative examples;

Other pages about the course

Subject areas

  • Architecture

Contact information

Course coordinator

Lecturers

Department with academic responsibility

Department of Architecture and Technology