A STEP TOWARDS NURTURING EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS Conference

Elzomor, M, Rahat, R, Pradhananga, P et al. (2022). A STEP TOWARDS NURTURING EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS .

cited authors

  • Elzomor, M; Rahat, R; Pradhananga, P; Müller, CC

abstract

  • Infrastructure decisions have previously played a vital role in amplifying the vulnerability of underserved populations including minorities. With the increasing threats of climate change, the underserved populations tend to be more vulnerable indicating the need for not only sustainable but also equitable infrastructure systems that serve all communities. Thus, Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) education must create awareness among the future engineering and construction workforces and encourage them to analyze the economic, social, environmental, and climatic implications while designing and constructing infrastructure systems. Infrastructure professionals must have the required skills to balance their responses to policy and stakeholders' needs as well as develop sustainable and equitable infrastructure projects. The goal of the study is to demonstrate best practices to integrate sustainability concepts throughout four years of Bachelor's programs under the AEC curricula based on recommendations from sustainability experts including the Envision Academic Committee which works towards enriching and supporting sustainable education. Moreover, this study advocates for integrating and encouraging students to obtain sustainability credentials, particularly credentialing of the ISI-Envision rating system, Envision sustainability professional (ENV SP) during sustainability education. Given the importance of infrastructure systems for a functional community and the potential of the Envision rating system to particularly address the infrastructure challenges to develop sustainable and equitable projects, AEC programs should not only restrict their curricula to teach sustainable building rating systems. The outcomes of this research include: 1) capture various effective sustainability teaching efforts, which have been adopted by the sustainability instructors in their respective institutions; 2) nurture a platform to guide interested instructors to adopt sustainability as well as Envision system within AEC and STEM through proposing a matrix/framework to effectively integrate infrastructure sustainability into the existing engineering curriculum; and 3) discuss available means to pursue sustainability credentials, i.e., ENV SP during their courses. This study comprehends a qualitative approach to demonstrate best practices and effective methods for integrating sustainability concepts as well as sustainability credentialing in AEC curricula. The findings of this study guide to AEC faculty best practices when integrating sustainable infrastructure rating systems into architectural design studios, capstone engineering, and sustainability construction courses.

publication date

  • August 23, 2022