This paper examines the integration of sustainability principles into architectural education programs at South Korean Universities that have been accredited by the Korea Architectural Accrediting Board (KAAB). Accreditation requires the successful implementation of 30 so-called Student Performance Criteria (SPCs). Similar to recent improvements to international architectural education, different principles of sustainability have been successfully implemented by the KAAB. This paper identifies eight sustainability-related SPCs that can be utilized to teach sustainability. The analysis of 48 accredited five-year architectural education program curricula in South Korea has revealed which sustainability-related SPCs are addressed each semester. Furthermore, the average number of credits per sustainability-related SPC in different course types, such as theory courses and design studios, has been identified. Theory courses with an emphasis on sustainability education have been defined as sustainability core courses. The results reveal that a majority of existing programs primarily address environmental aspects of sustainability. Furthermore, a sequential course structure analysis elucidates three main curriculum types, with different potential for integrated sustainability education in sustainability core courses and design studios: (i) sustainability core course preceding (high potential); (ii) sustainability core courses and design studio, accompanying (high potential); and (iii) sustainability core course following (low potential).

Architectural education is a key factor in the re-thinking of the whole industry toward a system of more sustainable buildings and cities. Asia is the continent with the highest population growth and the fastest urbanization rate on earth. It is necessary to educate professionals with a well-balanced and integrated knowledge of local issues and global standards. This paper focuses on education for sustainable architecture in Asian countries. This is an exploratory study, analyzing the curricula of 20 selected influential schools in 11 countries. Sustainability-related courses are identified, classified and summarized in qualitative tables (course matrix) and in quantitative graphs. The analysis helps to identify trends and regional or individual uniqueness. The results show that sustainability education is organized in very diverse ways, according to contents, intensity and sequence. The percentages of sustainable courses range from less than 5% to 25%. Technology-related courses are the most numerous and homogeneous. Sustainability design studios show the greatest variation, from zero to almost 100%. General theory courses help in dealing with sustainability issues through traditional and vernacular philosophies, technologies and strategies that are very adequate to their geographical and cultural settings.

Abstract:While there exists an international trend to develop zero or near zero emissions building solutions by 2020, and European governments continuously update their building regulations to optimize the building envelope and energy systems to achieve this during the building use stage, at least in Spain the building regulations do not take into account the impact of emissions resulting from urbanization and construction activities prior to building use. This research studies in detail the entire emissions balance (and how it may be related to energy efficiency) in a newly built residential cluster project in Mancha Real (Jaén, Spain), and influences due to the choice of different urban typologies. For comparison, terraced housing and low-density, four-floor, multi-family housing alternatives have been studied. The present work assessed the life cycle of the building with the help of commercial software (CYPE), and the energy efficiency and emissions according to the legal regulations in Spain with the official software LIDER and CALENER VYP. After a careful choice of building and systems alternatives and their comparison, the study concludes that the major emissions impact and energy costs of urbanization and building activity occurs during construction, while later savings due to reductions in building use emissions are very modest in comparison. Therefore, deeper analysis is suggested to improve the efficiency of the construction process for a significantly reduced emission footprint on the urban environment.

Natural light in interior spaces has many advantages: the most obvious is energy savings, but also many long term physical and mental health benefits. Published research demonstrates the positive effects of natural light, especially in spaces used in long term periods, such as offices, houses, hospital rooms, etc. However, how would the deprivation of natural light affect users in spaces of more occasional use, such as lecture theatres, surgery rooms, courtrooms…? The present research consists in a case study that adds some data on that question. The experiment processed the data on the performance of 278 university students in one theoretical course, consisting in three-hour weekly lectures. This course was taught six times, in six consecutive years (2013–2018), three in exclusively artificially lit basement classrooms, and the other three in classrooms with windows, mixing natural and artificial light. The data of the exam and attendance scores were compared statistically for both populations (basement vs. windows classrooms). The research found strong evidence of the classrooms with windows having better exam scores than those in the basement, with mean differences between 13.17% and 7.73%. Mann–Whitney U tests supported this result, with p-values ranging between p << 0.001 and p = 0.007. Attendance differences were not significant.

While there is an international trend to develop zero or near zero emissions building solutions by 2020, and there are also countless studies on how to optimize building envelope and energy systems to achieve it during the building useful life, few studies take into consideration the enormous impact of the emissions resulting from the urbanization and construction activities, previous to the building use. This research studies in detail the whole emissions balance (and how they can be related or not to the energy efficiency) in a real project of newly built residential clusters in Mancha Real (Jaén, Spain), and the influence resulting from the choice of the different urban typologies. For comparison, single family row houses and low density four floor multi-family housing alternatives have been studied, as they are among most popular housing solutions in Spain. The detailed life-cycle analysis, energy efficiency and emissions have been calculated with the help of a sophisticated and popular commercial software (CYPE). Also the research has been done under the current emissions and energy regulations in Spain, all under the EC general policy framework. Even though the local and very specific character of this study, the methodology can be applied to any other typology and geographical area. After careful choice of building and systems alternatives and their comparison, the study concludes that the major emissions impact and energy cost of the urbanization and building activity occurs during the construction, while the later savings due to the reductions of the building use emissions are very modest in comparison. Therefore, more study is suggested to improve the efficiency in the urban Proceedings of the 8th Conf. Int. Forum Urban. B002design and typological solutions, and in the construction process itself, for a really reduced emission footprint of the built environment.Keywords: Economical life cycle analysis of buildings and/or infrastructures from neighborhood to city level, green urban economies, sustainable urban design strategies..