08May
Sustainable design within architecture and construction is the focus of two new certificate programs at Rend Lake College. The Green Facilities Management (GFM) and Sustainable Design Green Building (SDGB) certificates are aimed at creating sustainable awareness among the future generations of architects, builders and facilities managers. Both were created with a Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College Career Training grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Both programs use NTER, an online learning platform, to provide information about each subject broken into units, while the lab hours provide a “hands on” experience. Within the lab, students will understand building, repurposing, and analytic studies using cutting edge software. Our graduates are well prepared and in demand. Already, two students who have completed the GFM certificate have gone on to work as draftsmen/designers for a new local industry. The GFM program gives students with the knowledge base for creating and maintaining a sustainable facility.
Rend Lake College utilized the grant to add more cutting-edge digital fabrication equipment, minimizing off-site manufacturing for large scale production. The students can provide small scale replicas for shade/shadow testing and other environmental scenarios. Students have displayed advances in laser cutting, CNC, and 3D printing technologies throughout the projects within the certificate.
During the GFM labs, students collected, de-constructed, and finished parts from a variety of shipping pallets to prevent waste. CNC and laser cutting equipment can be used to provide a unique finish to the pieces. The SDGB Program includes four classes including: Foundations of Sustainable Design, BIM Modeling, sustainable landscapes, and sustainable design and construction. This certificate focuses primarily with hands on work such as design build. The exploration of this is executed within the LAB hours. The certificate pays close attention to adaptive reuse and the reclamation of materials.