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Overview

The Master of High Performance Buildings degree, offered jointly by the School of Architecture and School of Engineering, Applied Science, and Health's Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering program, is a post-professional program for individuals seeking the skills necessary to create design-driven, technologically innovative sustainable buildings. From new construction to energy-efficient retrofits, the program emphasizes mastery of cutting-edge building technologies in a hands-on setting, as well as an integrated approach to design practice that seamlessly blends building science, energy efficiency, and advanced systems integration to reduce the environmental impacts of buildings.

This program has received the Zero Energy Design Designation from the U.S. Department of Energy, acknowledging it as a leading education program that is preparing tomorrow’s architectural and engineering leaders to design and build the most sustainable buildings possible.

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Curriculum

The Master of High Performance Buildings degree is a 30-credit, one-year program, although there is flexibility for working professionals who wish to complete the degree program while working full time.

An overview of the full curriculum of the Master of High Performance Buildings program.
Fall	Spring
Study of the physical interactions between buildings, people, and climate (i.e., temperature, humidity, wind, sun, rain, snow, etc.). Topics include: heat transfer, psychometrics, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, ventilation, infiltration, solar insolation, heating and cooling load calculations, building energy efficiency, and building codes.	An interdisciplinary project-based course in which students work in teams to design and provide full design documentation for a net zero energy building, meaning that it combines energy efficiency and renewable energy generation to consume only as much energy as can be produced onsite through renewable resources on an annual basis. Teams are expected to effectively and affordably integrate principles of building science, construction engineering and management, economic analysis, and architectural design in an integrated design process. Teams are required to submit full sets of plans, drawings, renderings, construction details, and analyses for energy efficiency, costs, affordability, environmental justice, equity, sustainability, and resiliency. The course aligns with a design competition, typically the Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon Design Challenge. The course prepares the next generation of architects, engineers, and construction managers with skills and expertise to start their careers and generate creative solutions for real-world net zero energy buildings. CAE 557 is the second course in a two-course series. Prerequisites: CAE 556 with min. grade of C
An interdisciplinary project-based course in which students work in teams to design and provide full design documentation for a net zero energy building, meaning that it combines energy efficiency and renewable energy generation to consume only as much energy as can be produced onsite through renewable resources on an annual basis. Teams are expected to effectively and affordably integrate principles of building science, construction engineering and management, economic analysis, and architectural design in an integrated design process. Teams are required to submit full sets of plans, drawings, renderings, construction details, and analyses for energy efficiency, costs, affordability, environmental justice, equity, sustainability, and resiliency. The course aligns with a design competition, typically the Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon Design Challenge. The course prepares the next generation of architects, engineers, and construction managers with skills and expertise to start their careers and generate creative solutions for real-world net zero energy buildings. CAE 556 is the first course in a two-course series.	The aim of the design studio is to develop formal solutions which address the complexities of modern metropolis and advance disciplinary knowledge at large. The Advanced Studio program provides the intellectual climate as well as material infrastructure to explore the larger forces that influence the growth of cities. In the contemporary world, developing alternative models of design are necessary to make a transformative impact on the built environment. Design work in Advanced Studios at IIT directly engages real-life challenges and design-based solutions. As they seek to synthesize and impart principles and knowledge, to advance aesthetic and analytical skills, and to creatively expand upon given cultural norms, the Advanced Studios offer students the means to leverage their intuitions and insights to find better ways to enhance the built environment. The studios are formed in thematic clusters that complement each other or serve as dialectical opposites. Each studio explores a variety of techniques from parametric design, digital fabrication, model making, and advanced geospatial software to cultural and theoretical explorations. The vertical studio integrates advanced B.Arch., M.Arch., M.S.Arch., and Ph.D. students. Open only to Architecture majors. Prerequisites: ARCH 545 with min. grade of C
(9 Credits) Elective Courses	(6 Credits) Elective Courses

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Faculty

The M.HPB draws faculty from both the School of Architecture and the Civil and Architectural Engineering program. The faculty is dedicated to exploring the interfaces and overlaps between the disciplinary areas of architecture and engineering.

Edoarda Corradi

Associate Teaching Professor, IPRO Director

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Youngjin Hwang

Assistant Professor, Director M.HPB

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Eva Kultermann

Adjunct Professor

Brent Stephens, PhD

Professor, Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering Chair

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Program Sequence

The program begins with a coursework that focuses on the physical interactions between buildings, people, and climate, including an in-depth exploration of heat transfer, psychometrics, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, ventilation, infiltration, solar insolation, heating and cooling load calculations, building energy efficiency, and building codes.

Two semesters of interdisciplinary project-based design courses have students working in teams to design and provide full design documentation for a net zero energy building. Teams are challenged to effectively and affordably integrate principles of building science, construction engineering and management, economic analysis, and architectural design in an integrated design process. The culmination of the Net Zero Energy Building Design I and II courses is an integrated set of documents, drawings, renderings, construction details, and analyses for energy efficiency, costs, affordability, environmental justice, equity, sustainability, and resiliency.

The final required course is an advanced options studio offered by the School of Architecture that engages students in real-life challenges and design-based solutions. Studios are focused on the design of structural and material systems that recognize issues of ecology as well as the broader, integrated concerns of climate, energy and natural resource use, and sustainability.

The remaining coursework is made up of elective offerings, allowing students to customize their education and focus on topics related to their own interests. Elective topics range from systems design and modeling to building enclosure design and envelope retrofit strategies.

Electives

The program includes 15 credits of elective courses that cover technical fields architecture and engineering to provide proficiency in specific skills and concepts. The following courses are approved to count as electives for the M.HPB degree.

A overview of the elective courses for the Master of High Performance Buildings program and the semester in which they are typically offered.
Fall	Spring
A laboratory and experimental-based class investigation of anisotropic fibrous materials as a building component viewed through historical timber design precedents. Topics include low and high-rise framed construction, cross-laminated timber, CNC fabrication methods composite construction, tensile systems, and wood and paper-based products. Structural analysis will explore material properties and connections of a directionally grained and fibrous medium. Prerequisites: (ARCH 230 and ARCH 334 and ARCH 335) or (ARCH 485 and ARCH 486)	An exploration of historical and current technology through the work of artists, architects, craftsmen, and engineers in a brittle medium. Topics include wall systems, connections, structural design of all glass structures, and material properties. Sealants, coatings, adhesives, and impact and blast resistant interlayers will also be covered. A lab component will encourage experimentation of columns, beams, and surfaces from glass components. Prerequisites: (ARCH 230 and ARCH 334 and ARCH 335) or (ARCH 485 and ARCH 486)
These courses offer knowledge and skills related to design-build in a variety of areas. Students may select between varying and diverse topics offered by the faculty including advanced construction and material technologies, building envelope systems, advanced structural design, energy and sustainability, architectural acoustics and lighting, fabrication, and computer-aided design technologies.	These courses offer knowledge and skills related to design-build in a variety of areas. Students may select between varying and diverse topics offered by the faculty including advanced construction and material technologies, building envelope systems, advanced structural design, energy and sustainability, architectural acoustics and lighting, fabrication, and computer-aided design technologies.
This research seminar examines advances in the technologies that affect the practice of architecture. The course examines leading technologies, processes, and applications, and their role in building design and production. The course will navigate the broad and varied materials related to advanced technologies in architecture by focusing on specific applications for specific projects. Students may select between varying and diverse topics offered by the faculty that may include building envelopes, architectural materials, building and environmental systems, advanced structural design, energy and sustainability, architectural acoustics and lighting, fabrication, and computer-aided design technologies. Prerequisites: ARCH 215 and ARCH 230 and ARCH 404 and ARCH 335 and ARCH 403 and ARCH 334	This research seminar examines advances in the technologies that affect the practice of architecture. The course examines leading technologies, processes, and applications, and their role in building design and production. The course will navigate the broad and varied materials related to advanced technologies in architecture by focusing on specific applications for specific projects. Students may select between varying and diverse topics offered by the faculty that may include building envelopes, architectural materials, building and environmental systems, advanced structural design, energy and sustainability, architectural acoustics and lighting, fabrication, and computer-aided design technologies. Prerequisites: ARCH 215 and ARCH 230 and ARCH 404 and ARCH 335 and ARCH 403 and ARCH 334
Selection and design of building support systems: heating, ventilating, air conditioning, water supply, sanitary and storm drainage, power distribution, lighting, communications, and vertical transportation. Systems are analyzed for their effect on building form, construction cost, and operating efficiency.	Selection and design of building support systems: heating, ventilating, air conditioning, water supply, sanitary and storm drainage, power distribution, lighting, communications, and vertical transportation. Systems are analyzed for their effect on building form, construction cost, and operating efficiency. Prerequisites: ARCH 513 with min. grade of C
Talking TALL I will fully examine the physical, environmental, and social sustainability implications of tall buildings at human, architectural, and urban scales in order to offer students extensive and in-depth knowledge and resources to investigate tall buildings and future cities. The aspects of TALL buildings covered in this course include their design principles, technologies, appropriateness to context, energy consumption, life-cycle considerations, natural ventilation, vertical greenery, facades, new typologies, and more. The aspects of TALL cities covered include an analysis of vertical urbanism vs. suburban sprawl, transportation and infrastructure implications, quality of life for residents in tall urban environments, etc.,—all ultimately with a view to a discourse on what should constitute a holistic vision of "sustainable vertical urbanism."
This course aims to provide students with an understanding of the technologies that enable tall buildings and dense future cities, especially cutting-edge current and emerging technologies. The technologies examined will embrace both the building and urban (infrastructure) scales. Sub-topics include: Building Automation Control Systems; Building Maintenance; Construction; Energy Conservation and Generation, Environmental Engineering; Environmental Protection; Façade Engineering & Systems; Fire & Life Safety Engineering; Geo-technical/Foundations; MEP Engineering; Project and Property Management; Security; Seismic Engineering; Structural Engineering; Transportation; Urban Infrastructure; Vertical Transportation; Wind Engineering.

A overview of the elective courses for the Master of High Performance Buildings program and the semester in which they are typically offered.
Fall	Spring
An intensive study of the calculation techniques and qualitative aspects of good luminous design. Topics covered include: photometric quantities and color theory, visual perception, standards, daylight and artificial illumination systems, radiative transfer, fixture and lamp characteristics, control devices, and energy conservation techniques. Design problems, field measurements, computer, and other models will be used to explore major topics.	Study of the analysis and design of electrical systems in buildings utilizing the National Electric Code. Topics include AC, DC, single-phase and three-phase circuits, transients, branch circuits, panel boards, system sizing, fault calculations and overcurrent protection design. Also studies the design and specification of emergency power backup and alternative power systems. Prerequisites: CAE 383 or (ECE 216 and ECE 215)
Fundamentals and practical use of information technologies in design; basic concepts of building information modeling (BIM); review of software and technology available for BIM; practical use of BIM in design for creating a site, viewing a model, starting a project, working in the AutoDesk "Revit" Environment, adding basic building elements to a project, conceptual energy analysis, designing a preliminary layout, and presenting a project.	Fundamentals and practical use of information technologies in design; basic concepts of building information modeling (BIM); review of software and technology available for BIM; practical use of BIM in design for creating a site, viewing a model, starting a project, working in the AutoDesk "Revit" Environment, adding basic building elements to a project, conceptual energy analysis, designing a preliminary layout, and presenting a project.
Introduction to both theory and hands-on applications in building energy conservation and energy efficiency in buildings new and old. Analyzing energy consumption patterns in buildings. Understanding building rating systems and measures to design and operate energy efficient buildings. Use of building energy simulation tools to predict energy consumption of building energy end-uses. Calibration of building energy models. Energy retrofit strategies and parametric design. Visualize and analyze building performance data. Prerequisites: CAE 331 or CAE 513	Repair and rehabilitation of existing building exterior envelopes. The course will include problem identification, investigative techniques, repair methods, preparation of remedial design documents and general management of rehabilitation projects. Types of constructions include buildings, exterior walls, facades, cladding, roofing, plazas, porches, fire escapes, and others.
The role of program management and project budgeting in establishing a construction project, estimating in construction design and contract administration. Types of estimates, unit costs and production rates; job costs. Preparing bid for complete building project using manual methods and the CSI format; checking quantity take-off and cost estimating in selected divisions using a computer software package	Study of the fundamental principles and engineering procedures for the design of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems; HVAC system characteristics; system and equipment selection; duct design and layout. Attention is given to energy conservation techniques and computer applications. Prerequisites: CAE 331 or CAE 513
This course introduces students to the fundamentals and practice of sustainable building design and certification. The core of the course is fundamental training in modern passive building, including building science fundamentals, calculations, and design strategies for a conservation first methodology. Students will be prepared to take the written and design portions of the Certified Passive House Consultant (Phius CPHC) examination. Green building certification and rating systems will be explored and their impacts on the design and construction of buildings discussed. Students will engage with the requirements of these standards in depth in preparation for the professional work environment. This course is open to all majors with interest in buildings, their systems, and the sustainability and resilience of the built environment.	This course introduces students to building energy modeling software and techniques that are widely used in industry applications. The course is practice-oriented and builds upon building energy modeling methods as they are practiced in engineering offices (using IES software). The course centers on the two most common types of energy models in practice: (1) models for LEED and code compliance, and (2) parametric models for evaluating energy conservation measures. During the first half of the course, students will learn modeling methods and assumptions to create an energy model of an actual building project for the LEED Energy and Atmosphere credit with all supporting documents required for LEED submission. In the second half of the course, students will learn to analyze energy conservation measures using parametric energy models. The course will also focus on advanced energy modeling topics, such as modeling HVAC systems and controls, passive techniques, composite fenestration, thermal bridges, thermal mass, and others. At the end of the course, students will have two complete energy models that they can use in their portfolio. Prerequisites: CAE 331 or CAE 513
Graduate course work in the problem subject matter. Subject matter will vary with the interests and background of students and instructor. Design or research problems may be assigned from the areas of architectural, construction, geotechnical, geoenvironmental, structural, or transportation engineering.	Design of building exteriors, including the control of heat flow, air and moisture penetration, building movements, and deterioration. Study of the principle of rain screen walls and of energy conserving designs. Analytical techniques and building codes are discussed through case studies and design projects. Prerequisites: CAE 513 with min. grade of C
	Hands-on experience with energy and indoor environmental quality measurements in buildings including experimental design, data analysis, and experimental statistics. Measurements and techniques covered include: thermal performance (e.g., temperature, humidity, and heat flux); fluid flows and HVAC characteristics (e.g., velocity, pressure, and airflow rates); energy performance (e.g., current, voltage, and power draw); whole building diagnostics (e.g., envelope airtightness, ventilation performance, and duct leakage testing); and indoor air quality (e.g., tracer gas techniques, particle measurements, and gas measurements). Course combines lectures and field measurements in buildings on campus.
	Graduate course work in the problem subject matter. Subject matter will vary with the interests and background of students and instructor. Design or research problems may be assigned from the areas of architectural, construction, geotechnical, geoenvironmental, structural, or transportation engineering.

A overview of the elective courses for the Master of High Performance Buildings program and the semester in which they are typically offered.
Fall	Spring
This course introduces students to concepts of global biogeochemistry and environmental sustainability, including the practice of life cycle assessment (LCA). The course begins with an overview of the global energy, water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles and their relationships to human activities. The focus then shifts to LCA, which is an analytical approach for quantifying the relationships between economic activities and environmental issues. LCA is often used to develop sustainability metrics to compare alternative approaches to meet economic needs such as transportation, food provision, and building construction. This course is open to all majors with familiarity in basic chemistry, but students will be expected to conduct quantitative analyses and perform basic engineering calculations.	Indoor air pollution sources, indoor pollutant levels, monitoring instruments and designs, and indoor pollution control strategies; source control, control equipment and ventilation; energy conservation and indoor air pollution; exposure studies and population time budgets; effects of indoor air population; risk analysis; models for predicting source emission rates and their impact on indoor air environments.

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Advising

Advising provides students with academic guidance as they fulfill their degree program requirements. All M.HPB degree seeking graduate students will be assigned a primary academic advisor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, and a secondary advisor in the School of Architecture. New graduate students will be required to meet with their primary advisor prior to registering for the following semester.

For more information please visit Student Resources.

The GP Graduate (Program) Advising Hold becomes active before the next semester of registration opens for the following:

Plus One students in the first semester of graduate Plus One enrollment
Traditional masters students at 9 earned or enrolled credits
Doctoral students at 18 earned or enrolled credits

The GP Hold prevents registration before the following semester until lifted by the advisor. The mandatory advising session is required for the student to clear the advising registration hold.

Students will be notified by their primary advisor how to best schedule their required advising appointment. In general, students may begin scheduling their advising appointments two weeks prior to the first day of registration for the following semester.

At this advising appointment, students will receive a Registration PIN (also referred to as an alternate PIN) and the registration block, which is placed on a student’s record by the Graduate College, will be removed. This will be the only required advising appointment for Graduate students. After their first semester, Graduate student Registration PINs will be visible in the Illinois Tech Portal (under IIT Personal ID numbers).

All graduate students registering for research courses numbered 591, 594, 597, and 691 must receive approval from their faculty advisor, in the form of an electronic permit, before registration.