Grafik Student vor Bildschirm mit Länderflaggen

Collaborative Online International Learning - COIL  Sustainable Campus Design

This COIL connects students and faculty from diverse countries and climat zones to explore innovative approaches to sustainable campus design. Partner institutions include Lucerne University of Applied Science and Arts in Switzerland (HSLU), the University of Texas, Dallas (UTD) and the University of Florida, USA ( UF) and SENAI CIMATEC in Brazil.

Each university shares its best practices, which are collaboratively analyzed, discussed, and refined by students across institutions. The project fosters a deeper understanding of sustainability challenges in various social, environmental, and economic contexts.

Working exclusively via MS Teams, participants gain valuable intercultural experience and strengthen skills that are essential for both personal and professional growth in a globalized world.

Programme

The COIL starts with the following presentations from faculty and associated professionals.

September 27th:

  1.  "Sustainable Communities – Green Buildings”, by John McCaskill, University of Texas at Dallas
  2.  "BIM for Sustainable Planning”, by Bruna Bitencourt Costa
  3.  "Green Building Strategies (LEED LAB)”, by Assoc. Prof. Bahar Armaghani, University of Florida
  4. "Colored Photovoltaics for sustainable buildings in Switzerland”, by Stephen Wittkopf, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

October 4th:

  1. "Campus SENAI CIMATEC Sertão», by Bruna Bitencourt Costa
  2. “Campus of University of Florida”, by Assoc. Prof. Bahar Armaghani, University of Florida
  3. “Campus of the University of Texas at Dallas”, by Gary Cocke, Dallas
  4. “Sustainability Assessment (DGNB) of the Suurstoffi Areal in Rotkreuz, Switzerland”, by Eleonora Di Floriano, ZugEstates, Switzerland

All presentations will be recorded and made available.

Thereafter, students from each institution select one sustainability criterion from the list below:

  1. Energy and Photovoltaics
  2. Indoor Air Quality and Site
  3. Material and Resources
  4. Water and Transportation
  5. Building Information Modelling

Students with the same criteria form a group and work together at self-determined times during the month of October. They analyze how this criterion is taken into account in the presented campus projects and submit their results as a 6–8-minute “criterion” video. The video is a recording of a Teams meeting where they jointly present and record their PowerPoint presentation. With five criterion, there will be five of such criterion videos to be recorded by November 3rd.

Thereafter, all videos will be watched, discussed, and reflected in all classrooms. By mid-November, each group or student will reflect on the experience gained and lessons learned in a short reflection video of up to 2 minutes.

Both videos, criterion and reflection videos and online activities will be marked and result in one overall grade. All students will receive a digital badge that can be used in social media or referenced in CVs.