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Sustainable Architecture: Evaluation and Design

MSc or PGDip

Find out more about this course by joining a live master's webinar

Start dates: January 2025 / September 2025 / January 2026 / September 2026

Full time: September Start: MSc: 12 months, PGDip: 9 months. January Start: MSc 18 months, PGDip: 13 months.

Part time: September Start: MSc: 24 months, PGDip: 18 months/ January Start: MSc 30 months, PGDip: 24 months

Location: Headington

Department(s): School of Architecture

Overview
Course details
Careers
Entry requirements
How to apply
Tuition fees

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Overview

The buildings we inhabit say a lot about our society. With climate emergency being the pressing issue of our time, sustainable architecture is more important than ever to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Here at Oxford Brookes, you will take a broad view of what it takes to design and operate low-carbon energy efficient buildings. You’ll explore everything from heating and ventilation systems to the behaviour of users. You’ll keep up to date with developments in policy and construction techniques. And you’ll examine the industry’s biggest challenges so you can work to solve them and contribute to a sustainable future.

We use our industry links and research connections to give you the latest insights and the greatest opportunities – whether you want to learn more about new technologies or network with the biggest players in the consultancy business. You’ll find plenty of ways to personalise the course to your own interests and career goals too.

With accreditation by the Energy Institute, you can access a huge range of resources and training to boost your career.

Attend an open day or webinar Ask a question Order a prospectus

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Why Oxford Brookes University?

  • Be ahead of the curve

    We started the course in 1994 and we’ve gained a lot of experience in that time. Join us and always be up to date with the latest developments.

  • Flexibility to follow your interests

    We’ve designed the course to allow you to personalise your studies based on your skills and interests.

  • Discuss and debate

    Our collaborative environment allows you to explore subjects with your peers and staff, learning from each other’s insights and experiences.

  • Broaden your skills

    The course is equally suitable for architects looking to specialise or others looking to add new skills to their CV.

  • Experts on hand

    The course is taught by leading researchers, academics and sustainability consultants – and you’ll hear from practising professionals in guest lectures and other events.

  • Accreditation(s)

    Accredited by the Energy Institute

    • Energy Institute

Course details

Course structure

Your modules cover the key topics you’ll need to know about as a sustainability-focused architect or consultant. From urban microclimates to renewable energy production, we cover a lot of ground. You can choose to focus on the particular topics or approaches that suit your interests and there is built-in flexibility to specialise.

As well as the taught modules, you’ll also complete a dissertation. You can use it to further your knowledge in a particular area and bring together what you’ve learned on the course.

You can join us full time or part time. If you do not complete the full MSc, you have the option to exit early with a postgraduate certificate or diploma.

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Learning and teaching

Our teaching reflects the wide variety of topics and techniques associated with sustainability, low-carbon and resource efficient design. Methods include:

  • staff-led lectures 
  • professional and staff-led workshops
  • group and one-to-one tutorials
  • student-led seminars
  • case studies
  • practical work that anticipates the design project.

Students come from a diverse range of ages, backgrounds and nationalities. This contributes to interdisciplinary, globally aware teaching and learning. We use international case studies for a variety of cultural perspectives and issues. You can draw on their diverse strengths with peer learning and group work.

You can experience some of the very best sustainable design projects on the annual field trip. Previous trips have been to Germany, Scotland and Denmark.

Our research informs our teaching so the range of subjects draws on the research strengths of our teaching staff. We encourage you, where possible, to take part in staff research projects.

Assessment

The course benefits from a variety of formative and summative assessments including presentations, class tests and reports.

Field Trips

The course includes one optional major field trip each year alongside shorter local trips. Field trips give you the opportunity to:

  • experience sustainable buildings first hand
  • talk to building owners and operators of low energy buildings.

This helps you understand some of the practical difficulties and rewards of achieving sustainable buildings.

This carries an additional cost. Please see the Additional costs section of this page for details.

Study modules

The modules listed below are for the master's award. For the PGDip award your module choices may be different. Please contact us for more details.

Taught modules

Compulsory modules

  • Net Zero Building Technologies

    On this module, you will attain the knowledge required for achieving the Net Zero target in different climates around the world. You'll explore the different approaches to reduce energy demand in buildings, including:

    • building details
    • form
    • configuration
    • required strategies.
    These approaches will also be accompanied with different possible renewable technologies in order to meet the net zero target.

    This module will provide you with the platform to understand the physics behind the building performance, allowing for the exploration of embodied carbon in construction to ensure the possible offset of the associated carbon. You'll also gain detailed knowledge of energy-efficient building technologies, complementing the knowledge gained in other modules.

  • Building Performance Evaluation (20 credits)

    In this module you'll focus on the complex issue of assessing existing buildings. Using a building performance evaluation (BPE) approach, you will assess existing building on their energy use, environmental impact, internal (thermal) environment and occupant satisfaction.

    Technically, BPE involves systematic collection and evaluation of information about the performance of a building in use. You'll learn about the different data collected, which can include measured information such as:

    • energy consumption
    • temperatures
    • lighting levels
    • acoustic performance
    • survey data from the occupants, regarding issues such as comfort, aesthetics, occupant satisfaction, and management. 

    Assessing real building performance, from both a technical and social perspective, will provide you with real-world experience and knowledge which will help you to learn from the experiences of others (including occupants) in real buildings.

  • Climate-Sensitive Urban Development

    This module will provide you with a platform to explore the impact of the microclimate on real projects. You will work in different groups exploring real projects in a simulated office environment and setting. You'll test and simulate the urban microclimate impact on a real project, reporting your overall findings and experience as part of your assessment. Through a possible collaboration with practices, you will have the opportunity to get real practice experience. The practices will then be invited to your end-of-project presentation.

    The module also introduces the philosophy and theories of sustainable development, considering:

    • energy supply and demand
    • water
    • natural resources
    • sustainable transport
    • local economy.

  • Design & Simulation for a Changing Climate

    In this module, you will be able to apply the knowledge gained from other modules, within the course, to your design. You'll gain a theoretical introduction to a systematic building energy performance simulation and will analyse its relation to different climatic conditions. You'll learn about the underlying theory and principles of software related to the predictive modelling of buildings. You'll also debate the merits of state-of-the-art software modelling packages.
     
    The aim of this module is to explore the possible design strategies and approaches needed for the change in climate. The current increases in climate are creating the high possibility of having a change in our climate to be as high as 3°C. You will be given the opportunity to plan for the future climate and explore possible mitigation, adaptation and exploration in design and technology. 

Final project

Compulsory modules

  • Major Research Project

    Your dissertation will develop your research design skills and provide an opportunity to explore, assimilate and synthesise learning from across the individual modules into an extensive piece of work.

    The dissertation will give evidence of the consideration of:

    • appropriate theoretical and research methodologies
    • methods 
    • ethics
    • logical and coherent arguments
    • rigour
    • validity 
    • reliability
    • confidence in the conclusions. 
    The dissertation provides you with the opportunity to acquire and enhance a number of key skills including forming coherent arguments, project management, organisation, time management and academic writing, and demonstrates your ability to marshal evidence, to evaluate critically and to synthesise the disparate sources used. It does not necessarily involve original research or primary material, but you'll be able to carry out a small original research project using primary material and demonstrate that you have addressed the same criteria described above.

Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.

Research

We are a major player in international research in the fields of architecture and the built environment and town and country planning. You are encouraged where possible to take part in staff research projects. 

The course benefits from direct links to one of the best research groups in the university, recognised nationally and internationally:

The course also has direct input from:

  • Professor Rajat Gupta, Professor of Sustainable Architecture and Climate Change, Director of Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development (OISD), Director of OISD: Low Carbon Building Group.

Careers

If you have an architectural background, you’ll probably be joining the course to specialise and learn more about how to make your practice more sustainable. You could open up new opportunities and become an expert in this important field.

But the course isn’t just for architects – we welcome engineers, physicists, and more. You could change your career or add specialist knowledge to your current role. Your skills will be valuable in areas like sustainability consultancy or policy making.

You’ll have up-to-date knowledge of everything from building regulations to environmental models. You’ll have practical experience and critical thinking skills that will allow you to adapt to new technologies we can’t yet predict.

Careers include:

  • architectural and engineering practices
  • research or sustainability consultancies
  • development work
  • utilities
  • carbon trading
  • academia.

Related courses

Related course
Applied Design in Architecture (ARB and RIBA part 2)
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Entry requirements

International qualifications and equivalences

How to apply

Application process


Apply now

Tuition fees

Please see the fees note
Home (UK) full time
£10,700 (Masters); £9,700 (Diploma)
Home (UK) part time
£5,350
International full time
£17,150
Home (UK) full time
£10,800
Home (UK) part time
£5,400
International full time
£17,950

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Tuition fees

2024 / 25
Home (UK) full time
£10,700 (Masters); £9,700 (Diploma)
Home (UK) part time
£5,350
International full time
£17,150
2025 / 26
Home (UK) full time
£10,800
Home (UK) part time
£5,400
International full time
£17,950

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

  • For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
  • For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page

Financial support and scholarships

For general sources of financial support, see our Fees and funding pages.

Additional costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website. For more information, please visit our changes to programmes page.