Continuing Education Courses

Register online via Self-Service, our online registration portal. New students should create an account within the portal. All returning students should have login information. Questions regarding login credentials may be directed to the BAC's Help Desk at help@the-bac.edu or 617.585.0191. 

Self-Service Guides:

• Video Guides for All CE Students: How to Register for CE Courses 
• New CE Students - How to Register for CE Courses for New Students
• Returning CE Students - How to Register for CE Courses for Current Students 

Register by completing and returning the CE Course Registration Form (pdf). This form can be submitted via email to ce@the-bac.edu or in-person at the Student Services Suite (basement level accessed by elevator only) at 951 Boylston Street, Boston.

DME2032 - Autodesk Revit: 2D and 3D Representation

The Autodesk(r) Revit(r) parametric building modeler is a powerful building design and documentation system for architects, design-build teams, and other building industry professionals. In a parametric building model, every drawing sheet, every 2D and 3D view, and every schedule is a direct representation of information from the same underlying building database. Autodesk Revit offers substantial productivity, quality, and business benefits to designers seeking to improve how they use information technology to do their work. [3 Credits]

DME2034 - Rhino 1: 3D Design CBE*

Rhino is among the most influential software to emerge in the community of academic and professional architectural practice. Due to its efficiency and economy of performance, it is currently in use by numerous design firms small and large. With roots in marine engineering, the target output is digital model construction. The relative strength of Rhino lies in its close command-line relationship with the AutoCAD interface widely in use in the architectural and design industry. This allows the flattened world of two-dimensional construction drawings to be realized in three-dimensional form. Utilizing a minimal number of guide poly-lines, students will construct digital models that range from relatively simple to complex. The mathematical concepts of lofting, sweeping, cutting, splitting, and Boolean operations will be addressed as well as methods of curve construction such as slicing, sectioning, and continuous contours. [1.5 Credits]

*Self-paced, competency-based education (CBE). Email ce@the-bac.edu for more information.

DME2042 - AutoCAD 1: 2D Drafting CBE*

This course in computer-aided drafting introduces the basic concepts and operation of AutoCAD, emphasizing two-dimensional computer-aided drafting concepts, conventions and documentation production. The course provides hands-on instruction in AutoCAD. Students will have to complete weekly assignments, which will require approximately three hours of work to be completed outside of class, plus short readings. The course instruction and learning resources will be presented in Windows only. Students may elect to use either Mac or Windows versions of the software to complete coursework. [1.5 Credits]

*Self-paced, competency-based education (CBE). Email ce@the-bac.edu for more information.

DME2063 - Autodesk Revit I: Building Information Modeling CBE*

This course will offer an introduction to creating and managing a BIM (Building Information Model) using Autodesk Revit. It will also facilitate in the greater understanding of Building Information Modeling as it pertains to the industry as a whole. Using Revit as a tool, the course will teach the fundamentals needed to effectively produce and manage a "working" BIM, in terms of design and constructability. The course will also teach some finer points of the program and how they can be used to develop the BIM further. Please note: Revit requires the Windows Operating System to run; students will need to have access to Windows in order to use Revit. [1.5 Credits]

*Self-paced, competency-based education (CBE). Email ce@the-bac.edu for more information.

TSM2007 - Materials and Methods

In this introductory course students develop an understanding of basic construction materials and assemblies, including foundations, walls, roofs, doors and windows, water protection, and finishes. Through a series of drafting exercises coordinated with the technical matter being presented, students will learn the basics of hard-line technical drawing. Selecting and detailing interior finish materials, including flooring, wallcoverings, ceilings and textiles will be explored. The objective is to enable a student to design more effectively through the understanding of material technology and the process of construction of interior space. [3 Credits]

TSM2015 - Interiors Lighting

Interiors Lighting presents the principles and methods of designing for natural and artificial lighting as an integral component of the built environment. In its interaction with color, materials, textures, space and form, light plays an essential role in shaping experience. Topics covered include: perception, the design process, light sources, fixture selection, color, documentation, codes, calculations, controls, and day lighting. [3 Credits]

SUS2018 - The Zero-Energy Home: What, How and If

As fuel prices and global energy security fluctuate, strategies for designing zero energy homes need to be investigated. A Zero Energy Home is currently a goal and ever present in the media, but not yet accomplished at the level of our technical potential. We will explore the various definitions of Zero Energy and understand the implications of the term within several contexts: bioregional, local, and site constrained. The various energy loads being counted towards the absolute of Zero will be explained, as well as the design opportunities to reduce them. The occupant's behavior and habits in the home are critical to the successful energy outcome, and feedback opportunities and data from case studies will be presented and examined. Metrics of consumption, peak load, and annual use will be presented and compared. The principles of orientation, thermal envelope, renewable energy systems that produce (positive), as well as mechanical, electrical and ventilation systems that consume (negative) will be explained and investigated for both case studies and theoretical projects for exploration. [1.5 Credits]

SUS2029 - Green Practice: Energy and Air Quality Principles

The concept of an environmentally conscious building should take into account energy consumption, the quality of indoor air, and most importantly human comfort. Indigenous strategies that adapt to the rigors of the local climate and contemporary bioclimatic architecture are part of this introductory course to sustainable design. Participants will be introduced to the human needs for comfort and shelter as well as psychrometrics and the physics of heat transfer and heat loss calculations. Building form, orientation, and indoor spaces will also be discussed as they relate to sun, wind, and site, as well as bioclimatic design, passive solar design, natural cooling, and daylighting. [1.5 Credits]

SUS2032 - Lighting Design for Sustainability and Health

As fuel prices and global energy security fluctuate, strategies for designing zero energy homes need to be investigated. A Zero Energy Home is currently a goal and ever present in the media, but not yet accomplished at the level of our technical potential. We will explore the various definitions of Zero Energy and understand the implications of the term within several contexts: bioregional, local, and site constrained. The various energy loads being counted towards the absolute of Zero will be explained, as well as the design opportunities to reduce them. The occupant's behavior and habits in the home are critical to the successful energy outcome, and feedback opportunities and data from case studies will be presented and examined. Metrics of consumption, peak load, and annual use will be presented and compared. The principles of orientation, thermal envelope, renewable energy systems that produce (positive), as well as mechanical, electrical and ventilation systems that consume (negative) will be explained and investigated for both case studies and theoretical projects for exploration. [1.5 Credits]

DME2017 - Illustration: Information Graphics

This course introduces digital image editing as an element in the design process. It discusses general topics such as conceptual graphic design and design communication, as well as specific skills in model photography, drawing reproduction, image adjustment and digital computer skills. Students use Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign in the solution of design and communication problems. Graphic layout and presentation critiques will be continuous throughout the semester. This course will assist students in the production of well-conceived, well-designed portfolios and presentation graphics in design studio. [1.5 Credits]

DME2022 - Photoshop: Digital Imaging and Editing I

This course is an introduction to digital image editing using Adobe PhotoShop. Discussions will begin with basic techniques such as using the toolbox, making and saving selections, photo retouching, applying color, adding text, and using layers. Students will then move into layers, masks, copying and pasting, and digital montages. Exercises in class will be complemented by group discussions of completed assignments. [1.5 Credits]

DME2023 - Photoshop: Digital Imaging and Editing II*

*Pre-requisite: DME2022

This project-oriented course builds upon the students' basic knowledge of Photoshop to explore a wider breadth of electronic imaging technology and its applications in design. Students are encouraged to use an experimental approach and to stretch the boundaries of the medium. Projects begin with digital image creation using sources such as digital cameras, video frame-grabbing and freehand drawing. As they develop their compositions, students explore manipulation, processing, and editing of the images using diverse programs. The course is intended to question both the aesthetic and technical limits of electronic image-making while building visual and aesthetic skills through frequent critical reviews of projects. [1.5 Credits]

DME2032 - Autodesk Revit: 2D and 3D Representation

The Autodesk(r) Revit(r) parametric building modeler is a powerful building design and documentation system for architects, design-build teams, and other building industry professionals. In a parametric building model, every drawing sheet, every 2D and 3D view, and every schedule is a direct representation of information from the same underlying building database. Autodesk Revit offers substantial productivity, quality, and business benefits to designers seeking to improve how they use information technology to do their work. [3 Credits]

DME2034 - Rhino 1: 3D Design CBE*

Rhino is among the most influential software to emerge in the community of academic and professional architectural practice. Due to its efficiency and economy of performance, it is currently in use by numerous design firms small and large. With roots in marine engineering, the target output is digital model construction. The relative strength of Rhino lies in its close command-line relationship with the AutoCAD interface widely in use in the architectural and design industry. This allows the flattened world of two-dimensional construction drawings to be realized in three-dimensional form. Utilizing a minimal number of guide poly-lines, students will construct digital models that range from relatively simple to complex. The mathematical concepts of lofting, sweeping, cutting, splitting, and Boolean operations will be addressed as well as methods of curve construction such as slicing, sectioning, and continuous contours. [1.5 Credits]

*Self-paced, CBE (competency-based format). Email ce@the-bac.edu for more information.

DME2037 - Rendering with V-Ray

This course is an introduction to the theory and techniques to produce photorealistic renderings using the rendering plugin V-Ray. V-Ray is compatible with several 3D modeling programs including Rhino, Sketchup, Revit, and 3ds Max. Students will learn to apply rendering techniques to create professional, photorealistic imagery and visual effects. This course covers critical V-Ray concepts including materials, textures, lighting, color mapping, reflections, and camera controls. Prior knowledge of 3D modeling software is recommended. [1.5 Credits]

DME2042 - AutoCAD 1: 2D Drafting CBE*

This course in computer-aided drafting introduces the basic concepts and operation of AutoCAD, emphasizing two-dimensional computer-aided drafting concepts, conventions and documentation production. The course provides hands-on instruction in AutoCAD. Students will have to complete weekly assignments, which will require approximately three hours of work to be completed outside of class, plus short readings. The course instruction and learning resources will be presented in Windows only. Students may elect to use either Mac or Windows versions of the software to complete coursework. [1.5 Credits]

*Self-paced, CBE (competency-based format). Email ce@the-bac.edu for more information.

DME2044 - Advanced 2D Visualization (Landscape Architecture)

This course will help students-individual users to learn fundamental design skills to create a set of drawings for any master plan from schematic design to design development, including 2D CAD drawing, illustration, and image post production. The course will outline the thinking process and typical workflows by using case studies and inviting guest speakers. The course encourages innovative design thinking and unique graphic representation. [1.5 Credits]

DME2045 - Advanced 3D Modeling and Form (Landscape Architecture)*

*Pre-requisite: DME2044

This second-level CAD course is for individuals already having a basic knowledge of AutoCAD who desire to explore and extend their expertise focusing on site design graphics. Students will learn about incorporating files from other design consultants and illustrative techniques available in AutoCAD to highlight pertinent information for site plans, sections, and elevations. Additional techniques will be covered in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator in order to create content for AutoCAD. [1.5 Credits]

DME2046 - 3D Studio Max 1: Modeling and Rendering

This course introduces techniques of modeling and rendering three-dimensional models using 3ds Max. This program generates photo-realistic architectural renderings and simulated fly-by or walk-throughs used in motion-picture special effects. Lighting techniques, creating atmospheric effects, placing cameras, choosing materials and setting their properties and applying textures will be covered. Assignments culminate in a series of finished renderings. [1.5 Credits]

DME2055 - Algorithmic Design: Grasshopper*

*Pre-requisite: DME2034

This course aims to familiarize the student to the concept of computational design, broadly defined and understood as formal investigations based on non-linear 3D modeling approaches that are considered in a traditional perspective as counterintuitive or anathematic to traditional generative design philosophy and processes. The course will identify and build these concepts using Grasshopper as a geometric modeler - a plug-in module for the Rhino modeling software - as the prime arena for these investigations.

Computational analogues in support of design present themselves as open structures making explicit design as a modeling developmental process, adaptable to formulating and exploring new solutions to problems that were previously considered elusive or hidden underneath the final design outcome or byproduct. The recent capabilities of computational design environments have transcended to various fields of science with keen philosophical implications that expose the lack of acknowledgement of patterns previously misconstrued as non-orderly or, at the very least, incoherent, readdressing these as a complex behavior. Now, through digital and cultural meditation, computational environments have been adapted to design and an architectural practice in the form of specialized software modules such as is the case with Grasshopper.

The Grasshopper plug-in for Rhino features an innovative interface described as a graphical algorithmic editor, one of the few of its kind in use for 3D modeling, exposing the process and allowing the easy flow and exploration of new ideas. The series of exercises throughout the course permit familiarizing with the interface, build upon each other and, with practice, allow understanding how to encapsulate complex instructions - given as inputs processed through the software as dynamically modifiable outputs - into user-definable and simpler modifiable units in order to subsequently re-evaluate the available parameters and develop new sequences and therein 3D geometric structures. [1.5 Credits]

DME2063 - Autodesk Revit I: Building Information Modeling CBE*

This course will offer an introduction to creating and managing a BIM (Building Information Model) using Autodesk Revit. It will also facilitate in the greater understanding of Building Information Modeling as it pertains to the industry as a whole. Using Revit as a tool, the course will teach the fundamentals needed to effectively produce and manage a "working" BIM, in terms of design and constructability. The course will also teach some finer points of the program and how they can be used to develop the BIM further. Please note: Revit requires the Windows Operating System to run; students will need to have access to Windows in order to use Revit. [1.5 Credits]

*Self-paced, CBE (competency-based format). Email ce@the-bac.edu for more information.

DME2073 - Visual Communication

This course teaches students skills of visual communication including techniques in the use of images, infographics, diagramming, maps, graphs, layout etc. The course utilizes both on-line software tutorials and instructor-led project-based digital workflow assignments. [1.5 Credits]

Learning Goals:

1. Create visually compelling presentation graphics which convey complex data and other non-visual information through the use of images, infographics, diagrams, maps, graphs and layout.
2. Use typography in meaningful ways to communicate written information.
3. Use color, scale, graphic arrangement, symbols, and other visual elements to communicate ideas.
4. Create page layouts in both printed and digital platforms which effectively communicate research and arguments.
5. Effectively use concepts of visual hierarchy to organize and present work.
6. Employ best practices in analog and digital workflows using Adobe Creative Suite.
7. Effectively capture and reproduce high-quality images using scanning, photography, printing, and web space.

ART2003- Freehand Drawing

This course uses exercises in still life and figure drawing to expose students to various ways of seeing and of engaging the world through visual representation. Students learn to draw form, objects, and human bodies in their surroundings. Explorations include positive and negative space, edges and contours, and the effects of light and shadow. Students are expected to maintain and develop a sketchbook by drawing from observation at least once a day. Media used might include pencil, charcoal, pen and ink, and pastels. [3 Credits]

DME2006 - Watercolor Rendering

This course is intended for designers and other interested individuals to learn, explore and understand the uses, issues, and problems of photography in the field. Students will explore photography as a means of documenting and explaining the built environment. Projects may include photographing historic buildings with public and private, interior, and exterior spaces. Special techniques such as panoramas and time-lapse photography could be explored for conveying space, flow, and time. Some class meetings will involve field trips and local travel will be necessary to complete photography assignments. [1.5 Credits]

DME2008 - Mixed Media

As an advanced elective at par with Watercolor Rendering, this course feeds from the skills acquired in Freehand Drawing to enhance the mostly linear views created in perspective. Color, lighting, and composition will be discussed before students begin to explore basic and alternative techniques using pencils and mixed media to gradually develop rendered views. [1.5 Credits]

TSM2007 - Materials and Methods

In this introductory course students develop an understanding of basic construction materials and assemblies, including foundations, walls, roofs, doors and windows, water protection, and finishes. Through a series of drafting exercises coordinated with the technical matter being presented, students will learn the basics of hard-line technical drawing. Selecting and detailing interior finish materials, including flooring, wallcoverings, ceilings and textiles will be explored. The objective is to enable a student to design more effectively through the understanding of material technology and the process of construction of interior space. [3 Credits]

TSM2015 - Interiors Lighting

Interiors Lighting presents the principles and methods of designing for natural and artificial lighting as an integral component of the built environment. In its interaction with color, materials, textures, space and form, light plays an essential role in shaping experience. Topics covered include: perception, the design process, light sources, fixture selection, color, documentation, codes, calculations, controls, and day lighting. [3 Credits]

TSM2016 - Color Theory for Interiors

Color Theory for Interiors introduces the student to principles, theories and systems for the application of color in the built environment. This course is concerned with understanding the interaction of color with materials, texture, light, and form. It includes an exploration of the physical and perceptual nature of color and the physiological, psychological and emotional impact of color. Color will be considered as an essential element of the design process, and as an effective communication tool in design ideation and presentations. Two and three dimensional exercises and projects will demonstrate the various aspects of color theory and application. [3 Credits]

INT1001- Interiors Studio 1*

*Open to Interior Design Certificate Students. Email ce@the-bac.edu for registration information.

Interiors Studio 1 is the first project-based studio designing environments for the experience of the inhabitants of interior space. Course participants will frame a series of interiors problems in the process language of definition, goals, objectives and performance criteria, enabling the application of creative methods for problem solving. Examples of problem-framing and process tools from practice will be introduced. The elements and principles of design will be explored in terms of the materials, volumes and systems specific to interior space. [3 Credits]

HSP2010 - Cultural Heritage Tourism and Placemaking

In this course we will examine the tourism industry and how it connects to historic preservation and sustainable development. Students will learn the history of tourism, the different facets of the tourism industry, economic development and the concepts/methodology of placemaking. Students will have weekly assignments where they have to explore the various themes of the class by visiting local tourist sites and museums and reporting back to the class. Most of the class will focus on heritage tourism and tourism in urban areas, but topics of sustainability and environmental impact will be integrated into each course topic. [1.5 Credits] 

HSP2011 - American Architecture: Colonial to Post Modernism

This course examines American architecture from the first colonial settlements through Postmodernism. Because a building's style is inextricably influenced by its context, architectural developments will be analyzed in relation to their historical, cultural, social, and regional milieux. The lecture and discussion based course will begin with an overview of major themes and developments in American architecture, a discussion of the challenge of identifying architectural styles, and an introduction to the formal, structural, and ornamental characteristics of buildings and corresponding vocabulary to facilitate students' ability to interpret, analyze, and describe historic buildings. The course will move through an in-depth review of major developments and themes in American architecture with opportunities for questions, discussion, and independent research. Beyond a simple survey, the course will study significant buildings and designers to facilitate a deeper understanding of specific styles, periods of development, relationships between buildings, and architects' influences upon one another. Major buildings of each period will be used as case studies to illustrate these themes and to examine the formal aspects of composition and construction that define buildings as products of particular places and times. Students will develop the ability to think, read, and write critically about American architecture, with the aim of developing a fluency in the architectural and historical vocabularies required for professional historic preservation practice. [3 Credits]

HSP2017 - Adaptive Reuse and Development Process

This course introduces the student to historic building adaptive reuse and the analytical techniques and decision-making processes that shape the certified rehabilitation project. By “certified”, the intent is to meet or exceed the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guideline for Rehabilitation in terms of creating a “synthesis of form” in which a historic property that is listed on or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places is adapted to a new use. [1.5 Credits]

HSP3001 - Historic Preservation Philosophy and Practice

This course will explore the history of the preservation movement worldwide, with a special focus on the philosophy and practice of historic preservation in the United States. We will explore and critique the social, historical and cultural roots and contemporary meanings of historic preservation and the future of the profession and examine case studies from around the country. [3 Credits]

HSP3019 - Narratives of Place

Social, political, and economic power shapes the built environment; however, the historic environment fosters senses of place, and can constitute, sustain, or cause the destruction of collective and personal identities. The stories told about place influences the way sites are remembered, protected, and the way the past is communicated. This course offers a broad, yet selective, study of the ways heritage sites and landscapes have been narrated. Through readings and projects students will critically analyze the landscapes of power, contested landscapes, and the formulation of new meaning and memory at historic sites. [3 Credits]

SUS2014 - Sustainable Design and Preservation

As the art and science of sensitively adapting historic buildings for continued and new uses, preservation is inherently a sustainable practice. Learn how old buildings were built with features that conserve energy and create a comfortable environment. Develop a framework for evaluating energy-saving options for historic buildings and the special considerations they require. Build your knowledge of current best practices in the field regarding windows, insulation, renewables and more. This course will help you design energy improvements that meet historic preservation guidelines whether you're trying to comply with regulatory requirements in a local design review process or federally funded project, or just want to promote the long term sustainability of historic buildings. Discussion topics will include environmental quality, materials selection, and energy rating systems like LEED. [1.5 Credits]

SUS2016 - Global Perspectives on Sustainable Design

It didn't all start with LEED. Efforts to reconcile the demands of the contemporary built environment with the demands of the natural world and finite resources have been going on around the world for at least the last fifty years -in some places they have been going on for millenia. For at least the last thirty years, significant green advances in building products, systems, planning and design, and design theory have been going on in Europe, Asia, South America, and Australia-New Zealand as well as in North America. This course will examine the most innovative and exciting green design approaches, projects, policies and programs from around the world. While not all of these are transferable across cultural and geographic boundaries, this course is offered in the belief that as we face the increasingly urgent need to build sustainably, we can all learn from each other. The key lies in global and local solutions. [1.5 Credits]

SUS2017 - Solar Energy: Design with the Sun

The interaction of buildings and sunlight is rich and complex. This course will examine the many possibilities provided by the sun to power, light and heat our buildings. These possibilities are affected by geographic location, climate, building site, and building form, orientation, fenestration and thermal mass-all of which will be considered. Passive and active solar thermal systems, solar domestic hot water systems and photovoltaics will be studied along with design strategies to prevent unwanted solar gain in climates and seasons when that is a problem. The relative cost and benefits of different solar strategies will also be addressed. [1.5 Credits]

SUS2025 - Greening Existing Buildings

The existing building stock is here and much of it is responsible for consuming energy, water and other resources at an unsustainable rate from both the environmental and the economic standpoints. Focusing on non-residential buildings, this course will examine the issues, techniques and processes that are involved in turning these buildings into sustainable consumers, whether through relatively simple retrofits or major renovations. Among the topics to be reviewed will be assessing existing performance, instituting building commissioning, improving energy and water efficiency, limiting (re)construction waste, improving indoor environmental quality, supporting sustainable operations and considering renewable energy sources. [1.5 Credits]

SUS2026 - Greening the City

That cities have the potential to be the most sustainable form of human development is coming to be widely recognized, as is the fact that most cities have a long way to go to realize that potential. Progress is being made, however, in terms of improvements to infrastructure and the building stock, innovative transportation and development policies and programs, revised codes, and other measures designed to encourage sustainability. This course will examine the most innovative approaches to greening cities around the US and other countries and consider both their successes -and failures- and their applicability to different regions and cultures. Among other things, the important role of conflict resolution as major changes are being made in a city will be considered. [1.5 Credits]

SUS2029 - Green Practice: Energy and Air Quality Principles

The concept of an environmentally conscious building should take into account energy consumption, the quality of indoor air, and most importantly human comfort. Indigenous strategies that adapt to the rigors of the local climate and contemporary bioclimatic architecture are part of this introductory course to sustainable design. Participants will be introduced to the human needs for comfort and shelter as well as psychrometrics and the physics of heat transfer and heat loss calculations. Building form, orientation, and indoor spaces will also be discussed as they relate to sun, wind, and site, as well as bioclimatic design, passive solar design, natural cooling, and daylighting. [1.5 Credits]

SUS2030 - Materials, Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality

This course gives students the tools they need to evaluate a material based on how it impacts the built and natural environment. Since people in western cultures tend to spend most of their time indoors, specific attention will be paid to Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). Environmentally responsible materials selection will be discussed, including the importance of waste, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and all aspects of the manufacturing process. Interior design issues that are covered include the importance of natural daylighting, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), and acoustics. Current materials rating systems and specification writing aids will be reviewed. Case studies representing best practices in sustainable design of interiors will be presented for discussion. This course is directly useful to anyone selecting materials for any kind of building project. [1.5 Credits]

SUS2036 - Marketing Sustainability

This course offers an introduction to green building marketing. Students will be introduced to the current market for green buildings. Several methods for making the business case for building green will be examined. The course will introduce marketing concepts for professional service firms, including architects and designers, engineers and contractors. We will study a variety of means of differentiating a firm in this growth market, including networking, partnering, positioning and promotion. The course will examine the concept of branding for individuals and firms. Finally, we will discuss the importance of documentation of sustainability performance to support the marketing of green leadership. [1.5 Credits]

SUS2040 - Sustainable Design for Healthcare Facilities

Greening healthcare projects should be a no-brainer -what building type has occupants more deserving of a healthy space? Unfortunately, when people think of healthy spaces, hospitals are often among the last to come to mind. The intense resource requirements, code constraints, programmatic requirements and institutional culture can make green building a more significant challenge than with other typologies. This course explores the theories and practices of sustainable healthcare design, what it means to create a healthy and healing environment, and how to balance the complex demands of hospitals with those of the natural environment. Topics will include energy and water use intensity, toxicities in building materials, daylighting and opportunities for connections to nature, greening a healthcare campus, use of rating systems, and more. [1.5 Credits]

SUS2049 - Design for Social Resilience

This course introduces students to frameworks for considering and measuring the social impacts of design. [1.5 Credits]

Learning Goals:

1. Students will gain skills in identifying and assessing urban risk factors around a design project.
2. Students will be introduced to the use of mapping techniques in the documentation and analysis of social resilience.
3. Students will develop knowledge around identifying and engaging stakeholders.
4. Students will study the processes of urban gentrification and its impacts on housing accessibility and equity.
5. Students will learn existing guidelines and standards for social resilience including: JUST labeling, Living Building Challenge Equity Petal, LEED pilot credits, SEED Network etc

SUS2050 - Renewable Energy Sources

This course provides an overview of renewable energy sources and systems available for the built environment including solar energy, wind power, fuel cells, biomass and geothermal. Students will learn to assess and quantify, at the scale of the district and the site, opportunities and challenges to the use of renewable energy including energy generation potential, economic outcome and environmental impact. Students will also learn how to create a detailed renewable energy profile and action plan. [1.5 Credits]

REA3010 - Resilient Real Estate Development: Design, Principles and Processes

Developers should think of themselves first and foremost as designers responsible for creating environments that shape human interaction for decades. That responsibility should be grounded in design, planning, and economic principles that establish the framework for creative and innovative thinking that generates opportunities and ultimately builds projects that contribute to the common good.

Recognizing the challenges posed by the marketplace, climate change, and the social impact of the built environment, students will re-examine the definition of highest and best use to develop a holistic vision of development that balances financial, environmental, and social responsibilities. Students will explore fundamental principles and procedures for responsible real estate development to envision, design, plan, and execute development projects from concept formation, site selection, team identification, market analysis to construction and asset management. [3 Credits]

REA3012 - Land Use Planning, Zoning & Regulatory

Real estate development occurs within a complex framework of planning, legal and policy regulations. A development proposal must demonstrate compliance with a community’s comprehensive plan, zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations, and other policies. A local, state, or federal government may require compliance with real estate law environmental regulations on each level. Knowledge of the integration of development with public infrastructure, such as transportation or utilities, as well as a working understanding of community outreach and the public approvals process is necessary for the success of any development project. This course offers an overview, readings, discussions, and applied exercises that address the planning, policy, law and regulatory influences on real estate development. [1.5 Credits]

REA3013 - Real Estate Finance

With an emphasis on responsible development practices, students will study real estate development finance concepts and tools such as discounted cash flow, return on investment (ROI), and capitalization rate analyses and how these concepts and tools are implemented from project conception, through development, construction and into asset stabilization for both commercial and residential projects.

Students will explore options available for funding and financing a project such as capital, debt, and equity markets; review regulations for public financing options and application procedures for various types of financing; define key financial terms and concepts; and discuss ways to fund and raise money for a first project. [3 Credits]

REA3019 - Introduction to Community Development

This course is based on the history and current practice of the community development process, the empowerment of communities through resident leadership and the active participation of people living in neighborhoods where years of neglect by real estate developers left a deteriorating housing stock, boarded-up storefronts and other signs of disinvestment. This is a place making course that takes into consideration the history of the struggle for land use in inner city communities that have encountered systematic neglect from developers. It also includes a summary of the development of affordable housing, main street district storefronts, youth centers and other community based real estate initiatives that have emerged over the past five decades since landmark federal legislation such as the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Community Reinvestment Act (1977). Introduction to Community Development details how past, active, and future real estate deals are connected to and arise from community leadership. Other topics include the expansion of a network of Community Development Corporations (CDCs), Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), Main Streets, and other non-profits directly involved in place making and land use decisions. Positive outcomes that reflect the desire of residents will also treated in some detail. Attention will be given to the financing of community development projects through government grants, private foundations, tax credits, and other gap funding sources. A history and summary of key community leaders in Greater Boston and other cities nationally is included. Emerging trends such as New Urbanism, Smart Growth, Greening the City, Green Buildings, and Historic Preservation are also profiled as communities expand the range of projects they are demanding. At the end of the first week, students will be divided into two group: Group 1 – The Development Team; and Group 2: The Neighborhood to prepare a presentation and push-back for a major real estate development in Dudley Square. This will lead to a final class that models a Zoning Board of Appeal s (ZBA) hearing. Students should anticipate a series of guest lectures from community practitioners working on a wide range of real estate projects. [1.5 Credits]

REA3020 - Climate, Resiliency, and Social Responsibility

The course will introduce students to the current findings of climate science and concepts for considering and evaluating the social impact real estate development has on communities.

Students will examine the risks posed by climate related hazards, how those risks impact project feasibility, and resiliency strategies that mitigate those risks and the opportunities that emerge from those strategies.

Students will study emerging theories of corporate and business responsibilities to balance financial performance with environmental and social responsibilities. [1.5 Credits]

REA3023 - Entrepreneurial Leadership

Real estate development is a collaborative endeavor requiring leadership and management of a team of professional experts, diverse participants, and interested stakeholders. This course will present the developer as the iterative design thinker and innovator who leads the development team through effective decision-making, communication, and negotiation.

Students will study leadership theories, principles of collaboration, negotiation strategies, and communication methods. They will study how effective written, oral, and graphic communication skills are essential to project leadership, decision-making, and management. [1.5 Credits]

LAN2001 - Ecological Analysis & Conceptual Framework*

*Requires the permission of the Program Director to register. Interested students can email ce@the-bac.edu for more information.

This core disciplinary design studio introduces students to the fundamental knowledge and technical skills used by landscape architects to conduct inventory and analysis for projects within the built environment. Complex data sets often inform decisions about land use, development, infrastructure, community and ecological well-being. The processes of collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing data may provide a foundation for both the cultivation of new knowledge and the development of conceptual frameworks or approaches to design. The studio situates analytical methods as integral to design processes, incorporating quantitative landscape performance goals to establish social, environmental, and economic benefits. Students will explore tools and methods for mapping, documenting and designing landscape systems, and develop representational techniques to communicate their ideas. [3 Credits]

MNS1003 - Botany

This course is an introduction to botany and the evolution of plant science. The course presents students with the various aspects of plant characteristics, from their aesthetic quality to their fuel value at both a micro and macro scale. The emphasis is on traditional and technical knowledge, and will directly complement the existing and vital relationships between plants, animals, and human beings. Field trip explorations will include studies and observations on plant physiology and form, plant ecology, plant communities, and biodiversity, as well as basic plant classification and identification. Understanding plant growth forms, reproduction and dispersal mechanisms will lead to appreciation of horticulture and design. The course will also explore the relationships between native vegetation, invasive plants and managed plantings. The use of basic computer skills is required; digital cameras are encouraged to facilitate documenting fieldwork and diagnostic plant features. [3 Credits]

*This is a fully online course. There will be two synchronous online meetings, day/time TBD.

MNS2004 - Ecology Systems

Through lecture, discussion and project exercises, this course will explore the relationships of ecological communities in diverse environments, the implications of landscape patterns, and how landscape scale affects ecosystem processes from rural to urban. Students will consider conservation and management issues at the landscape scale as part of a holistic approach to systems thinking. Key concepts of landscape and urban ecological systems will be examined through the application of concepts to students’ own scaled design proposals. Students will explore the opportunity for redefining our social relation to nature, and our role in doing so as designers, as a way to course correct climate change. [3 Credits]

MNS2009 - Plant Taxonomy

Plant Taxonomy is an introductory course on the comprehension and proficiency of the taxonomy of plant species. The course examines plant diversity, functions, and seasonal distinctions, and studies the relationships between plants and their classification systems. Divisions between families and genera, and the preparation and use of analytic keys are explored. Attention is given to woody plant species, including trees, shrubs and vines of North America, as well as native species for sustainable applications. --- Includes 3 Saturday field trips. [3 Credits]

SUS3200 -Landscape, Climate and the Biosphere

This course, Climate, Landscapes, and the Biosphere, explores the main causes for why the climate system is changing so rapidly and will analyze a range of environmental conflicts that have been generated by anthropogenic processes. Through a series of open lectures, the course aims to examine how those perturbations affect both the ecosystem—landscape—and human health and wellbeing. Scientists are deeply concerned that abrupt climate disturbances in the current Anthropocene Era in which we are living, will irreparably affect and destroy the globe's landscapes for the next thousands or even millions of years. This will inevitably compound the existing damage caused over the last ten thousand years, but particularly the last two hundred years, since the outset of the industrial revolution: and excessive fossil-fuel energy consumption that has powered the progress of our modern society. The predictions derived from mathematical models and in-situ observations are dire and direct this course, therefore, to address the causes and effects of degradation. Climate change and biosphere collapse are by far the most serious existential risks since the evolution of the human species; these dangers are not only for humans though. They are causing millions of other species that co-inhabit the planet alongside us to be under fatal threat. [3 Credits]

DHH3017 - Advanced Theories in Design for Wellbeing

Students explore interdisciplinary theories that provide foundational understanding for health and wellbeing in the built environment. [3 Credits]

Learning Goals:

1. Identify specific theories related to health and wellbeing within the built environment.
2. Discuss the application of health and wellbeing theories as a means of improving the built environment.
3. Analyze the use of health and wellbeing theories as applied to existing design.

DHH3018 - Sacred Design: Shaping Spaces Experiences

Students explore their environments as spiritual spaces for attentive observation & mindful participation. Discover the basics of spiritual design and how the designed spaces influence the experiences relative to sensory perceptions. [1.5 Credits]

*ASYC means that this course will be asynchronous learning.

DHH3019 - Biophilia

This course will examine the principles of Biophilia as they relate to biomimicry, human evolution, and the Design Thinking Process. [1.5 Credits]

DHH3022 - Human Conditions

This course explores specific Human Conditions; what they are and how they can affect the planning and design of the built environment. Students will learn about, and how to identify physical, psychological, and cultural human factors, as well as obstacles from the environment. They will discuss and analyze the specific influences from these factors and how they can be considered throughout the design process. Students will then synthesize practical design solutions that are best for human health and wellness. [1.5 Credits]