About
Appalachian’s Bachelor of Science degree in Building Sciences with a concentration in Architectural Technology and Design develops students’ skills in the thinking and making of sustainable buildings that contribute positively to the built environment.
Architects formulate and develop innovative solutions to a multitude of important challenges and are required to think both synthetically and analytically. As a student in this major, you will explore architecture’s overlap of arts and sciences, its history and theory in relation to society and culture, as well as anthropometrics, materials science, structures, construction methods and more.
This program takes a holistic educational approach toward building science and makes you well prepared for a productive career in the field or for advanced study of architecture at the graduate level.
This degree is housed in the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment.
After Graduation
This degree is a stepping stone for anyone interested in pursuing a graduate degree in architecture and for those interested in allied fields (e.g., interior architecture, digital fabrication, computer modeling, architectural engineering, construction manufacturing technologies and delivery, construction project management, building performance, building components and materials development, sustainable building design, urban design, community design, architectural representation, etc.).
Employment: Recent employers include Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, in situ Studio and Watson Tate Savory.
Graduate School: Students from this program have continued their studies at:
- Clemson University College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities
- N.C. State University College of Design
- Pratt Institute Graduate Architecture Program
- UNC Charlotte College of Arts and Architecture
- University of Oregon School of Architecture and Allied Arts
- University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design
- Virginia Polytechnical Institute College of Architecture and Urban Studies
Related Programs
Minors
A minor is not required. Suggested minors include:
- Community and Regional Planning
- Sustainable Technology
Engagement Outside the Classroom
American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) - a student organization acting as a cooperative between thousands of students in North America that is committed to providing a forum for ideas and a community of emerging architectural professionals.
Student Builders Association (SBA) - a student club that brings industry speakers to campus, makes connections with employers, visits innovative projects, participates in community service, and works with the High Country Homebuilders Association.
Professional Construction Estimators Association (PCEA) - the flagship student club of the PCEA, where members actively pursue their education and goal of becoming professional estimators.
Appalachian State University Habitat for Humanity - a student service club that assists the Watauga County affiliate of Habitat for Humanity through fundraising, volunteering, and construction workdays at various project sites.
Renewable Energy Initiative - a committee of students, with faculty and staff advisors, that is responsible for allocating money towards the implementation of renewable energy on the Appalachian campus. The committee’s annual operating budget comes from a self-imposed student fee of $5 per student per semester.
Sustainability Council - a university group comprising more than 70 administrators, faculty, staff and students that sets and executes the vision for sustainability on the Appalachian campus.
Student Competitions
- Associated Schools of Construction Student Competition
- Residential Construction Management Competition
- North Carolina Sustainable Building Design Competition
- Sigmon Memorial Scholarship Masonry Design Competition
Global Learning
Appalachian is committed to introducing students to different cultures and teaching them how to live and interact in a global society.
Building Science’s faculty-led, short-term study abroad programs and their focus include:
- Austria and Switzerland: Renewable Energy and Architecture
- Nicaragua and Costa Rica: Sustainable Technology
- Peru: Building and Designing for Nature
- South Korea and Taiwan: Sustainable Energy and Architecture
Admission Requirements
There are no admission requirements beyond admission to Appalachian State University.
Why Appalachian?
- Students enjoy many opportunities to gain hands-on experiential and applied interdisciplinary learning in this degree program. Examples: students’ successful competition in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon and the Solar Decathlon Europe, and the IDEXlab where students design, build and perform real projects for real clients with real needs.
- Faculty members’ interdisciplinary expertise assures meaningful research opportunities for students on topics including: high performance construction assemblies, energy efficient building systems, indoor environmental quality (IEQ), design-build and prefabrication, design virtualization and energy modeling, and sustainable design and construction.
- A professional internship is required as a capstone experience, providing students the opportunity to apply their coursework and gain practical experience.
- Special Topics Courses are offered each semester as electives to address current or future issues facing the building industry.
Location
Boone campus, with select courses offered online
Careers
- Architect
- Architectural Designer
- Architectural Engineer
- Building Inspectors
- Civil Engineer
- Construction Manager
- Consultant
- Contractor
- Industrial Engineer
- Landscape Designer
- Manufacturer’s Field Representatives
- Mechanical Engineer
- Urban Planners
- Preservationist
View more career possibilities
Contacts
College of Fine and Applied Arts
Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment
Dr. Andrew Windham
Program Director
windhamaw@appstate.edu
828-262-8224
buildingscience.appstate.edu