Study Programmes 2015-2016
ARCH0009-3  
Durable building construction techniques 2 : networks
Duration :
20h Th, 40h Pr, 1d FW, 45h Proj.
Number of credits :
Bachelor in engineering : architecture5
Lecturer :
Shady Attia
Language(s) of instruction :
French language
Organisation and examination :
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Course contents :
The course "Techniques of sustainable construction of buildings II " addresses the technical, constructive and materials related to sustainable architectural projects. The semester deals with technical systems: specificities, coordination and integration in a architectural building project. This course is to thoroughly study sustainable building techniques in terms of principles for integrating of equipment into a global architectural concept and technical networks.
  • Sustainable construction and life cycle assessment of buildings
  • Spatial and technical coordination: Principles for integrating equipment into an overall architectural concept.
  • Health I & II: design and planning, drainage, sanitation, distribution and disposal and rainwater harvesting, solar hot water.
  • Electricity: design process - artificial lighting.
  • Heating I & II: design process - choice of systems - renewable energy and heat distribution.
  • Ventilation: Ventilation for buildings - steps ventilation / air conditioning design - heat recovery systems.
  • Lighting: Night lighting, natural relief and signaling.
  • Fire protection: concept and methods of protection, technical means and networks.
  • Transportation: Elevators, hoists, gears , mechanical
Learning outcomes of the course :
At the end of this course the student should be able to:


  • Analyze the constraints of integrating various areas of technical systems to the architecture (safety, noise, energy, environmental impacts) project.
  • Apply and propose structural measures capable of providing spatial and technical coordination networks.
  • Create and design systems and building systems determine size and plan for district heating, plumbing, ventilation and electricity)
  • Making a brief preliminary design using appropriate tools (BIM) for integrating and visualizing the project.
Other skills


  • Coordinate a team to develop, agree and make a work plan.
  • Knowing to access to appropriate sources of information and evaluate them.
  • Persevere despite difficulties or initial errors to find an optimal solution
  • Document and communicate the project.
  • Plan activities so as to make the most out of the available time.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
Prerequisite: "Techniques de construction des bâtiments durables Ia +b"
Students must be familiar with concepts such as: Heat transfer, heat storage, greenhouse effect, electric circuit, heat pump and natural lighting. 
Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
During practical works, students have to develop technical details for buildings and systems design and calculate their energy performance.
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
Face-to-face from september to december: Flipped Classes (Enriched skeleton mapping), Practical work, integrated project, Construction site visits
Evaluation: Final written exam, continous evaluationm Jury and final project submittal.
One or more construction site visits will be organized during the study weeks.
Recommended or required readings :
  • Publications of BBRI, Belgian Building Research Institute: http://www.cstc.be/ (full acces to website at the library FSA) - notamment les NIT 192 « La ventilation des habitations, 1ère partie », NIT 200 « Installations sanitaires, 1ère partie », NIT 203 « La ventilation des habitations, 2ème partie »
  • René Vittone, Bâtir, manuel de la construction, 2010, Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes
Assessment methods and criteria :
  • A written theory exam: 30% of the final grade.
  • Evaluation of practical work: 70% of the final grade (28% for the evaluation during the study semester, 14% for the final jury, and 28% for the final project submittal).
  • This is an interactive course; therefore it is essential that every student participate in class. Presence is obligatory for all theory classes and during the site visits. Presence will be graded. In other words, grades or points can be lost in case of absence without justified reasons. The absence will also lead to penalty to the whole group work grade.
  • All students must attend the final jury to benefit from the feedback provided by experts.
Work placement(s) :
Organizational remarks :
You must be registered!
 The course is organized around a building project for the design and production of construction plans for a sustainable home. The students, in teams of three, are required to make working drawings (1: 50) and detailed drawings (appropriate scale of 1: 20 to 1 : 5 ) as a sequence of steps enabling them to integrate systems and networks by gradually increasing the complexity of the project .
Five performance areas (health, electricity, heating, ventilation and lighting) will be integrated into the design process by following the chronology of the theory. The constructive aspects of the house will be included along with this process to come to an acceptable proposal in terms of performance (Belgian or European standards), but in the same time being realistic in terms of construction details .
 These aspects will be introduced in three phases:
 1) In the first phase we will develop a comprehensive outline of the project.
 2) In the second phase we will take a more quantitative approach in the form of analysis and application of the five aspects of performance; mentioned as well as positive aspects. The goal is to achieve the integration as fundamental design elements for the building. This phase will take place gradually, introducing the performance elements to be included in the set of constraints to be considered in order to advance the project in a more holistic way. Each theme will be considered first introduced as a theory and illustrated by an exercise.
 3) In the third phase we will complete the project by integrating these different aspects in a global concept for house approved by the supervisors.
 This structure is illustrated in the diagram below.
Contacts :
Shady Attia, PhD, LEED AP Professor of Sustainable Architecture and Building Construction Head of Sustainble Buildings Design (SBD) Lab
ArGEnCo Dept., Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Liège
Quartier Polytech 1, Allée de la Découverte 9 4000 Liège, Belgium Tél:  +32 43.66.91.55 - Fax: +32 43.66.29.09 shady.attia@ulg.ac.be
http://www.sbd.ulg.ac.be/
Didier Mans, Architectural engineer, part-time assistant ArGEnCo Dept., Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Liège 1 Chemin des Chevreuils, Sart Tilman B52 (-1/446), 4000 Liège, Belgium Tél:  +32 43.66.95.14 - email: didier.mans@ulg.ac.be
Items online :
Course Content on eCampus
Course Content on eCampus