CLIM074 - Climate Change Resilience for Building Sector Professionals
Course Description
This five-week online course offered by the Climate Risk Institute in collaboration with Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia and delivered by leading infrastructure and resilience experts will provide participants with a knowledge foundation for the use of climate risk assessment and climate resiliency measures for the planning, design, and construction of Part 3 buildings. The course will provide an overview of the fundamental principles that underpin climate change; building resilience foundations; the vulnerability of buildings to the impacts of current and future climate; applications of climate resilience strategies for buildings; and climate resilience planning strategies for the buildings sector.
This course covers both technical material and advanced concepts, but in an accessible manner. Expertise in these areas is not necessary for successful completion of the course nor for incorporating key learning objectives into your practice.
This online course will be of interest to practitioners in the building workforce including, but not limited to, engineers, architects, building scientists, planners, policy makers, procurement specialists, climate risk and resilience professionals, and other buildings sector practitioners who, now and in the future, need to consider the changing climate in their work. The content is tailored for practitioners involved in the planning, design, and construction of Part 3 buildings (larger buildings exceeding 600 m2 in area or exceeding three stories in height).
This course is offered in partnership with The Climate Risk Institute:
Please note: This course is not eligible for the Lifelong Learning Alumni Discount.
Course Outline
- Key definitions and resilient building concepts, including risk, vulnerability, uncertainty, and the relationship between resilience, sustainability, and asset management.
- Climate data interpretation and its application in assessing building risks across varying locations, climate scenarios, and user needs
- Equity-informed approaches to resilience planning, including engagement strategies that consider climate justice, community impacts, and diverse interest holders.
- Principles of resilient building design with a focus on Part 3 Buildings in Canada, including adaptation and mitigation measures, trade-offs, co-benefits, and the potential for maladaptation.
- Decision-making and implementation strategies to integrate resilience objectives into professional practice, asset management, and long-term planning for new and existing buildings.
Learner Outcomes
- An increased understanding of the impacts and liabilities related to Part 3 buildings as a result of climate change.
- An increased understanding of historical climate trends, methods for projecting future climate, and approaches for acquiring and applying climate data in infrastructure assessments for the buildings sector.
- Hands-on experience with interpreting climate data to perform basic climate risk assessments for buildings.
- An increased understanding of how to apply principles of resilient design and consider potential trade-offs and maladaptations with the integration of passive and active building systems measures.
- Familiarity with equity-informed engagement strategies to assess risk and develop resilience solutions.
- Knowledge to critically evaluate the economic benefits of resilience measures through cost-benefit analyses and other impact assessment methods.
- An acquired toolkit of strategies for persuading decision-makers to adopt long-term resilience measures and to incorporate a climate resilience lens to all facets of professional practice.