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Architectural Engineering Design
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering
Course description
On this course, you’ll combine engineering and architecture to design efficient, sustainable and environmentally sensitive buildings. You’ll cover thermodynamics and energy use in buildings, efficient structural design, material selection – including low impact materials – thermal modelling, airflow analysis and urban microclimate design.
You’ll have access to our leading lab and computer facilities and state of the art equipment, working with wind tunnels, the Urban Flows Observatory Visualisation Suite, virtual reality equipment and thermal cameras.
You’ll be prepared to design and construct buildings to creatively and innovatively reduce environmental impact. Our graduates go on to become building services professionals, environmental design specialists, and low-carbon built environment practitioners.
Accreditation
This degree is accredited as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) for candidates who have already acquired a partial CEng accredited undergraduate first degree. See the Joint Board of Moderators website for more details.
The course is also accredited by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers.
Modules
Core modules:
- Building Environmental Simulation and Analysis
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The course unit aims to provide a general understanding of, and practical experience in computer modelling software systems. This involves the following: Thorough understanding of basic concepts of computer simulation, develop the ability to apply these concepts in real life situations. Understanding the use of computer simulation and the need to use the appropriate software to answer a specific enquiry. Understanding the relationships between the required outcome of a simulation exercise and the input details necessary to produce a valid answer.
15 credits - Principles of Building Physics for Sustainable Design
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Through lectures and workshops this module provides students with a conceptual and practical knowledge and understanding of a range of techniques in building physics that can be applied in sustainable design. The key principles that will be addressed are: the physics of heat and thermal comfort, the physics of light, the physics of sound. Additionally resource use shall be addressed in relation to energy, water and materials. The aim is to provide a toolkit of techniques and to encourage students to evaluate and / or integrate principles of building physics in sustainable design projects.
15 credits - Thermodynamics for Buildings and Cities
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The module covers the thermodynamic principles as they apply to buildings within cities. It considers the fundamental principles required to understand energy flows in the built environment. Practical examples related to heat networks, and building energy use will be covered to enable students to design appropriate solutions.
15 credits - Computational Fluid Dynamics
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This module is designed to provide and reaffirm an understanding of computational fluid dynamics from underlying governing principles modeling the behavior of fluids to typical numerical mathods used for solving them. Through lectures, practical computer sessions, and labs the module aims to provide students with a working understanding of transport equations, turbulence, pressure-velocity coupling in steady flows, and implementation of various boundary conditions in a built-environment context. The module will additionally develop students skills in effectively and professionally communicating implemetation of CFD models.
15 credits - Sustainable Urban Design
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This module applies knowledge and engineering skills in the remit of urban infrastructure to the design of an urban area. The module will require that a broad overview is taken of the urban metabolism to understand the resource and energy dynamics. This will provide a basis for the design of a specific infrastructure system (such as water, energy or transport) considering the engineering design, construction and long term maintenance including the incorporation of technology to maximise efficiencies. Consideration on the impact on city dwellers in relation to equity and health and wellbeing will be vital to the design.
15 credits - Urban Microclimate
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With the risk of climate change and the growing urbanisation of cities it is essential that we design cities in such as way as to reduce the impact on the local climate. This module will give you an understanding of the fundamental processes which result in alterations to the local climate in cities followed by best practice design approaches to reduce the impact on the climate. This will cover consideration of heat, wind and pollution. You will develop your understanding through lectures, seminars, case study reviews and through design. Related topics such as soundscapes will also be discussed.
15 credits - Research and Professional Skills
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This module fosters best practice in engineering-related research/professional skills and delivers a range of training activities to meet the needs of professional engineers dealing with research and technological development.
15 credits - Advanced Engineering Research Study
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This module represents a major element of the Masters programme, with the aim of enabling you to learn skills in scientific investigation and in running and presenting a project. You are required to submit a comprehensive (bound) report describing the individual work that you have done during the summer semester.
60 credits - GIS for Built Environment Professionals
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This module aims to introduce key Geographical Information Systems (GIS) principles and techniques to students in fields where GIS is becoming an increasingly relevant tool. The focus is on enabling students to develop an understanding of the potential of GIS and some fundamental GIS skills, through a series of workshops using a range of common software. Assessment is through a written report incorporating visualisations and analysis.
15 credits
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption. We are no longer offering unrestricted module choice. If your course included unrestricted modules, your department will provide a list of modules from their own and other subject areas that you can choose from.
Open days
An open day gives you the best opportunity to hear first-hand from our current students and staff about our courses. You'll find out what makes us special.
Duration
1 year full-time
Teaching
We use a variety of teaching methods to support your learning, including tutorials, lectures, group project work, virtual learning environments and individual research. Some modules may feature input from our industrial partners, laboratory work or site visits.
Assessment
Your assessments will include formal examinations, coursework and research projects. Regular feedback is also provided, so that you can understand your own development throughout the course.
Facilities
Monitoring equipment for assessing the real-life performance of buildings: energy monitors, indoor environment monitors, heat flux monitors, thermal camera; wind tunnel suitable for assessing the impact of wind on urban forms at 1:200 scale, virtual reality equipment and visualisation suite.
Department
Civil engineering is at the forefront of improving the way we live. Whether it's designing the infrastructure that keeps our day-to-day lives running smoothly - from buildings and bridges to clean water supplies - or working to meet the ever-changing needs of our society in the areas of sustainability, renewable energy and climate change, you'll be helping to create and protect the world we live in.
Our courses will make you the kind of engineer the world needs right now; forward-thinking, interdisciplinary, environmentally conscious, and capable of the kind of complex thinking our rapidly changing society needs. Wherever you choose to start your career, you'll be in demand.
We're eighth in the UK for civil engineering, according to the Times Good University Guide 2022, and the Complete University Guide 2022. Our research is internationally recognised, and we work closely with industry and government to ensure that our research has real world impact.
Entry requirements
Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree (BEng, MEng, or BSc) in a scientific or engineering subject.
You will need a strong background and high previous performance (equivalent to 2:1) in at least one maths module (e.g. mathematics, statistics, linear algebra, calculus).
If you have architectural qualifications and you can show evidence of relevant mathematical skills, we'll consider your application.
Overall IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component, or equivalent.
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the department.
Fees and funding
Apply
You can apply for postgraduate study using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It's a quick and easy process.
Contact
civilpgadmissions@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 5711
Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.
Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.