Built environment

Six reasons to study built environment and civil engineering at the University of Brighton

From the location of the kitchen sink to the layout of a city, the environment we have made for ourselves has an enormous impact on how we live. The construction technologies we use, the architectural designs and the way in which our buildings affect the natural environment change the way we live, work and interact with each other.

At Brighton you will engage with the environmental, social and economic consequences of construction, its impacts on society at large and its implications for a sustainable future.

Undergraduate courses
Postgraduate courses
Further information

Undergraduate courses

Whether you study a BSc(Hons) in Architectural Technology, Building Surveying, Construction Management or Project Management for Construction, you will spend your first year gaining skills and knowledge common to all of these disciplines. You will specialise in year 2 and have the flexibility to create your own programme for your final year. You might choose a module on 21st Century Brighton, Citizenship for the Environment, Property Law or IT Graphics for Construction. You could even pick a separate topic from another area. We can also help you find a year’s placement, gaining real industry experience to boost your CV.

In Architectural Technology, accredited by the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists, you will learn to apply the science of building design and construction. Or you can learn key aspects of defects diagnosis and the skills to carry out effective management and maintenance of property portfolios with Building Surveying, which is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

The Construction Management and Project Management for Construction courses are fully recognised by the Chartered Institute of Building exempting graduates from the chartered membership examination. Project Management for Construction Management is also accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

In Construction Management you will study the behaviour of materials and construction economics as well as versatile skills such as facilities and people management. As a Project Management for Construction student you will develop the practical, communication and managerial skills suitable for many career paths, with topics such as law and tendering alongside construction methods and building technology. With either course, you have optional modules from the start. You could even study a modern European language alongside your main subject, preparing you for work abroad.

Whichever Built Environment subject you pick, you’ll be studying at a university with one of the best teaching quality records in the UK and with an excellent student satisfaction ranking. You will be taught by staff who are fully involved with professional bodies and ongoing projects, giving you up-to-date and practical information. You will gain the specialist knowledge needed to contend with global issues such as climate change – and the skills vital for a career in the construction industry.

Derek O’Connor, who studied Construction Management, says ‘Whilst on my placement I helped to develop a three-storey Victorian house. I was later employed as a project manager with the same company and went on to develop restaurants and bars. Now I am involved in setting up a company that works in the environmental goods and services sector. Sustainability is going to be the fastest growing sector over the next decade and it’s great to be able to contribute and influence the debate.’

Built Environment and Civil Engineering Undergraduate Degree Brochure

Download the brochure(1.7Mb pdf)

Postgraduate courses

These courses will build on your background experience and the expertise of staff in the built and natural environments and in civil engineering to give you a challenging and dynamic learning experience. You can study each course part- or full-time to fit around your career. Each comprises a mixture of vocational teaching and an individual research project, preparing you both for professional work or for further academic study.

The MSc Construction Management is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. The course will prepare you for the complex network of design, component manufacture and assembly systems that comprise modern construction. You will learn on-and off-site operational management, how to work with clients and employers, and how to develop site management proposals and execute the work efficiently and safely.

In the MSc Facilities Management you will learn about the legal, economic, technical, social, environmental and practical factors affecting design and construction technologies, and how business development is affected by the operation of its facilities. You will gain the knowledge, skills and experience to manage facilities from the start to the end of a construction project. The course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

During the MSc Project Management for Construction you will learn to manage construction projects at strategic and tactical levels involving the client, developers, financiers, designers, main contractors and users. Effective project delivery training will cover problem identification, client needs, ideas and solutions, design through construction, use of facility, decommissioning and re-use/recycling. The course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

The MSc Environmental Assessment and Management helps you understand and manage human impact on the environment. You will explore current UK, EU and international policy requirements for environmental assessment and management. You will go on local fieldtrips and attend talks by the Environment Agency, environmental consultants and conservation organisations to find out about current practices and conflicts in the field. The course is accredited by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

‘Mouchel regularly recruit environmental consultants from the MSc Environmental Assessment and Management course. The course gives them a superb grounding in both the principles and practicalities of environmental management which they are able to apply with confidence in the work place. It provides students with excellent basis for a career in the environmental sector.’ Adrian Dawes, Director, Planning and Consultation Division, Mouchel (2007)

Reducing the energy demands of existing and new buildings and supplying energy from non-fossil-based fuels can have a major effect on greenhouse gas reductions. In the MSc Sustainability of the Built Environment course you will gain an advanced understanding of the resource implications of building materials and methods of construction. You will investigate the energy consumption of buildings, demands for fuel and emissions associated with fossil and renewable sources. You will learn to evaluate the environmental impacts of buildings based on a whole life-cycle approach, and will graduate with the technical knowledge and key skills to meet the increasing demand in this area.

Providing an education in town planning that is both embedded in the local community and a vehicle for global citizenship, the MSc Town Planning at the University of Brighton meets personal, professional and societal needs. The programme benefits from an international and environmentally conscious curriculum that promotes critical thinking, community engagement, partnership building and leadership. This course is fully accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Vocational teaching is backed up by fieldtrips to places such as the King’s Cross redevelopment area, the Rye Conservation Area, Caterham Barracks and the Hollingdean Waste Transfer Station in Brighton.

There is a thriving research community, with recent DPhil theses including:

Life cycle energy consumption associated with glass within commercial building envelopes
Thermal performance of deciduous climbing plants on glazed building façades
Culture rich design: A ‘Cultural-Semiotic’ framework in product design applied to urban streetscape elements.