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Sustainable Refurbishment - Part Time at Southampton, Solent University - UCAS

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2024 - 20252025 - 2026
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Course summary

Sustainable refurbishment is a rapidly growing field in the UK, with increasing demand for professionals who can breathe new life into existing structures while minimising their environmental impact. Solent's MSc Sustainable Refurbishment will help provide you with the skills to become a sustainable refurbishment specialist. The course aims to produce specialist refurbishment designers with the vision and skills to improve the performance of existing building stock in UK and international markets. During your studies, you'll develop an holistic approach to reducing the carbon footprint of existing buildings and gain essential skills in the design and production process of low-energy, sustainable refurbishments, using both passive and active strategies. You'll have access to Solent's excellent built environment facilities, working with up-to-date tools used by the building industry to achieve sustainable refurbishment, including building information modelling and globally renowned sustainability assessment benchmarks such as BREEAM and LEED. The course benefits from extensive links with industry, formed over many years of delivering accredited courses with professional organisations (eg, CIAT, CIOB, and SBID). Practitioners from a cross-section of the built environment industry contribute regularly to the academic process by providing real-world projects, guest lectures, site visits and informal mentoring sessions. To enhance employability prospects, a placement option is available for this course. This will enable you to apply the knowledge you've gained during your studies in a real-world industry environment. Our suite of sustainable construction management, architecture and refurbishment courses have an international focus. Not only in the industry-led course content, but also in the student body. Our students are of many different nationalities, bringing with them a wealth of experience, meaning you'll study in a diverse, multicultural environment that reflects the truly global nature of the sustainable construction industry. This course is for: MSc Sustainable Refurbishment is ideally suited to architects, building technologists, interior architects, building designers, and other construction professionals who aim to specialise in designing, analysing and assessing the performances of refurbishment projects.

Modules

Core modules

  • Sustainable Building - Strategies and Assessment
During this module you'll examine the role of architectural design and the current trends of building standards and benchmarks that influence a building's efficiency during its whole life cycle. You'll gain an insight into the roles of different professionals in shaping the way the built environment responds to economic, social, and environmental global challenges. You'll also cover the principles of environmental assessment methods of buildings in the UK and internationally, how and when to use these methods, and their appropriateness to different design schemes.
  • Sustainable Refurbishment Project
The aim of this module is to give you the opportunity to apply sustainable design principles on, where possible, a live refurbishment project. It will enable you to demonstrate understanding of how the design methods and tools can change the function, space planning, and performance of an existing building and affect its usability and environmental impact. Passive and active design principles of sustainable refurbishment will be developed through the design and detailing stages of the project. Typically, you will use ‘real-world’ and/or client-led scenarios to devise, present and justify coherent sustainable strategies that form an integral part of the refurbishment design, construction and operation of buildings.
  • Building Information Management
Through this module you will investigate the changing nature of building projects and teams and how traditional methods of information, and their management are failing to meet information requirements to maximize value of investment in built assets.
  • Research Dissertation
This module asks you as a design researcher to reflect on and establish a research framework and set of skills needed for conducting your research dissertation and you will be able to demonstrate a critical awareness of the industrial context where your initial research is aligned with from the early stages of the module. You will be given lectures and seminars to help establish your understanding of up to date research skills, theories on how to aquire knowledge and skills to be able to communicate complex research information for an academic audience.
  • Sustainable Refurbishment Analysis
In this module, you'll understand the theories, standards and CIBSE guides which define net-zero sustainable refurbishment of existing building. You'll learn about the challenges and opportunities driving the agenda for sustainable refurbishment of existing buildings while acquiring skills to analyse various building systems and components to optimize solutions for net zero sustainable refurbishment. You'll also acquire knowledge and practical skills to analyse the interactions between building fabric, building services, and building users and select solutions which ensure outcomes for net zero sustainable refurbishment are realised and maintained during building operations.
  • Design Project
The Design Project provides an opportunity to pursue independent lines of enquiry over an extended time frame. You will demonstrate your ability to systematically develop a sustainable design solution in response to a complex brief; pursue a coherent line of investigation; and undertake a range of complex design-based investigations leading to a comprehensive visual, written and oral presentation.

How to apply

International applicants

Please note that we are unable to sponsor international students who require a Student Route Visa on part-time courses due to UKVI regulations.

Entry requirements

• An honours degree at 2:2 or higher in a related discipline • Applicants with relevant industry experience may be considered. • Applicants may also be required to send a portfolio and may be contacted for an interview either face to face or through Skype. Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are: • IELTS minimum 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual component • TOEFL IBT 92 with a minimum of 22 in writing and a minimum of 20 in reading, listening and speaking • Duolingo English Language Test - 115 overall with minimum of 100 in each component or equivalent. Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Tuition fees for 2025/26 will be available shortly. While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact [email protected]

Sponsorship information

Solent University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships that provide financial assistance or waive fees for tuition or accommodation. Each bursary or scholarship has specific eligibility criteria. Check out our bursaries and scholarships pages to find out more.

Sustainable Refurbishment - Part Time at Southampton, Solent University - UCAS