Concepts and Strategies for Sustainability (U.Porto)

Code:

MBUILD01

Acronym:

CES

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
CNAEF	Civil construction and Civil engineering

Instance: 2025/2026 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	http://www.mbuild.eu
Responsible unit:	Department of Civil and Georesources Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Sustainable Design, Construction and Management of the Built Environment

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MBUILD	27	Syllabus	1	-	6	56	162

Teaching language

English
Obs.: *English

Objectives

This module aims to transmit the main concepts of sustainability and its various possible levels of approach for the construction sector. Frameworks like the UN Sustainable Development Goals, EU legislative and regulatory documents on sustainability and circular economy and the European Framework for Sustainable Buildings, Level(s) will be explored in order to understand the main concerns and the most adequate strategies to be adopted.

Learning outcomes and competences

LEARNING OUTCOMES AND COMPETENCES:
At the end of this module, the students should be able to:
♦Master the main concepts of sustainability and to understand the various possible levels of approach;
♦Be acquainted with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and with how these goals could be pursued in the construction sector;
♦Identify the most sustainable strategies and solutions to be applied in a building project;
♦Know available methodologies and tools for assessing the sustainability level of those strategies and solutions.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Basic knowledge about sustainable concepts in design, construction and management of buildings and infrastructures.

Program

1. SYLLABUS/TOPICS:
   1. What is Sustainability? The three pillars: environmental, economic and social sustainability.
   2. The evolution of concepts and strategies over time.
   3. The emergency of climate change. Implications.
   4. Depletion of natural resources.
   5. Sustainable Development Goals SDG.
   6. The implementation of SDGs. Impact on the construction sector.
   7. Affordable and clean energy.
   8. Sustainable cities and communities.
   9. Legislative and regulatory framework, the case of EU.
   10. Strategies for a circular economy in building construction.
   11. Materials sustainability: LCA fundamentals.
   12. Levels: European Framework for Sustainable Buildings.
   13. Case studies.

Mandatory literature

United Nations; (2025) The Sustainable Development Goals Report, 2025
European Commission (2019); European Green Deal;
Nicholas Dodd et als (2021); Level(s) Users Manuals, European Commission.

Comments from the literature

Other resources to be provided during the module, in connetion with the way the coursework will be developed.

Teaching methods and learning activities

Lectures and class-oriented development of courseworks, with individual research.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	5,00
Exame	50,00
Trabalho prático ou de projeto	40,00
Participação presencial	5,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	1,00
Estudo autónomo	35,00
Frequência das aulas	56,00
Trabalho de investigação	35,00
Elaboração de projeto	35,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

GRADING SCALES AND PERFORMANCE

• U.PORTO Portugal<=> Excellent=> 20; 19; 18; | Very Good=> 17; 16; | Good=> 15; 14; | Sufficient => 13; 12; 11; 10; | Fail=> 9; ...; 0; |
• U. CANTABRIA Spain<=> Matrícula de honor=> 10.0; | Sobresaliente=> 9.9; 9.0; | Notable=> 8.9; ...; 7.0;| Aprobado=> 6.9; ...; 5.0; | Suspenso=> 4.9; ...; 0.0; |
• THM GERMANY<=>Excellent=> 100; ...; 88; | Good=> 87;...; 73;| Satisfactory=> 72;..; 58; | Sufficient=> 57;...; 50; | Fail=> 49;...; 0; |

Calculation formula of final grade

The module will be assessed (in two opportunities) by:
- A group coursework, to be developed during the teaching period;
- An exam, at the end of the teaching period.

Classification improvement

In the case of students that failed the module in the normal assessment, and as the next instance of the module will occur when they will not be in the university where it will be delivered, the following procedure will be followed:

• Re-submission of a revised group coursework;
• Or/and taking the exam of the new instance of the module, to be done at the university where the student is residing, at the same date/time and equal to the one in the university where the current module is being delivered.