Construction Management with a Foundation Year - BSc (Hons)

The Built Environment is a complex, unpredictable and unique in its own way. This module aims to provide an introductory platform towards understanding the elements and factors that influence the built environment, which support shaping the context of built environment. This module will also walk you through different built environment professions.

Within the built environment, many traditional and modern techniques are being incorporated in order to cope with the nature and functional requirements of a building. This module aims to draw focus upon high level elements that are present in every building including building structure, enclosure, materials and environmental factors. Building on the knowledge that you developed from “Built Environment Context and Practice”, this module compliments the importance of different professions within the built environment

The use of computing and technology have become an essential part in our daily routines. This module aims to focus on many of the daily utilised computing technologies such as ICT, programming, graphics and effective use of visualisation tools. It then draws the attention towards built environment computing technologies, demonstrating how different professions utilise it to communicate, exchange and interpret information. Regardless of the built environment profession that you aim to specialise in, this module embeds computing technology-related knowledge that will support you at different levels during your degree.

The use of numbers within the built environment is inevitable, unavoidable and impactful in many ways. This module aims to provide an overview over the use of quantitative methods within the built environment and their relationship to different scenarios and identifying their value allowing you to develop the necessary foundation skills. This module acts as a preparatory stage in terms of both enhancing and developing your mathematical and quantitative abilities before commencing to Level 4. It also develops your awareness of the quantitative-related matters within different professions.

Academic and personal study skills are essential elements which should be applied in order to be successful in Higher Education. This module aims to help you in developing basic research skills, academic writing and reflection skills. These skills are inevitably important and will support your transition to the higher education levels of study associated with your chosen degree programme.

During the journey within higher education, developing your independent study is an essential skill to support shaping the knowledge to become more useful and applied within practice. This module aims to provide you with necessary skills and tips that should support you to work independently within your discipline and to successfully apply project management tools and techniques to a mini project related to your subject discipline.

This module explores how key ‘actors’, including professional bodies, landowners, developers, investors, politicians, members of the public, and the state, etc. influence the development of the built and natural environment.

This module introduces, for all of the built environment professions, a range of concepts relating to the technology of construction. It provides you with an understanding of modern and sustainable methods of construction. We use the example of low rise residential construction as it is relatively straightforward and allows us to introduce and explore these issues appropriately.

This module is delivered to all of the undergraduate programmes in the built environment disciplines and provides you with the basic legal concepts and principles you will need throughout your professional career.

Digital construction is an integral component of contemporary design, development and maintenance of modern residential development. Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology is at the forefront of the progressive movement towards total digitalisation of the built environment.

Environmental and materials science is an important area of study for all disciplines involved with the design, planning, developing and management of the built environment. This module encourages you to consider how the properties, structures and performance of materials influence why buildings and structures function. You will be encouraged to consider how these properties impact construction from a design and practical use perspective. This module will therefore enable you to develop innovative solutions for more robust, resilient, safe and sustainable buildings and structures.

The fast pace of development in the built environment has led to improvements in the design and management of projects in the built environment with the use of modern technologies, processes and techniques for delivering value for money on project. The successful introduction of new technologies or procedures into the built environment context is critical for the improvement of the industry. For the built environment professionals of the future, this means the need to master modern and innovative technologies and techniques for designing and building faster, using more sustainable materials and methods, and within reasonable cost.

In this module you will cover core areas required in designing and setting up a contract. It is designed to give you an understanding of the procurement process and how it can deliver on a range of benefits to clients, contractors and other stakeholders involved with the development process.

During the module, you are required to develop your knowledge on issues that affect the choice of a procurement strategy by evaluating various projects and the best management and procurement approaches to be adopted. You will also learn about how the choice of procurement strategy will impact on time, cost, viability, quality and sustainability issues. Current issues influencing procurement, such as international markets, legislation and sustainable procurement, will also be covered.

This module has been designed to enable you to use problem-based learning to understand the Technology of Civil Engineering and innovation now being applied by Construction Managers.

You will expand your skills in interpreting information about project sites and you will develop a wider understanding of operational and constructional processes. Within the module you will be introduced to key aspects of Civil Engineering.

This module will explore the wider implications of the key factors which affect the selection of both traditional and new building methods and materials used in the construction of new build commercial and industrial buildings and introduce environmental and mechanical services systems which need to be installed in these buildings.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is an intelligent 3D model-based process that provides built environment professionals with the insight and tools to help plan, design, construct, and manage buildings and infrastructure. In this module, you will be encouraged to explore the potential of BIM in helping to understand the social, economic and environmental benefits associated with co-ordinated infrastructure and complex structure development.

You will be given a real construction project in which you will become increasingly aware of your own impact on the environment and communities we work within. Through group work, reporting writing and presentations you will develop the self-confidence to critically reflect upon your own leadership and problem solving skills via an integrated project delivery.

This module aims to develop and enhance the student’s knowledge and understanding of economic theories and high level external influences impacting the construction industry.

This module will broaden your knowledge on early estimating processes linked in to the RIBA Plan of Work and different costs involved in a construction project and encompasses cost considerations from early feasibility, final account stage, to life cycle costs. You will develop commercial management skills in construction through a theoretical and practical understanding of the monetary processes of a construction project from the initial brief through to the occupation or use of the project.

This module aims to deliver both knowledge and technical skills required to plan and program activities for a construction project and to manage resources on site to achieve project success.

The module delivers a breadth of knowledge on major areas of the construction process. This includes site set up activities, resource management, practical aspects of health and safety, accountancy of risks and risk assessment, planning and programming, data and information management, communication and management theories, and the role of CDM regulations within a construction project.

Further deepening your knowledge and understanding of contract law and procurement, this module will provide you with the hands on experience of designing and executing a contract, which is a core requirement of you, as a construction professional. This module will introduce you to the various forms of contracts and the responsibilities of the people involved in executing a contract.

The module explores and applies sustainable architectural engineering principles to the construction, planning and design of buildings / structures in order to create a sustainable built environment.

Through the study of the principles and pillars of sustainability, structural integrity of buildings, construction technologies, and energy management issues, the module seeks to promote the construction management process as a part of a creative, practical and interdisciplinary / collaborative approach, with involvement from the earliest stages of the design process, to consider new and evolving sustainability demands from all stakeholders and the use of sustainable materials and assembly techniques based on the need for more sustainable buildings.

The purpose of the module is to enable you to undertake a sustained, in-depth and research-informed project exploring an area that is of personal interest to you. In agreement with your supervisor, you will decide upon your topic which will take the form of a practical outcome (artefact) with accompanying contextual material. The main consideration when choosing your topic is that it must be aligned to the programme you are studying, and you should consider the relevance of this topic to your future academic or professional development.

At this level, you will be expected to work independently but you will receive additional one-to-one support from your supervisor, who will be familiar with your chosen topic area. As you progress on the module, extra support will be available and this may take the form of group seminars, workshops and online materials that will help to develop your project.

This module will provide you a critical perspective on the nature, and a number of essential aspects of construction projects together with the approaches and techniques to manage them.

The module will establish construction projects as an organisational entity, and highlight the two main approaches to the management of projects. The first one is the functional management approach which is largely based on structured techniques and methods, and the second one is the organisational management approach which sees management as an ongoing social and organisational process.

This module will focus on extending and providing appropriate evidence of your professional skills and development. Within an applied socially responsive framework, you will examine a range of issues related to the client, the site, planning, financial/development appraisal, design technology, legal and regulatory, health and safety etc. These will be covered in conjunction with other professional courses or your own discipline as appropriate, given that all built environment professions and recent reports such as the Farrell Review place increasing stress on interdisciplinary understanding and working.