Construction Management with a Foundation Year - BSc (Hons)

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.

This module introduces you as a construction management student to site management practice which forms a key part of the construction manager’s role and provides the required understanding of the day-to-day management of construction projects. The principal focus of the module focuses on site related tasks such as planning for construction sites, site layout planning, resource management and health and safety on construction sites. The secondary focus is on the construction manager’s role in the overall building lifecycle process from inception to completion.  

The built environment is continuously evolving through advances in construction materials, products and construction techniques. For future built environment professionals, it is essential to understand how material properties and performance requirements influence design decisions and the selection of construction methods, including modern and innovative approaches, while recognising key sustainability considerations such as durability, efficiency and waste reduction.

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 develops Construction Management students’ understanding of structural technology and stability within a construction context, building on Level 4 foundations and progressing to a Level 5 focus on applied structural understanding for construction management practice. The module equips students with the level of structural awareness required to plan and manage construction activities safely and effectively; it is not intended to develop structural design competence.

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.