International Summer School on Sustainable Buildings

04-07-2024

Nineteen students from Spain, Italy, and Lithuania, two Polish students, and nine lecturers from foreign universities participated in the international summer school on the implementation of sustainable solutions in buildings. From 1 to 5 July 2024, the group engaged in on-site sessions at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Bialystok University of Technology, alongside specialists from the university and academics from partner institutions. The course will be supplemented with online sessions.

– Sustainable buildings is a topic that the whole world is currently focusing on. It’s about building in an eco-friendly, environmentally friendly, but also user-friendly way. These are the issues we address in another international summer school at Bialystok University of Technology. Our offering is increasingly popular among young engineers from around the world. The classes involve exchanging experiences, practical workshops, and presenting our achievements in this field, as the experiences of the participants are quite different, – says Assoc. Prof. Dorota Anna Krawczyk, DSc, PhD, Eng, Vice-Rector for International Cooperation at Bialystok University of Technology and coordinator of the school.

The concept of sustainable buildings encompasses a range of activities, processes, and building practices that support the environment economically, socially, and environmentally. The construction industry is key in improving the quality of life, as it is estimated to account for about 40% of energy consumption, 30% of carbon dioxide emissions, and 40% of solid waste production.

Researchers at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Bialystok University of Technology, have been deepening our knowledge in the field of passive construction for years and have made significant achievements. The desire to share their experience attracts young people who, during the Blended Intensive Programme funded under the Erasmus+ Programme, have the opportunity to learn about sustainable buildings from both the design and implementation perspectives—installing appropriate environmental engineering systems, integrating passive architecture into user-friendly spaces, and the financial aspects of the entire process.

Besides attending lectures, laboratory sessions, and design exercises, participants of the summer school at Bialystok University of Technology toured Białystok and Podlasie. They had a study visit to the UNIHOUSE factory in Bielsk Podlaski, a pioneer in the Polish market for producing modern modular buildings with wooden frames. On Thursday afternoon, Marta Orpik and Izabela Karpińska (IROs) organised outdoor games for the students on the BUT campus, providing an excellent opportunity for integration and improving teamwork skills. All interested students could also participate in sports activities organised by Jolanta Zuzda, MD, PhD, Eng.

The Blended Intensive Programme ” Effective Solutions for Sustainable Buildings” (ESSB) involved staff from the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences: Assoc. Prof. Dorota Anna Krawczyk, DSc, PhD, Eng, Beata Biernacka, PhD, Eng, Dorota Gawryluk, PhD, Eng, Arch., Assoc Prof. Marta Kosior-Kazberuk, DSc, PhD, Eng, Beata Sadowska, PhD, Eng, Anna Werner-Juszczuk, PhD, Eng, Tomasz Teleszewski, DSc, PhD, Eng, as well as lecturers from partner universities: University of Bologna (Italy), University of Florence (Italy), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain), University of Naples Federico II (Italy) and University of Cordoba (Spain).

Administrative support was provided by the Mobility and International Agreements Unit of BUT.

by mr

Photo Gallery from the opening of the Blended Intensive Programme „Effective Solutions for Sustainable Buildings” (ESSB) on 1 July 2024.