October 22, 2024

Three programs from the School of Building Construction have earned the 2024-2027 Zero Energy Design Designation (ZEDD), recognizing programs that emphasize long-term impact of design choices on the built and natural environments.

“Our climate conditions are worsening year by year — we need schools to prepare the next generation to design for future conditions, not the past,” said Amy Royden-Bloom, Residential Buildings Integration program manager at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office. “The programs recognized in this year’s ZEDD cohort are doing just that and should be commended for being on the forefront of tackling climate change.”

The Bachelor of Science in Construction Science and Management, the Minor in Sustainable Development and Construction, and the Master of Real Estate Development join 11 other programs in the 2024-2027 ZEDD cohort.

To be chosen for the designation, programs must go beyond basic building science education, preparing students to design and construct sustainable, energy-efficienct buildings through exemplary zero-energy design curricula and practicums.

According to the DOE, participating the DOE Solar Decathlon Design Challenge can help a school meet the requirements for the designation. The Georgia Tech Solar Decathlon student team, advised by Frank Wickstead, part-time lecturer in the School, won the single-family housing division in 2024 and the Grand Prize in 2022.