Courses

My Continuing/Professional Education Courses

Interested in learning more about wood or digital design & Building Information Modeling (BIM)? Consider signing up for my online courses at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Those continuing education courses can be taken by anyone, even without being a UMass student.

Because they are credited courses, these courses can even count towards the UMass Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Building Construction or our Master’s in Sustainable Building Systems.

Click the cards below for more details.


My UMass Amherst Courses

I currently teach several courses in the Building and Construction Technology (BCT) program at UMass Amherst. In addition to our own students, those are also attended by students from many other disciplines.

Construction Materials and Methods (BCT 204)

2004 to Present | Spring Term | More Information

This course provides an introductory overview of the various materials used in construction (except wood, which is covered in BCT 304). After receiving an introduction into fundamental principles of structural, physical and long-term performance, students learn about material and product manufacturing techniques and how they relate to mechanical and non-mechanical properties of the various materials. Common construction methods are introduced and building details are explored.

Students have the opportunity to experience material capacity and behavior as well as construction methods in demonstrations and lab experiments. Furthermore, material applications and detailing in structural and non-structural building components are explored. Resulting from this course, students will gain a comparative knowledge of material properties and possible applications in construction and architecture.

Properties of Wood (BCT 304) / Understanding Wood & Wood Products (ECO 624)

2007 to Present | Fall Term | More Information

Wood is an amazing building material: It is beautiful and warm to the touch. It is easy to machine and abundantly available. It is light, yet strong and stiff. And best of all: It comes from a renewable source. To build with wood, however, requires understanding its peculiarities: the variability of its properties, its interaction with water and the possibility of bio-deterioration.

This course introduces students to the physical and mechanical properties of wood. It provides an overview of wood-based products and exposes students to structural systems in wood. Basic techniques for physical measurement and mechanical testing are introduced by conducting and analyzing several laboratory experiments.

Designing with 3D CAD & BIM (BCT 420) / Studies in Building Information Modeling (ECO 620)

2007 to Present | Spring Term | More Information

Building upon skills acquired in “Introduction to CAD & BIM for Construction and Architecture”, this course presents advanced topics in architectural CAD & BIM software and its uses in design and construction.

Centered on problem-based tasks, topics such as 3-dimensional modeling, design for fabrication, parametric building design, building information modeling (BIM), material takeoff, energy-efficient planning and model analysis, rendering and presentation, and others will be explored.

Industry-standard CAD/BIM software such as Trimble SketchUp, Trimble Connect, Autodesk Revit, Autodesk Navisworks, and Autodesk AutoCAD will be used to accomplish this.

Jobs and Professional Life in BCT (BCT 492A)

2018 to Present | Spring Term | More Information

BCT students approaching graduation learn to prepare for their professional life by editing their resumes, writing cover letters, developing relevant interviewing skills and starting to network effectively with industry leaders. Each week a different business professional meets with students in this class to discuss careers in the industry. Many speakers are also potential employers who are accepting resumes and may conduct interviews.

Readings in Sustainable Building Systems (ECO 692S)

2018 to Present | Spring Term | More Information

Students in this course will read and discuss current publications that span the entire field of our graduate program. Regularly scheduled discussions will be led by each member of our graduate faculty. This course provides an overview of the breadth and an introduction to the depth of research in our field and serves as a primer for all our graduate students.

Past or Occasional Courses at UMass Amherst

  • Tectonics 3
    ARCH 653 | 2008 to 2023
  • Adventures in 3D Printing
    HONORS 391A | 2014 to 2016
  • B3 – Bio-Based Building Lab
    BCT 597F | co-taught with Peggi Clouston
  • Introduction to CAD & BIM in Construction and Architecture
    BCT 320 (formerly BCT 220) | 2002 to 2008
  • Design and Construction of a Timber Bridge
    BCT 397B | 2005 | co-taught with Peggi Clouston
  • Mechanics of Wood and Wood Composites
    BCT 597A | 2005

Workshops or Guest Lectures

  • Wood products in design
  • 3D modeling and 3D printing
  • Web content-management systems