Inspiring and Preparing the Next Generations of the Built Environment Professionals for a Net Zero Future: Revolutionary Evolution

The role of buildings in humankind’s transition to net zero carbon emissions and the wellbeing of human society has increased significantly in importance since the turn of the century. Transcending multiple disciplinary boundaries is becoming increasingly important for devising solutions to these pressing issues. These issues have extended the role of traditional HVAC engineers to all stages of buildings’ life from preparation and briefing, concept design, spatial coordination, technical design, manufacturing and construction, handover, and finally use including circularity. Undergraduate HVAC programmes play a critical part in developing new competencies and attributes of future built environment professionals. The challenges, opportunities, best practices described in this special issue make a case for a “revolutionary evolution” of the way we educate tomorrow’s engineering professionals.

The total of 46 respondents from 14 European countries provided their views on competencies and attributes of future built environment professionals. In addition, colleagues from Canada, Scotland, Netherlands, and Romania provided set of educational approaches covering key aspects of engineering education from building performance simulation, sustainable development, integrated and net zero carbon design. This special issue ends with insights on transdisciplinary architecture and engineering education in England.

If you are interested to co-create vision for future built environment professionals, please get in touch. This work continues.