The Architectural Technology program at Holland College has formed an educational partnership with Nova Scotia Community College, Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands and the Institute of Technology Carlow in Ireland. Architectural Technology students and faculty will participate in an international exchange project focused on developing energy-efficient solutions for the built environment.

Energy Efficiency in the Built Environment is a three-year project that allows students and faculty to travel between Canada, Ireland and the Netherlands to plan and execute residential energy efficiency projects. The project is funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and the European Union.

Project-based learning activities will involve teams of students and faculty from each partner institution that will come together at one host institution per academic term to work with local community partners, industry and relevant government and non-governmental agencies. The teams will work together at each host site to solve energy efficiency challenges. The first three-week exchange will take place in March 2011.

"How we train and educate the next generation to design and build infrastructure and use energy has important implications for the future in Canada and the EU," says Bruceyene Collins, instructor for the Architectural Technology program. "The Energy Efficiency in the Built Environment Project recognizes and addresses this international curricular challenge through a Transatlantic Exchange Partnership. This project will connect students and faculty from educational institutions in Canada and the EU to develop an innovative educational program to take a leadership role in significantly improving energy efficiency practice in the built environment industry, and to prepare built environment students for work in an international context. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students."

The Architectural Technology program is a two-year comprehensive training program that encompasses all aspects of the architectural building industry. It offers an intensive study of architectural building sciences, the principles of architectural and engineering design, materials of construction and the preparation of contract documents.

In this picture: (L-R) Architectural Technology students Robert Phelan, Katie Sharkey, Jeffrey Peters, Jordan Nicholson (seated), and Emily Inman discuss the plans for their upcoming international exchange trip to the Netherlands and Ireland.