Parametric optimization techniques allow building designers to pursue multiple performance objectives, which can benefit the overall design. However, the strategies used by architecture and engineering graduate students when working with optimization tools are unclear, and ineffective computational design procedures may limit their success as…

Universities are preparing future professionals to face real problems. Sustainable development is a challenge that requires particular attention from educational programs. In their profession, civil engineers address many decisions that can compromise the sustainability of infrastructure. This paper proposes a sustainable decision-making module to…

There is a growing concern in academia and industry regarding the key competencies of engineers. Present-day challenges and complexities demand that engineers possess not only specialized technological knowledge but also certain transversal competencies and knowledge of various areas in the social sciences and humanities. In this study, we…

This paper reports a 6-year experience teaching building information modeling (BIM) methodology in the undergraduate/graduate architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) program at the Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Brazil. This work is part of the long-term goal of developing a new BIM AEC-based curriculum…