College of the Canyons

The College of the Canyons Architecture and Interior Design program, with its established expertise in sustainable design and development education focused on technical workforce preparation, provides an ideal educational community through the Bachelor of Science in Building Performance (BSBP) program for students seeking an opportunity to develop skills necessary for meaningful, well-paying employment. The BSBP curriculum, an integration of educational lectures, design studios (labs) and Project Based Learning experiences, fosters development of analytical, problem solving, and graphic communication skills required in this profession. Likewise, the College of the Canyons campuses, in combination with the surrounding Northern Los Angeles County / Southern California region, provide a series of dynamic Living Labs which are leveraged in the BSBP curriculum to the benefit of learning objectives and skills development for students in the program. With all of these resources, College of the Canyons is able to offer a baccalaureate degree which prepares students for the state recognized Certified Energy Analyst exam, and employment in the A/E/C industry (Architecture/Engineering/Construction) as Building Energy Modelers, BIM/CAD technicians, architectural interns, or Sustainable Building Certification System consultants. For more info on the BASBP program, please visit www.canyons.edu/bsbp.

Designing and constructing high-performance buildings requires a multidisciplinary understanding of the challenges being confronted in order to provide a resilient built environment in response to the effects of global warming and climate change. The Bachelor of Science in Building Performance (BSBP) Program Learning Outcomes allow students to acquire knowledge and develop multidisciplinary analytical, problem solving, and graphic communication skills in the following learning areas:

1. Examine the effects of environmental factors and resource consumption on the performance of building projects using a variety of analytical and simulation methodologies.
2. Evaluate the suitability of resilient/sustainable building strategies relative to code compliance documentation and regulatory approvals for projects.
3. Analyze the use and effectiveness of passive and active environmental control systems and resource conservation strategies for building projects.
4. Utilize advanced Building Energy Modeling (BEM) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) techniques to facilitate Integrative Process methodologies for residential and nonresidential building projects to achieve code compliance, improved building performance, and sustainable rating system certification.
5. Apply vocational skills and competencies during required Project Based Learning internship to demonstrate technician employment readiness for the A/E/C industry.

Program graduates will be prepared to work alongside other A/E/C industry professionals in a firm or as independent consultants with immediate employment opportunities as Building Energy Modelers, BIM/CAD technicians, architectural interns, and Sustainable Building Certification System consultants for a broad range of employers throughout California. Employment opportunities for careers in high-performance building design and construction are projected to grow in both the near and long-term as a result of ever-increasing environmental regulations at the federal, state, and local levels. Additionally, candidates pursuing employment in the A/E/C industry who have attained a Bachelor’s degree enjoy tremendous opportunity and higher wages when compared to candidates with just an Associate’s degree. The average wage for Building Performance professionals in Los Angeles County is over $39 per hour (with annual starting salaries of almost $40k) and 69% of graduates attain a living wage within a year of completing their degree (Source: Labor Market Information Report-SCCLA May 2022).

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