BAKE 302/303: Understanding Environmental Systems
An inderdisciplinary perspective

Class Schedule & Syllabus

Meets 1-2:30 pm - Monday & Friday

Key to readings

Text: Botkin & Keller (1997) Environmental Science - Earth As a Living Planet (= BK)
Envirolinks - a WWW resource to supplement BK
"A Building Can be a Teacher" - Global Citizen article
Additional materials will be handed out in class
'Hot links' (listed below) will take you to other useful web resources

Note: this page will be updated weekly throughout the semester

Date Module Topic Instructors Related activities/Notes

Week 1

Mon, 12-Jan Rice University Campus - Organizational meeting
Link to the related course, ENVI 490 organized by Mike Ford
Few & others Shuttle Radar image of Houston-Galveston area
(this large file downloads slowly)

Fri, 16-Jan Form, function, and human interactions with space All Meetings with VP Administration and Directors of Facilities & Engineering and Food & Housing

Week 2

Mon, 19-Jan ML King Day Holiday - no class

Fri, 23-Jan Lecture and walking tour:
The campus landscape & ecology - objectives, data, schedule, anticipated problems
All Teams present plans

Week 3

Mon, 26-Jan Team status reports - outlines for report All
Fri, 30-Jan Electrical power - water systems All David Orr visit

Week 4

Mon, 2-Feb Systems thinking: reports & presentations training All

Fri, 6-Feb Preliminary reports and presentations All

Week 5

Mon, 9-Feb System modeling - flows, reservoirs, feedback, drivers, controls, limits Few

Fri, 13-Feb Natural systems - small vs. large,
the Earth as a system,
Engineered systems All

Week 6

Mon, 16-Feb Open & closed systems; houses, cities, engineered Earth? All Update reports

Fri, 20-Feb NASA's space station, lecture and tour
Field trip to JSC
All

Week 7

Mon, 23-Feb System behavior - modeling results All

Fri, 27-Feb Biosphere 2 - the plan and the experience All

Sat, 28-Feb Field Studies in Environmental Systems Faculty & those registered for BAKE 304 Depart 6 am for Arizona
Week 8

Spring Break (2-6 Mar) Field trip to visit Biosphere 2, near Tucson Arizona Seminars, tours, projects with Biosphere 2 crew Return via Los Alamos NL, Bandelier NM, and Santa Fe
Arrive Houston on Sunday, 8 Mar

Week 9

Mon, 9-Mar Update on Rice environmental analysis All

Fri, 13-Mar Final report and class presentations All

Week 10

Mon, 16-Mar Presentations to Rice University Administration All

Fri, 20-Mar Living on campus - meeting the needs
Organizational meeting - environmental design for a 'Ninth College'
All

Week 11

Mon, 23-Mar Rice architecture & overview Meeting with V P Administration

Fri, 27-Mar Building restrictions & codes Teams present plans: -constraints, goals, needs, anticipated problems

Week 12

Mon, 30-Mar Heat transfer, heat loads, windows All

Fri, 3-Apr Air conditioning & heating Team progress reports and research coordination

Week 13

Mon, 6-Apr Solar energy: passive, collectors, storage, electricity All

Fri, 10-Apr Spring recess No class

Week 14

Fri, 13-Apr Water usage - lighting systems All

Fri, 17-Apr Team progress reports and research coordination All

Week 15

Mon, 20-Apr Final reports and class presentations All

Mon, 24-Apr Presentations to the Administration All

Introduction to Course

Introduce team of instructors
Overview of the course structure
Books and WWW resources
Discussion of course objectives (why are we here?)

Campus tour & environmental analysis

Week 2 TBA

Analytical strategies

Week 3 TBA

"Systems thinking"

Week 4 TBA

System modeling

Week 5 TBA

System engineering

Week 6 TBA

System behavior

Week 7 TBA

Spring Break trip to Biosphere 2

Week 8 TBA

Environmental analysis - preliminary reports

Week 9 TBA

Formal presentations; Living on campus

Week 10 TBA

Rice architectural review

Week 11 TBA

Architectural systems - I

Week 12 TBA

Architectural systems - II

Week 13 TBAs

Environmental analysis of living environments

Week 14 TBA

Reports & presentations

Week 15 TBA

LAST MODIFIED: 11/10/97

BY: Bill Leeman

Date	Module Topic	Instructors	Related activities/Notes
Week 1
Mon, 12-Jan	Rice University Campus - Organizational meeting Link to the related course, ENVI 490 organized by Mike Ford	Few & others	Shuttle Radar image of Houston-Galveston area (this large file downloads slowly)
Fri, 16-Jan	Form, function, and human interactions with space	All	Meetings with VP Administration and Directors of Facilities & Engineering and Food & Housing
Week 2
Mon, 19-Jan	ML King Day	Holiday - no class
Fri, 23-Jan	Lecture and walking tour: The campus landscape & ecology - objectives, data, schedule, anticipated problems	All	Teams present plans
Week 3
Mon, 26-Jan	Team status reports - outlines for report	All
Fri, 30-Jan	Electrical power - water systems	All	David Orr visit
Week 4
Mon, 2-Feb	Systems thinking: reports & presentations training	All
Fri, 6-Feb	Preliminary reports and presentations	All
Week 5
Mon, 9-Feb	System modeling - flows, reservoirs, feedback, drivers, controls, limits	Few
Fri, 13-Feb	Natural systems - small vs. large, the Earth as a system, Engineered systems	All
Week 6
Mon, 16-Feb	Open & closed systems; houses, cities, engineered Earth?	All	Update reports
Fri, 20-Feb	NASA's space station, lecture and tour Field trip to JSC	All
Week 7
Mon, 23-Feb	System behavior - modeling results	All
Fri, 27-Feb	Biosphere 2 - the plan and the experience	All
Sat, 28-Feb	Field Studies in Environmental Systems	Faculty & those registered for BAKE 304	Depart 6 am for Arizona
Week 8
Spring Break (2-6 Mar)	Field trip to visit Biosphere 2, near Tucson Arizona	Seminars, tours, projects with Biosphere 2 crew	Return via Los Alamos NL, Bandelier NM, and Santa Fe Arrive Houston on Sunday, 8 Mar
Week 9
Mon, 9-Mar	Update on Rice environmental analysis	All
Fri, 13-Mar	Final report and class presentations	All
Week 10
Mon, 16-Mar	Presentations to Rice University Administration	All
Fri, 20-Mar	Living on campus - meeting the needs Organizational meeting - environmental design for a 'Ninth College'	All
Week 11
Mon, 23-Mar	Rice architecture & overview	Meeting with V P Administration
Fri, 27-Mar	Building restrictions & codes	Teams present plans: -constraints, goals, needs, anticipated problems
Week 12
Mon, 30-Mar	Heat transfer, heat loads, windows	All
Fri, 3-Apr	Air conditioning & heating	Team progress reports and research coordination
Week 13
Mon, 6-Apr	Solar energy: passive, collectors, storage, electricity	All
Fri, 10-Apr	Spring recess	No class
Week 14
Fri, 13-Apr	Water usage - lighting systems	All
Fri, 17-Apr	Team progress reports and research coordination	All
Week 15
Mon, 20-Apr	Final reports and class presentations	All
Mon, 24-Apr	Presentations to the Administration	All