In Theory.
"You are always a student, never a master. You have to keep moving forward."
The dual-learning system, known in north america as cooperative learning, is a founding principle of the Center for Sustainable Structures and Materials. Here is a glimpse of what our team has experienced, with many years invested, in order to provide the services we do:
Carpentry apprenticeship, canadian red seal
Some of the best carpenters never set foot inside a classroom, but the scope of the formal apprenticeship is broad and challenging.
The four-year carpentry program is harmonized across Canada and encompasses basic skills such as site preparation and structural framework, advancing towards the interpretation of building codes and municipal bylaws, business administration and bid preparation. After completion of some 7320 hours of practical and theoretical work and completion of both the year 4 and Red Seal examinations, apprentice carpenters have the right to work anywhere in Canada- and to carry the title of Journeyman.
More information on this apprenticeship can be found on the Industry Training Authority's website here. here.
dresden university of cooperative education;
b.eng - wood sciences and materials processing
Dresden has a 200-year tradition of wood science. Combined with Germany's famous dual-education system, This university in Dresden offers a fabulous, challenging engineering program. Many of the professors teaching here have real-world experience in the field and can relate well to the engineering students. A prerequisite for the program is a three year contract with a practical partner with whom the student will work when not in the lecture hall. Our practical partner is the internationally renowned Deutsche Werkstätten GmbH.
Bachelor Thesis: A Roadmap to BIM and Integrated Project Delivery Integration at Deutsche Werkstätten GmbH
More information about this Bachelor's program can be found here.
Binderholz, Austria
engineering Co-OP partner,
Deutsche Werkstätten GmbH
Deutsche Werkstätten is one of the leading interior design and construction companies worldwide, and has created a niche furnishing mega-yachts, luxury villas and corporate offices. As a practical partner, the company offers their engineering students a chance to work in any department- many, if not most of the employees working in the office have a background in wood science or joinery and have a keen understanding of the entire project cycle. A three-year period here offers an exciting look at a dynamic company and a chance to work in several countries and different languages.
More information on Deutsche Werkstätten GmbH can be found here.
Tradition and Precision
engineer at the institute for wood technology, dresden, Germany
The Institute for Wood Technology in Dresden is a state-of-the-art facility doing research in the wood industry and associated sectors. Working in the department of wood physics, we collaborated with several larger European sawmills to improve their wood products before they reached the consumer market. The work was a fascinating look into natural resource management, economics and global markets. It was our first experience working in the field of quality management within the context of a private research facility.
For more information on the Institute and its current projects, click here.
M.eng. graduate program, Rosenheim university of applied sciences, bavaria
The M.Eng program in the field of Energy Efficiency and Wood Construction is geared towards architects who work in the detailed planning and execution of projects in wood building and design. The focus of the masters lies in wood construction, building physics, and energy-efficiency in the built environment.
Graduates of the program study in the first year towards a certification as an energy consultant for residential and commercial buildings, and a certification as Passive house planner. The second half of the program is a project-based study towards a certification as a specialty engineer for wood construction. The program concludes with the academic title "M.Eng Holzbau und Energieeffizienz".
For more information on the Masters Program (in German), click here.
P+P Schwarzenberger Architekten & Ingenieure
Working together with this renowned Dresden architectural firm in the Leistungsphasen “performance phases” 5 through 8, or from bidding and tendering through to detailed design to project execution. Among many projects was the renovation of eleven heritage buildings in Dresden’s Friedrichstadt neighbourhood, more recently the restoration of a guesthouse from the late baroque period, ca. 1750.
