News Archives | Building and Construction Technology

Sign up now for our Summer 2026 Pre-College Program: BCT’s Sustainable Building Lab

February 17, 2026February 13, 2026 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

BCT is this year again offering a summer pre-college program for high-schoolers that are interested in construction and in finding out how to make buildings sustainable! Rising 10th–12th graders get a feel for what college is like while earning two (2) college credits that can be applied towards the Building and Construction Technology Program (BCT) at UMass, or others. Enroll NOW to save your child’s spot in these exciting programs! BCT's Sustainable Building Lab Discover how buildings shape the world – and how to make them better! Join us for two action-packed weeks at UMass Amherst where high school students will dive into the world of building design, construction, and sustainability. This isn’t just sitting in a classroom – it’s about designing, building, and exploring the future of the built environment. This pre-college course is dedicated to investigating sustainability in the Built Environment with a series of hands-on activities that will explore: Digital design using the computer-aided design (CAD) software Sketchup Energy efficiency in residential and commercial...

Apply for Our Graduate Programs by March 1

February 12, 2026February 12, 2026 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

Invest one year into exploring a facet of sustainable construction that is most interesting and intriguing to you. Our professional, course-only Master's program allows you to do that! Or consider our part-time graduate certificate if you are not ready to commit to a full graduate prgram. For those wishing to advance their academic career, we are also offering research M.S. and Ph.D. prgrams. Professional Master's (M.S.): A professional Master’s (M.S.), which allows students to complete a graduate coursework-based direction of study that does not include research or a thesis. This degree usually takes 1-2 years to complete. Learn More: Professional Master’s (M.S.) Research Master’s (M.S.) or Ph.D.: A research Master’s (M.S.), which centers on a research thesis project and combines it with graduate coursework. This degree usually takes 2-3 years to complete. A doctoral degree (Ph.D.) with its main focus on an independent, advanced dissertation research topic. Course requirements are set mainly by the advisory committee. This degree usually takes 3-5 years to complete. Learn More: Research Master’s (M.S.) and Ph.D. All of these are offered through the “Sustainable Building Systems” concentration of the...

Clouston, Schreyer Co-Author Definitive Guide on Mass Timber Materials, Design and Construction

February 6, 2026February 5, 2026 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

Peggi L. Clouston and Alexander C. Schreyer, professors in the Building and Construction Technology program at UMass Amherst and experts in wood engineering, have written a comprehensive new book, “Mass Timber: Materials, Design, and Construction,” an extensive 576-page volume that serves as a one-stop resource for the rapidly evolving field of mass timber construction. Published by John Wiley & Sons, the book arrives at a critical time as the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry increasingly turns to sustainable wood products to reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment. Clouston and Schreyer’s book bridges the gap between traditional timber knowledge and modern engineering, covering a wide array of topics essential for students and professionals alike, including: Sustainability: Exploration of the climate-related benefits of wood and forest health Material Science: In-depth technical details on Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), Glulam, and structural composite lumber Practical Design: Guidance on building codes, gravity and lateral loads, and complex connection detailing Construction Excellence: Insights into procurement, risk management, and on-site hoisting and storage. The book also...

Spring 2026 BCT Lecture Series Announced

February 2, 2026February 18, 2026 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

The start of a new semester brings with it a new series of public lectures. We are happy to announce the four speakers mentioned below, who will present on various current topics in the built environment as part of our Spring 2026 BCT Lecture Series. All lectures are open to the public and are held on Mondays from 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm in the Olver Design Building Room 170. Attendees can get continuing education credits (AIA/USGBC). Zoom options will be available, too. Want to get notified when these are? Sign up for our email list. Speakers: Consigli Construction: Applied Construction Fundamentals Scott Drumm, Project Manager, Thomas Duszlak, Senior Project Superintendent02.09.26 | 4:00-5:15pm | John W. Olver Design Building Room 170 CORA Structural: Curiosity, Collaboration, & Carbon-Conscious Thinking Michael Gryniuk. P.E., Founder and Principal of CORA Structural04.06.26 | 4:00-5:15pm | John W. Olver Design Building Room 170 Construction Challenges and Solutions in Polar Environments David Malpas, Construction Manager, Antarctic Support Contract03.30.26 | 4:00-5:15pm | John W. Olver Design Building Room 170 Tools of the Trade for Building...

Our House: DesignBuild Students Send Fourth House to Holyoke

January 21, 2026January 21, 2026 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

(Image: UMass News Office) November 13 was moving day at the DesignBuild Site at UMass Amherst—which means that three giant flat-bed trucks and three enormous tow trucks, plus a crane and a crew of a dozen hard-hatted operators to manage it, were ready for work. Instead of people moving into a house, though, moving day for the undergraduate and graduate DesignBuild students means lifting the small, high-performance, high-efficiency house they built over the course of a year off its blocks, hoisting it 40 feet in the air, placing it gently on those flatbeds, driving it down to its final resting place in Holyoke, and then putting it back together so that it can become the permanent home of one of the many Holyokers currently facing housing insecurity. Read the full UMass News story here......