Low-Tech Engineering - sustainable housing techniques - a project-based specialisation

Overview

In order to address today's ecological and social challenges, the "Low-tech engineering - sustainable housing techniques" (TYLOTEC) specialisation aims to train engineers to build a resilient and sober world. They will have to design simple objects, systems or services that incorporate technology according to three main principles:

Useful : Low-tech meets essential needs in the fields of energy, food, water, waste management, construction materials, housing, transport, hygiene and health.
Sustainable: Resilient - robust - repairable - recyclable. Low-techs are eco-designed to maximise their ecological and social impact at every stage of their life cycle, from design, production, distribution and use to the end of the process.
Accessible: Unlike high-tech, the cost and technical complexity of low-tech are not excessive for a large section of the population. Low-tech must be accessible to as many people as possible

Through a blend of theoretical courses and practical projects, students will be trained to design, build and renovate homes that are sustainable, resource-efficient and adapted to environmental and social issues.

Objectives for 2024/2025:

Identify the needs that housing in rural areas must meet
Develop acceptable sustainable techniques for housing and renovation.
Experiment with and validate low-tech systems in one or more demonstration homes.
Evaluate the systems from various angles: environmental, economic and ergonomic impact, including usefulness, functionality, comfort, efficiency and compatibility with current lifestyles.
Help to promote the systems selected and the low-tech approach through awareness-raising activities, networking and support for professionals in the housing sector.

Contribution to sustainable development goals

SDG12 - RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

Learn more about Centrale Nantes' commitment to the 17 sustainable development goals

Admission

International students can follow this specialisation, taught in French, via:

A double degree programme - Open to international students selected by our partner institutions. Selected students spend two years studying courses from the engineering programme at Centrale Nantes. This usually includes one year of the common-core engineering curriculum followed by one year of specialisation. Double degree students are typically accepted after successfully completing two or three years of higher education in their home institution.
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Project-based learning

The project specialisation will be open to a group of a maximum of 12 students, full-time from the beginning of September 2024 to the end of March 2025, renewable over 3 years until March 2027. Based on project-based learning, the "Low-tech engineering - sustainable housing techniques" (TYLOTEC) specialisation will focus primarily on producing a guidebook on eco-construction and eco-renovation of rural housing.

Intended for architects and construction professionals, the guidebook aims to provide a comprehensive methodology for low-tech construction and renovation. The initiative will culminate in the publication of a white paper, providing a comprehensive resource on sustainable construction and renovation practices. The students will have to identify and develop sustainable techniques for rural housing using a low-tech approach and technologies, to make it as self-sufficient and low-carbon as possible.

The project will draw on scientific rigour to identify, size, prototype and test solutions that are as acceptable as possible to users.

Students will be able to build on their existing knowledge and skills. Their main objectives will be to:

Identify the specific needs of rural housing and local constraints.
Develop sustainable techniques for the design, construction and renovation of housing.
test and validate low-tech systems in demonstration homes.
Assess solutions in terms of their environmental, economic and ergonomic impact.
Play a part in communicating and promoting low-tech solutions through awareness-raising and networking activities.

Deliverables to be produced over the 3 years of the project:

Definition of uses and needs for sustainable housing
Identification of technical and organisational solutions for sustainable housing
Specification of the solutions identified
Design of the selected solutions
Prototypes of the selected systems to be designed, manufactured, tested and validated
Environmental and socio-economic assessment of the solutions
Assessment of the comfort and ergonomics of the systems developed
Guidebook on eco-construction and eco-renovation of homes in rural areas

Course Content

Course content is adapted as the project progresses. The various technical and managerial disciplines will be taught throughout the option. Project-based learning requires the different subjects to be taught to be broken down and gradually scaled down to make room for project implementation.

Part 1: Human Management Sciences and Low-Tech Engineering (96 hours)

Low-Tech Engineering: Basics and Applications
Low-Tech, Ethical and Responsible Management
Advanced Low-Tech: Communication, Philosophy, Economics, etc

Part 2: Technical and Scientific Knowledge in Eco-Construction (96 hours)

Ecological and Low-Tech Housing: Designing, building and living sustainably
Low-tech design and manufacturing
Sustainable Habitat and Responsible Territory

LOWTEC - Low-tech Project (408 hours)

This option is based on project-based learning.
Carrying out a sustainable housing project should enable students to complete their training in the field. They will also have to teach themselves any points that are not covered in the courses.

2024/2025 Courses
Semester 7 or 9 (Autumn semester)	Semester 8 or 10 (Spring semester)
Low-Tech Engineering	Sustainable Habitat and Responsible Territory
Low-Tech, Ethical and Responsible Management	Low-Tech deepening (advanced low-tech)
Low-tech Project 1	Low-tech Project 3
Ecological and Low-Tech Housing
Low-tech design and manufacturing
Low-tech Project 2