School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment

Sustainable engineering is a revolutionary approach to engineering that:

• focuses on the long-lasting improvement of the human condition.
• redefines the design boundaries of infrastructure, natural and social systems; and
• transforms the traditional design and construction methods of complex systems by the application of life cycle and environmental assessment, risk and uncertainty analysis and other emerging techniques;

The built environment includes society’s physical infrastructure and integrated systems such as housing, business and commerce, transportation, and utilities which facilitate the smooth operation of basic services supporting health, prosperity and social well-being.

The School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment (SSEBE) was created in July 2009 to provide a nexus within the Fulton Schools of Engineering for education and research addressing the critical infrastructure needs of our society in an environmentally sound manner that preserves the ability of future generations to meet their needs.  

SSEBE combines the engineering expertise of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering (CESE) with the construction and project management skills of the Del E. Webb School of Construction (DEWSC) to facilitate a holistic approach to addressing these needs. A new program in Construction Engineering was recently added to complement the two existing programs.  Working with ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability (GIOS), SSEBE will lead the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering’s development of education and scientific enterprises related to sustainable engineering for the built environment.

CESE and DEWSC maintain their existing degree programs, separate accreditations, and industry support groups within SSEBE.  The CESE program at ASU continues to focus on its traditional strengths of water resources, water and air quality, transportation materials, transportation planning, and structural and geotechnical engineering. 

The Water and Environmental Technologies (WET) Center and the new Center for Earth Systems Engineering and Management (CESEM) within CESE and the cross-disciplinary Center for Environmental Biotechnology (CEB) and Center for Sustainable Materials and Renewable Technology (SMART) provide support for many of CESE’s research efforts. 

Joint faculty appointments between CESE and GIOS and the School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) provide additional impetus for transformative interdisciplinary research at ASU.  DEWSC continues to focus on conducting research with immediate social impact and educating the next generation of leaders in Arizona’s construction industry and facilities management community. 

Performance Based Studies Research Group (PBSRG) and Construction Research and Education for Advanced Technology (CREATE) are two of DEWSC centers providing innovation in procurement and organizational decision processes plus innovation and practical ways to  improve the delivery process of advanced technology facilities. The DEWSC internship program provides practical training for students as they pursue their degree and serves a model for practice-oriented engineering education. Through the Alliance for Construction Excellence (ACE) and its Industry Advisory Council (IAC), DEWSC maintains close a relationship with local industry in order to identify and fulfill industry needs. 

The creation of SSEBE provides DEWSC and CESE with the opportunity to create a new program in construction engineering, capitalizing on synergies in these areas.  The new construction engineering program was approved in October 2010 and plans to be accredited under ABET in the future.  It is complementary to the two existing programs and will be focused in infrastructure and industrial construction.

» School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment 2009 Annual Report