LYIT students of the Department of Civil Engineering and Construction are participating in an innovative European partnership where they are encouraged to consider environmental issues in entrepreneurship and construction.  The aim of the International project is to address environmental issues and encourage sustainable solutions, whilst also building self-esteem amongst students from different countries.  Alongside their partners from Sweden, Germany and Spain, LYIT students visited Germany and Tenerife on educational trips during the academic year to realise project objectives on the themes of environmental issues, work placement and entrepreneurship, as well as engage in healthy debate.  The exchange of information and learning between colleges and students provides a unique opportunity for engineering and construction students to learn about the most effective ways to be sustainable in everyday life.

“Participating in the Leonardo project is proving to be a very worthwhile experience for the LYIT students and staff involved,” says Anne Boner, Head of Department of Civil Engineering & Construction.  “The two international meetings we have attended have been well conducted and strong connections have already been made.  Working in international groups lifts the status of construction education and raises the international awareness of the students on the programmes.”

In October 2012, LYIT welcomed the international groups to Letterkenny when they met lecturers and students from the department and were introduced to the work of the LYIT International Office.  The visit coincided with that of the 2nd level Comenius International project which also included partners from Lyceum Polis Pafos, Polis, Cyprus, and Gairmscoil Chú Uladh, Béal an Atha Móir (Gaeltacht Lár Tír Chonaill).  On the Comenius ‘Houses of Europe’ project, students worked on the specification of an energy efficient house that represents the best of European norms in construction. A 15m2 prototype ‘House of Europe’ will be built in Sweden in the second year of the Leonardo da Vinci project.

In early 2013, five Sustainable Construction Management (4th year) students from LYIT participated in a week long project meeting in La Laguna, Tenerife (former ancient capital of the Canary Islands and UNESCO World Heritage site), where the emphasis on sustainability meant that they learned about the innovative techniques in this area.  There, they visited the Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables (ITER) viewing eco dwellings, wind and photovoltaic technologies.  ITER was created by the Council of Tenerife as a living research project.  The aim of the development is to contribute to a reduction of dependency on external energy requirements and allow for a cleaner and more sustainable development on the Canary Islands.

As well as having a visitor centre and technological walkway demonstrating different forms of renewable energy, ITER has 25 ‘bioclimatic’ houses that were designed by architects all over Europe.  These bioclimatic houses were designed in response to an international competition and constructed according to bioclimatic criteria which use local climatic conditions, recyclable materials and the optimisation of environmental conditions such as, integration of renewable energies in the treatment of water and waste.

All Department of Civil Engineering and Construction programmes at LYIT include sustainability aspects which reflect current industry standards.  The BEng in Building Services and Renewable Energy and BSc Hons in Sustainable Construction Management have a major emphasis in this area. 

Photo caption:
The students and staff taking part in the Leonardo da Vinci programme ‘The Sustainable Construction Company’ get a first-hand look at leading techniques in sustainability at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables (ITER) in Tenerife.  From left to right: Anne Boner (Head of Department of Civil Engineering and Construction), Barry O Sullivan, Paul Bradley, Eugene Allen, Paul Patton, Ciaran McFadden, and Anna Meehan (Lecturer & Architect).