Course on Social Housing and Sustainable Densification
Online course of 300 hours in social housing and sustainable densification, structured in 6 modules covering European housing models, urban density, affordable housing design, residential building sustainability, land management and financing, with an assigned technical tutor.
Course on Social Housing and Sustainable Densification — studying from Canada
Canada's infrastructure needs drive significant civil engineering activity, from highways and bridges to urban transit and water systems. Major transit projects in Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Calgary involve rail, tunnelling and smart city technologies. Rail operators and suppliers, including Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National, depend on engineering expertise in track, signalling and structures. Provincial ministries of transportation and municipal engineering departments are key employers, alongside consulting firms.
Fees for Canada: C$698 (Canadian dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Canada
Typical roles
Questions from Canada
Who regulates civil engineering titles in Canada, and does SEIUM count?
Civil engineers in Canada are typically licensed as Professional Engineers by provincial associations, such as Engineers Canada's member bodies, which set licensing requirements including accredited education and experience. SEIUM is a private institute, and its qualifications are not official state degrees or accredited by a national body. They do not by themselves grant a P.Eng. licence, so check with the relevant association.
Are these qualifications useful to rail or smart city employers in Canada?
Canada has significant rail, transit and urban infrastructure work, including major projects in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. Public agencies and consultancies usually prioritise licensed engineers and verifiable experience. A SEIUM qualification may complement your profile, but whether it is recognised is for each employer to decide, so it is worth asking them before you commit.
Can I study part-time while working, and is employer funding possible?
Yes, the programmes are 100% online, so you can study from home without a student visa and fit sessions around work. Specialist courses are 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and master's 1,900. Teaching is in English, and an assigned technical tutor supports you. Fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible, depending on your employer's policies.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Understand the social housing models in Spain and Europe.
Analyse urban density and its effects.
Design affordable and flexible residential typologies.
Apply energy and environmental sustainability criteria.
Use planning instruments for land reserves.
Assess the economic feasibility of affordable housing developments.
Develop a social housing project in a densification context.
Who it's for
- Social housing architects looking to deepen their expertise in density and sustainability.
- Urban planners working on residential growth and regeneration.
- Technical staff at public housing companies.
- Residential development managers.
- Sustainability consultants focused on the built environment.
- Housing policy analysts.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to join public housing companies.
What you'll work with
- Ley 12/2023 (Spanish Right to Housing Act)
- Real Decreto Legislativo 7/2015 (consolidated Spanish Land and Urban Regeneration Act)
- CTE DB-HE (Spanish Building Code, energy saving)
- CTE DB-SUA (Spanish Building Code, safety of use and accessibility)
- Real Decreto 42/2022 (Spanish State Housing Access Plan 2022-2025)
- Directive (EU) 2024/1275 (energy performance of buildings)
- Ley 38/1999 (Spanish Building Act)
- Revit
- CE3X
- DesignBuilder
- QGIS
- One Click LCA
6 modules
1.1History of social housing in Europe1.2The Vienna, Amsterdam and Copenhagen models1.3Public housing stock in Spain1.4Protected and affordable housing1.5Social renting versus ownership1.6Right-of-use housing cooperatives1.7Housing needs and demographics1.8Housing and urban segregation1.9Housing cost burden and affordability indicators1.10Case study: comparison of European housing systems
2.1Residential density and buildable floor area2.2Perceived versus actual density2.3Urban compactness and complexity2.4High-density, low-rise typologies2.5Densification of existing urban fabric2.6Vertical extensions and building upwards2.7Development of vacant plots2.8Conversion of commercial uses to residential2.9Density and public facilities2.10Practical exercise: calculating densities in three urban fabrics
3.1Residential programmes and floor areas3.2Flexibility and adaptability3.3Housing for new forms of cohabitation3.4Shared community spaces3.5Ventilation, daylighting and comfort3.6Industrialisation and modular construction3.7Timber construction3.8Accessibility in housing3.9Construction cost control3.10Workshop: flexible dwelling layout
4.1Nearly zero-energy buildings4.2Passivhaus in social housing4.3Community renewable energy4.4Life cycle assessment4.5Water management4.6Summer comfort and overheating4.7Preventing energy poverty4.8VERDE, BREEAM and LEED certifications4.9Maintenance and service life4.10Lab: energy simulation of a residential block
5.1Planning instruments for protected housing5.2Land reserves for protected housing5.3Public land assets5.4Public-private partnership models5.5Surface rights5.6EIB financing and European funds5.7Management of public housing stock5.8Allocation and social criteria5.9Social assessment of housing developments5.10Case study: feasibility of an affordable rental development
6.1Selection of the site or area6.2Urban and regulatory analysis6.3Brief of requirements6.4Layout and density proposal6.5Housing typologies6.6Sustainability strategy6.7Economic feasibility study6.8Management model6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
A 100% online programme on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so it can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original regulations and applied exercises. The working software is Revit, CE3X, DesignBuilder, QGIS and One Click LCA, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures for urban density studies, building energy simulation and economic feasibility analysis. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: Ley 12/2023, Real Decreto Legislativo 7/2015, CTE DB-HE, CTE DB-SUA, Real Decreto 42/2022, Directive (EU) 2024/1275 and Ley 38/1999.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Revit, CE3X, DesignBuilder, QGIS and One Click LCA, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required; you need an internet connection, a computer able to run the software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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