摘要
Located in the cold and very cold semiarid steppe climate zone, North Dakota boasts not only long cold winters but also hot summers, which significantly increases the energy consumption of buildings. In fact, North Dakota has the highest energy consumption per capita in residential buildings （101 MM Btu in 2013）, and its energy consumption per capita in commercial buildings ranks the second （l 18 MM Btu in 2013） in the nation. When humans spend a long time indoors to escape the inclement weather, their health will be more susceptible to the indoor environment. In addition, North Dakota has the 3rd least number of green buildings certified by LEED （Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design） in the nation. This paper aims to investigate the status quo of buildings with respect to energy, health and sustainability in North Dakota, and attempts to propose strategies regarding research and higher education to rectify the current issues. These strategies include but not limited to forming the architectural engineering program, a comprehensive and interdisciplinary program in buildings.
