Architecture Commons^™

Drawing The City, Sandy Litchfield

Sustainability Education Resources

How do we represent the spatial and social complexities of contemporary urban environments? And why is this important for artists, designers, planners, architects, and landscape architects?

Twenty-first century cities are complex, messy and wicked. They can be dazzling, magnificent and aweinspiring, full of diverse culture, creative activity, architectural marvels, and cutting-edge innovation. But they are also facing some of the most challenging problems in history– unprecedented economic inequality, sea level change, unpredictable weather events and severe pollution to name just a few. In trying to understand such a complicated system, we need to develop and hone new and distinctive methodsforrepresentation …

Architecture Now: A History Of Sustainable Architecture, Meg Vickery

Sustainability Education Resources

As we move further into the 21st century, architects, planners, landscape architects and the general public are increasingly concerned with climate change, environmental degradation, energy and water consumption and the role the built environment plays in contributing to or addressing these issues. Buildings consume almost 40% of the energy used in this country. The way we access buildings, the materials used to construct them, the demands of users within the building all require the earth’s increasingly precious resources. So how did we get here? How did our built environment evolve to require so much energy, water and so many resources? …

Syllabus: Sustainable Cities/Community Development, Mark Hamin

Sustainability Education Resources

‘Sustainability’ is a concept and approach that has become more prevalent in ecological, economic and equity discussions over the last several decades, yet its historical and cultural roots are far more extensive than is generally recognized. This course aims to examine + evaluate the core principles and practices identified by advocates as well as adversaries of sustainability, and address a range of questions related to sustainability: the appropriate spatial and temporal scales of sustainable planning and design; the full scope of which systems and standards are best suited for achieving sustainable outcomes; the relative roles of ‘high’ vs. ‘low’/‘hard’ vs.‘soft’ …

Syllabus: Sustainable Cities Seminar, Mark Hamin

Sustainability Education Resources

‘Sustainability’ is a concept and approach that has become more prevalent in ecological, economic and equity discussions over the last several decades, yet its historical and cultural roots are far more extensive than has been usually recognized. This course aims to examine + evaluate core principles and practices identified by advocates as well as adversaries of sustainability, and address a variety of questions related to sustainability: the appropriate spatial and temporal scale of sustainable planning and design; the full scope of which systems and standards are best suited for achieving sustainable outcomes; the relative roles of ‘high’ vs. ‘low’/‘hard’ vs.‘soft’ …

Syllabus: Introduction To Permaculture, Lisa Depiano

Sustainability Education Resources

The Permaculture Design Course is a three-credit course that offers students a foundation in permaculture history, ethics, principles, design process, and practical applications. The framework behind the theory and practice of permaculture is rooted in the observation of natural systems. By observing key ecological relationships, we can mimic and apply these beneficial relationships in the design of systems that serve humans while helping to restore the natural world. This course trains students as critical thinkers, observers, and analysts of the world(s) around them, and then goes on to provide students with the tools needed to design for inspired and positive …

Syllabus: Public Space Design Plus: Integrating Sustainable Design Through Exploration And Research, Carolina Aragon

Sustainability Education Resources

This studio focuses on the integration of sustainable technologies into the design of a public space on campus. We will explore this integration at various scales: the human scale, the site scale, and the campus scale ––while covering subjects like materiality, people’s behavior, and innovative sustainable solutions for landscape applications. The work of the studio will be a combination of creative exploration and research supporting this exploration. The methodology will include experiential learning ––learning by doing, research through direct observation, and research using library resources. Through research and use of library databases, students will gain a broader perspective of the …

Syllabus: Solar Energy Systems And Building Design, Ho-Sung Kim

Sustainability Education Resources

This course introduces the fundamental concepts of solar building design and energy systems. Through project based study and possible field visits, students will explore the theory, technologies, applications, and benefits of solar design of buildings and discover how to utilize solar energy systems for residential and commercial buildings. Students will be required to research and document technology and complete a semester case study project in which they will examine various energy conservation aspects and economics underlying solar energy systems.

Syllabus: Sustainable Green Infrastructure Planning And Design, Robert L. Ryan

Sustainability Education Resources

Green infrastructure planning requires a systems approach to improving ecological function while providing vital ecosystem services for human populations. This course will introduce students to the concepts, theories, and applications of greenway and green infrastructure planning at multiple scales, including the site-level, neighborhood, and regional scales. A particular area of focus will be the relationship of green infrastructure for improving hydrology and riparian corridors as part of comprehensive green space planning for recreation and cultural resources. The course will look at a wide range of systems including water, transportation, and food systems. A case study approach will be used to …

Syllabus: Urban Policies, Ellen Pader

Sustainability Education Resources

This class focuses on a significant and far-reaching federal policy, The Fair Housing Act (FHA), as a springboard to explore many facets of urban life and policy. The purpose of the FHA is to enable all people, regardless of race, religion, disability, national origin, sex, age or the presence of children under 18 in the family (plus other characteristics enacted by states and municipalities) the right to rent, buy and enjoy housing in any neighborhood they can afford. We explore how US cities and towns became segregated as a context for exploring other social policies including, but not limited to, …