SUSTAINABLE SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN DESIGN EDUCATIONEDUCATION

A CURRICULUM MODEL FOR ARCHITECTS A CURRICULUM MODEL FOR ARCHITECTS AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTSAND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS

American Solar Energy Society (ASES) National Passive Conference, Austin, TX June 2003American Solar Energy Society (ASES) National Passive Conference, Austin, TX June 2003

BackgroundBackground

In 2000, the Governor of the State of In 2000, the Governor of the State of California issued Executive Order D-16-00 California issued Executive Order D-16-00 that seeks to reduce costs and improve that seeks to reduce costs and improve environmental performance of state buildings environmental performance of state buildings in all phases of construction operations and in all phases of construction operations and maintenance.maintenance.

Scope of WorkScope of Work

The California Integrated Waste Management The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) together with the College of Board (CIWMB) together with the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at Cal Architecture and Environmental Design at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo (CAED) are undertaking Poly-San Luis Obispo (CAED) are undertaking a project to improve the adoption of a project to improve the adoption of sustainable environmental design principles in sustainable environmental design principles in higher education and industry continuing higher education and industry continuing education programs in landscape and education programs in landscape and architecturearchitecture

DefinitionsDefinitions

““Sustainable environmental design” consists of Sustainable environmental design” consists of the the principles and practicesprinciples and practices of architecture of architecture and landscape architecture that protect and landscape architecture that protect environmental qualityenvironmental quality and and human healthhuman health, , reducereduce environmental impacts environmental impacts resulting from resulting from physical changes to buildings and physical changes to buildings and landscapes, and improve the landscapes, and improve the life-cycle life-cycle economicseconomics of natural, human, and financial of natural, human, and financial investments in the built and natural investments in the built and natural environment.environment.

Ecole des Beaux ArtsEcole des Beaux ArtsThis academy, founded in 1733, This academy, founded in 1733,

defined Architecture as one of defined Architecture as one of the Fine Arts and courses the Fine Arts and courses

were structured accordingly. were structured accordingly. In the 19th Century the Ecole In the 19th Century the Ecole

became the most influential became the most influential architectural school in the architectural school in the

world. It became the model world. It became the model for schools in every Western for schools in every Western

country. Most well known country. Most well known American architects of the American architects of the 19th century studied there 19th century studied there

and most pre-WWII curricula and most pre-WWII curricula in the U.S. were based on the in the U.S. were based on the

Beaux Arts format.Beaux Arts format.

BauhausBauhausThe Bauhaus was founded in The Bauhaus was founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius as a 1919 by Walter Gropius as a counter to the established counter to the established academies. It was based on academies. It was based on the idea of Architecture and the idea of Architecture and Design being a functional Design being a functional element as part of an element as part of an increasingly industrialized increasingly industrialized society. It was extraordinarily society. It was extraordinarily influential in the Modern influential in the Modern Movement. After World War II Movement. After World War II most American Schools most American Schools changed to a Bauhaus inspired changed to a Bauhaus inspired curriculum model.curriculum model.

Comparison of Three SituationsComparison of Three Situations

ASPECTASPECT

BEAUX ARTSBEAUX ARTS

Model AModel A

BAUHAUSBAUHAUS

Model BModel B

PRESENTPRESENT

Model CModel C

1. Defined by:1. Defined by: Western Western civilizationcivilization

International International industrializationindustrialization SustainabilitySustainability

2. Major 2. Major concern:concern: StyleStyle FundamentalsFundamentals HolismHolism

3. Resulting in 3. Resulting in an emphasis an emphasis

on:on:

Cultural Cultural continuitycontinuity AbstractionAbstraction ContextContext

4. Within a 4. Within a setting of:setting of:

Traditional Traditional European citiesEuropean cities

New urban New urban planning theoriesplanning theories

Planet as a Planet as a wholewhole

ComparisonComparison (continued) (continued)

ASPECTASPECT

BEAUX ARTSBEAUX ARTS

Model AModel A

BAUHAUSBAUHAUS

Model BModel B

PRESENTPRESENT

Model CModel C

5. Applying 5. Applying disciplines of:disciplines of:

Art, literature, Art, literature, and archeologyand archeology

Euclidean Euclidean geometry and geometry and

mechanicsmechanics

Ecology, and Ecology, and information information

theorytheory

6. Achieving 6. Achieving expression by:expression by:

Visual Visual compositioncomposition

Function and Function and structurestructure

Diversity and Diversity and connectivityconnectivity

7. With 7. With aesthetics aesthetics

emphasizing:emphasizing:

Harmony, Harmony, proportion, and proportion, and

scalescale

Simplicity of Simplicity of geometry, geometry,

materials, and materials, and structurestructure

Complexity and Complexity and fluidityfluidity

8. Requiring 8. Requiring skills in:skills in:

Drawing and Drawing and presentationpresentation

Analysis and Analysis and drawingdrawing

System thinking System thinking and synthesisand synthesis

ComparisonComparison (continued) (continued)

ASPECTASPECT

BEAUX ARTSBEAUX ARTS

Model AModel A

BAUHAUSBAUHAUS

Model BModel B

PRESENTPRESENT

Model CModel C

9. To reach the 9. To reach the objective of:objective of: BeautyBeauty FunctionFunction HealthHealth

10. To help 10. To help define a cultural define a cultural

era of:era of:

Agriculture, Agriculture, husbandry, and husbandry, and

tradetrade

Science, Science, industry, and industry, and commercecommerce

Information, Information, sustainability, sustainability,

global commerce global commerce and equityand equity

Methodology: two approachesMethodology: two approaches

Survey Model

info info

Analysis of informationImplications of topicsRelationships between topicsCase StudiesHierarchy of subjects

Construction of Proposed Curriculum Model

ConcernsTopicsTests

ImplicationsImplicationsSPECTRUM OF

DEFINITIONS

CONCEPTS

SOME DESIGN

CONSIDERATIONS

Planning for future generatio

ns and our own

SPECTRUM OF

DEFINITIONS Human activities

more integrated w/natural processes

More diverse

yet holistic systems

Cultural shift

Longer range

Reconnect to natural

processes & respond to

opportunities

Era of informatio

n & sustainabi

lity

HolismHolism

• Holism implies Holism implies integration of all the integration of all the partsparts to develop a condition where to develop a condition where the sum of the whole is greater the sum of the whole is greater than the parts, thus achieving than the parts, thus achieving synergy.synergy.

Context and Context and Setting of the Planet as a WholeSetting of the Planet as a Whole

• InterconnectionsInterconnections• Complex realityComplex reality

Underlying Disciplines & Underlying Disciplines & Skills EmphasizedSkills Emphasized

• Math (Fractal Geometry)Math (Fractal Geometry)• Information TheoryInformation Theory• EcologyEcology• Greater breadth of synthesisGreater breadth of synthesis

Achieving Expression & Achieving Expression & Aesthetic EmphasisAesthetic Emphasis

• ConnectivityConnectivity• DiversityDiversity• ComplexityComplexity• FluidityFluidity

HealthHealth

• EnvironmentalEnvironmental• EconomicEconomic• SocialSocial

GoalsGoals

• Help Achieve and Define a Help Achieve and Define a Cultural Era of Information, Cultural Era of Information, Sustainability, Global Commerce, Sustainability, Global Commerce, and Equityand Equity

LinkagesLinkages

Design courses

Core courses

Support courses

YEAR 1 2 3 4 5

II.Site and

microclimate design

III. Building andlandscapeecology

IV.ConstructabilityAnd Economics

V. Comprehensive

Design

Semester

DESIGNCOURSES

CORECOURSES

SUPPORTCOURSES

I.Foundation

design

1f

2f

5f

6f

4f 8f 3f 7f 9f 10f

Natural, cultural, +aesthetic systems

Natural, structural+ material systems

Natural, energy+ bio- resources

Cultural, economic+ legal systems

ALL systems + resources

See Outline of Topics for numeric and label references.

THE MURKY REALITYTHE MURKY REALITY

• The SurveyThe Survey• Case StudiesCase Studies• Topics & TemplatesTopics & Templates

TopicsTopics

Design Design andand…… • Natural SystemsNatural Systems• Cultural SystemsCultural Systems• Economic SystemsEconomic Systems• Information SystemsInformation Systems• Aesthetic SystemsAesthetic Systems• Structural SystemsStructural Systems• Material ResourcesMaterial Resources• Energy ResourcesEnergy Resources

Design and Natural SystemsDesign and Natural Systems

• planetary systems and dynamicsplanetary systems and dynamics• ethical issues and theoriesethical issues and theories• patterns and scalingpatterns and scaling• natural history and resourcesnatural history and resources• site analysis, site planning, and site site analysis, site planning, and site

designdesign• research methodsresearch methods

Design and Cultural SystemsDesign and Cultural Systems

• cultural ecology & cultural historycultural ecology & cultural history• social issues regarding the built social issues regarding the built

environmentenvironment• history of settlement patternshistory of settlement patterns• history of landscapes and landscape designhistory of landscapes and landscape design• history of architecture and constructionhistory of architecture and construction• architectural programmingarchitectural programming

Design and Economic SystemsDesign and Economic Systems

• triple bottom line accountingtriple bottom line accounting• ethics and economic issuesethics and economic issues• introduction to professional practiceintroduction to professional practice• regulatory conditionsregulatory conditions• operations of professional practiceoperations of professional practice• details of professional practicedetails of professional practice

Design and Information SystemsDesign and Information Systems

• communication and designcommunication and design• graphicsgraphics• electronic communicationelectronic communication• computer aided design and computer aided design and

presentationpresentation• drawingdrawing• research methodsresearch methods

Design and Aesthetic SystemsDesign and Aesthetic Systems

• history and philosophy of aestheticshistory and philosophy of aesthetics• paintingpainting• sculpturesculpture• craftscrafts• photographyphotography• computer artcomputer art

Design and Structural SystemsDesign and Structural Systems

• structural integrationstructural integration• building structural systemsbuilding structural systems• traditional structural materialstraditional structural materials• new structural materialsnew structural materials• construction techniquesconstruction techniques• structural detailing and specificationsstructural detailing and specifications

Design and Material ResourcesDesign and Material Resources

• aesthetics of materialsaesthetics of materials• water, waste and supplemental water, waste and supplemental

materialsmaterials• materials selectionmaterials selection• materials assembly techniquesmaterials assembly techniques• materials detailing and specificationsmaterials detailing and specifications

Design and Energy ResourcesDesign and Energy Resources

• bioclimatic design principalsbioclimatic design principals• building metabolismbuilding metabolism• passive heating and coolingpassive heating and cooling• natural lighting, natural ventilation, natural lighting, natural ventilation,

electrical generation possibilitieselectrical generation possibilities• calculations and modeling techniquescalculations and modeling techniques• mechanical backup systems mechanical backup systems

integrationintegration

TemplateTemplate

EXAMPLE OF A SPECIFIC TOPIC APPLIED TO OUR PROCESS

SOLAR GEOMETRY

The ivory tower of idealizedcurriculum

Aspects of: 1.sustainability2.holistic3. context4.planetary setting.

All imply that concepts and skillsof this topic are a basic necessity.

The murky reality of what'shappening via survey

If this topic is not mentioned inany of the survey replies, we canassume this is not given much emphasisin current teaching models.

HOW?

TEACHING THE BASICS OF DESIGNING WITH SOLAR GEOMETRY

TemplateTemplateTEACHING THE BASICS OF DESIGNING WITH SOLAR GEOMETRY

subtopics context

climaticfunctionalaesthetic

specific site information

specific site analysis

acceptance techniques

control techniques

exercisesurban contextlandscape contextarchitectural context

tools

magnetic declination chartsangle charts @ specificlattitudestopographic concernsshading concerns

descriptive geometrycomputer programsmodeling: sun pegs to heliodons

goals

The student must beable to :

1. understand the importanceof solar geometry to thedesign process.

2. evaluate solargeometry for a specific site

3. have the conceptualtools to manipulate 3-Dforms in order to optimizeacceptance or rejection ofsolar acceptance at anyseason

4. understand the qualitativetechniques available andhow they are used in modeling

Summary & ConclusionsSummary & Conclusions

Much like the revolutionary effect of the Beaux Much like the revolutionary effect of the Beaux Arts and Bauhaus traditions, sustainable design Arts and Bauhaus traditions, sustainable design is awaiting its debut as a cohesive design is awaiting its debut as a cohesive design pedagogy. The SEDE program is allowing for pedagogy. The SEDE program is allowing for the description and testing of a curriculum to the description and testing of a curriculum to teach the essential lessons of our era of teach the essential lessons of our era of diminishing resources and environmental diminishing resources and environmental quality.quality.

Summary Summary (continued)(continued)

It is anticipated that the “Idealized curriculum” It is anticipated that the “Idealized curriculum” will be especially helpful as a starting point for will be especially helpful as a starting point for generating specific curricula. As the survey generating specific curricula. As the survey data continue to come in, they will become data continue to come in, they will become more useful to inform the development of the more useful to inform the development of the final Sustainable Environmental Design final Sustainable Environmental Design Education Program.Education Program.

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

CIWMBCIWMB

Cal Poly Faculty & student assistantsCal Poly Faculty & student assistants

Rachel Aljlani, Scott Cochran, Travis HameraRachel Aljlani, Scott Cochran, Travis Hamera

And the host of advisors, formal and informal, on the project.And the host of advisors, formal and informal, on the project.