EFS Profiles
College of Architecture and Environmental Design
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo, California
Purpose: Curriculum Change, Sustainability Research
Please note that the copyright for this profile is retained by the institution.
Just five years ago you might have had a heard time defining "sustainability." Today, with California's enegry crisis, the urgency to redefine energy efficient and environmentally friendly planning and building techniques is no longer an option-it's a necessity. To meet this challenge, a sustainable society fulfills the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
"For several years, the College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED) has offered courses in sustainable environments, concentrating them into a minor last fall," says the college's Dean Martin Harms. "It's one of the few programs of its kind in the country. Enrollment in the course package is increasing steadily, reflecting the popularity of its fundamental mission-to promote holistic thinking across related disciplines around the concept of sustainability."
The CAED's City and Regional Planning Department is fostering a global perspective to help solve California and the world's growing problems with appropriate and sustainable design. "The foundation of our teaching is built upon three fundamentals: an areas' environmental, social, and economic components, and how they interrelate to sustain healthy communities," says Professor Paul Wack. "Students learn efficient land use methods that don't overdraft water supplies, that support varied transit systems, and that provide a fair allocation of resources and services to all segments of society." The number of sustainable communities is growing and Wack believes this is being accomplished "not only with today's decisions, but by teaching future planners to think seven generations ahead."
Energy-saving decisions early in a project's development can produce long-term benefits for occupants. "In the Landscape Architecture Department we show students the value of solar orientation for passive heating and how natural air movement can be enhanced," says Professor Walter Tyron. "Important things such as encouraging appropriate siting and the use of native plants reduce water, maintenance, energy, pollution, pesticides, and cost, while benefiting our health."
Prior to the current energy crunch, in 1984 members of the CAED created the Renewable Energy Institute and in 1993 the Sustainable Environments Emphasis (SEE) Group. Both include interdisciplinary collaborations with other colleges, including Agriculture and Engineering. Architecture Department Professor Brian Kesner notes, "In all our teaching, research, and community service work, we promote a balanced solution of ecological, social/economic, and build-environment objectives by integrating the knowledge of human and natural systems."
Well ahead of trends, for decades graduates of the CAED's Architectural Engineering Department have been designing structural systems that "maximize strength using minimal materials and assets," says instructor Damon Ho.
In the Construction Management Department, students learn to preserve assets by calculating the "life cycle cost" of a building site. "This often means spending more initially on materials to generate substantial savings throughout the expected life of a project," observes Professor Bill Epstein.
A new project on the horizon is the Applied Research and Learning Center. With the help of private support, the CAED plans to establish a new learning environment in which curriculum and research overlap-a "one-stop" facility to house interdisciplinary collaboration among the colleges' five departments. Such a center will provide economies of scale and new opportunities to advance sustainability throughout the 21st century.
For additional information:
College of Architecture and Environmental
Design
This document was last modified on 02/20/2002 10:43:03 AM
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