ITDS 3114: Sustainable Design and Biophilia

This course explores sustainable design concepts and theories, including the ethical considerations of biophilia, biomimicry, cradle-to-cradle, and other emerging ways of addressing environmental sustainability. Students will discuss the use of biophilia to guide decision making in the built environment, explore the use of core green building concepts (water, energy use, sustainable sites and materials), and review the Green Building Standards.

Why take it?

Everyone has contact with buildings – we all live, work, and study inside of them. The impact of the building has consequences on both productivity and human health. Students in this course will understand the impact of their decisions as designers and users of buildings, both in the immediate- and long-term, as they impact human health and global resources. This course will provide an in-depth review of concerns related to the building site, transportation and access issues, water use, energy use, materials and indoor air quality, interior lighting, acoustics, and innovation in design and how these impact the availability of resources and human health.

ITDS 3114 fulfills an elective in the Technology, Humans, and Environment Pathways minor.

Requirements

There are no prerequisites for this course.

This course fulfills Pathways requirements in Critique and Practice in Design and Ethical Reasoning.