Environmental Systems I

3 units

Environmental Systems I is the foundation course in the architectural technology sequence. This course addresses the relationship between buildings and an expanded idea of context, including ideas of environment, landform, energy, material and space. The class places an emphasis on each student developing his or her own attitude toward architectural sustainability, its role within the design process, and its relationship to architectural form. The class is organized around the themes of climate, site and energy. The theme of climate addresses macro- and micro-climates, and the roles they have in developing architectural form through 'passive' strategies. The theme of site expands the idea of the architectural project to examine landform, position, access and region. The theme of energy looks at architecture as both embodied energy and a consumer of energy, to understand how the architect helps to control and direct these flows at macro and micro levels. Two goals for the class are to provide students with ways of thinking about and of working with issues of sustainability, which can inform their design practice, and to equip them with the basic knowledge needed to continue within the technology sequence.