Decoding Sustainability

3 units

This course engages worldwide conversations regarding current global environmental issues in relation to the production of building materials. Students will begin by defining dilemmas faced by designers and architects in the selection of materials, followed by introductory information on Biomimicry, Natural Capitalism, True Cost, and LIfe Cycle Analysis. This course will then look at national, international and industry environmental standards that govern building materials with respect to the triple bottom line: environmental impact, economic impact and social equity. By anaylzing specific certified building materials, students will see how much or low little is being measured and how transparent the certification processes are. Building materials and the environmental standards that govern them will continue to evolve throughout the entirety of a designer's life. Therefore, developing a thinking/filtering process to employ in the selection will aid each designer in theri career. This course seeks to develop design thinking in relation to the environment while developing tools to understand how building materials can be evaluated for sustainability.