Curricula, Publications and Resources

Vital Signs Curriculum Materials Project
This curriculum package, intended for architecture students, addresses physical building performance issues. The materials "seek to instill a fundamental awareness about the numerous ways in which design decisions affect a building's physical performance--from energy use, to indoor environmental quality, to occupant well-being."

Sustainable Architecture Compendium
The Center for Sustainable Systems, housed at the University of Michigan, has a number of on-line documents available that focus on sustainable architecture. The documents are portions of curricula modules.

Green Design Education Initiative
A strategic partnership of the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC), the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and Metropolis Magazine, who have pooled their resources to gather, share and disseminate information about green design.

Utility Report Cards
A web-based Energy Information System that reports and graphs monthly utility data for schools. In addition to helping school staff track and compare energy use, the URC is also intended for teachers and students to use as an instructional tool to complement energy education materials available through DOE's EnergySmart Schools program.

Home Energy Checkup and Audit
The Alliance to Save Energy offers an interactive Home Energy Checkup that provides instant feedback. There's also a version of the audit to use as a home energy lesson plan for children.

Educating Architects for a Sustainable Environment
This website from the EASE project offers recommendations, strategies and models for sustainably-oriented curriculum reform in architectural education.

Teaching Green: Design with Values
A special supplement to Metropolis Magazine addresses sustainable design education, reporting on the Metropolis survey on green design education, as well as the May 2002 "Teaching Green" conference.

College and University Programs

Architecture Degrees with Sustainable Emphasis
The Wallace Research Group offers an online listing of International Architecture and Building Environment degree programs with some measure of emphasis on sustainable, environmental or green design courses.

Ball State University Major in Environmental Design
The university offers a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts with undergraduate Major in Environmental Design, for students interested in alternative careers in design, construction, and related fields.

Building Science Program, University of California at Berkeley
This program is dedicated to the energy efficiency and environmental quality of buildings. It offers bachelor's, masters and doctorate degrees, as well as research opportunities.

Certificate in Sustainable Design
Boston Architectural Center offers a Certificate in Sustainable Design that may be earned at either the undergraduate or graduate level, that focuses on sustainable design and green practices in building design.

Ecosa Institute
An educational institute providing undergraduate and graduate design students with a detailed understanding of the impact that design has on the environment and exposing them to alternative strategies for reducing that impact. Ecosa also offers programs for architecture instructors.

San Francisco Institute of Architecture
The Institute offers a Master of Ecological Design degree program with options for students with architecture degrees, degrees in other fields, or work experience. The Institute also offers distance learning courses in Ecological Design, Planning and Construction.

University of Texas at Austin
The Graduate Architecture program at the University of Texas at Austin offers a Certificate of Specialization in Sustainable Design in conjunction with its Master of Architecture degree.

Workshops and Training

LEED™ Training Workshops
The U.S. Green Building Council offers introductory, intermediate and advanced trainings in its LEED™ rating system at numerous locations throughout the country each year.

Sustainable Design Professional Development Program
NCARB, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, offers a monograph on Sustainable Design that discusses theory and practice and presents detailed case studies. Architects complete an online quiz to receive continuing education learning units.

Ecological Design Institute
Through their Education for Sustainability project, EDI introduces the principles of ecological design to children and youth through hands-on design/build projects linking culture, nature and techology.

Second Nature Sustainable Design Program
Within Second Nature's education for sustainability work, the sustainable design program focuses on assessing, advocating, and institutionalizing sustainable design in architecture and design schools and conducting professional outreach.

Sustainable Buildings Industry Council
The SBIC offers several different workshops which can be customized and offered on location. Topics available include "Low-Energy, Sustainable Building Design for Federal Managers," and "Green Building Guidelines: Meeting the Demand for Low-Energy, Resource-Efficient Homes."

Solar Energy International
Solar Energy International offers workshops on installation of solar and wind power systems, design of solar homes and natural house building.

Southwest Solaradobe School
Offers workshops and classes for owner-builders and contractors on how to build with adobe, rammed earth, pressed block and other indigenous building technologies, as well as passive solar workshops.

Yestermorrow Design/Build School
Nonprofit organization offering hands-on courses in design/build construction for homeowners and students or professionals. One or two-week courses or weekend workshops are offered for homeowners or for-credit courses are offered for architecture students or professionals. The Design/Build curriculum teaches students to integrate the design and construction processes. Some courses are especially appropriate for individuals who have real architectural projects in mind, while other courses teach specific design and construction skills to the serious student or professional. Course topics include solar design, ecological design and materials, strawbale home construction, and use of other alternative and traditional building materials.

Last updated: January 18, 2005

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