Course Syllabus

Sustainable by Design A

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Semester & Location:

Spring - DIS Copenhagen

Type & Credits:

Elective 3 credits

Major Disciplines:

Architecture, Design, Sustainability

Faculty:

Dani Hill, dh@dis.dk

Program Director: Henning Thomsen, ht@dis.dk
Time & Place:

Monday and Thursday 10:05 - 11:25 in V10-A33

Description of course:

The course will focus on sustainable strategies and how to make them an integral part of the design process and our living. Throughout the course we will evaluate sustainable principles and how they relate to global, ecological, urban, built, material, and cultural parameters. During the course there will be ongoing discussions about climate, energy issues, behavioral change, and sustainable values.

 We will discuss the ways in which sustainability is evaluated in both the private and public sectors in Denmark and abroad. We will investigate sustainable initiatives local to Copenhagen, while looking at a variety of sustainable approaches abroad. We will synthesize common themes and threads. The course will cover orientation, siting, and appropriation of place and materials. We will look at passive and active design strategies, as well as solar geometry and daylighting. We will investigate water efficiency and how it relates to energy, climate adaptation, food production, and waste.

Course details:

Incorporating sustainable use of energy and water resources is an increasingly critical part of the design process. Due to the difficulty in understanding and keeping up on new technologies, finding accurate and informative sources, while avoiding green-washed products, good solutions take critical thinking and creativity. There is often fear that sustainable considerations will detract from an overall design and increase the budget, whereas the opposite is true. Sustainable solutions are the most efficient in which time, money, and resources are carefully managed. This sustainable approach to delivers projects that consciously respond to local and global climate and cultural issues.

Learning Objectives of the Course:

  • To understand the impact and consequences of our lifestyle, e.g. choices of products, transportation or personal outlooks and beliefs
  • To formulate and apply sustainable solutions and concepts on all scales—and to understand how they are connected
  • To incorporate sustainable thinking as part of the design process
  • To encourage you to ask critical questions and analyze the impact of your design decisions
  • To understand and incorporate local, physical, and cultural conditions to achieve optimum design solutions
  • To begin to acquire the skill set and language required to be a relevant team player on sustainable design projects
  • To communicate ideas through discussion and develop presentation skills

Approach to teaching:

We will evaluate sustainability as it applies to different design disciplines. We will start with burning issues, followed by a study of both the built and urban environment. We will investigate both design fields through social and cultural perspectives. Finally, we will look at solutions and common ties that integrate them all. The objective of the class is to introduce you to the many aspects of sustainability and give you the tools to become a critical and confident decision-maker. The course will outline a work-flow process that integrates sustainability from the beginning of the design process. The course is taught via lectures, case studies, field studies, and group assignments. There is a strong emphasis on student presentations and the ability to communicate knowledge.

Faculty:

Dani Hill: Rummets-Sprog (Design Architect, 2015) Architecture & Design Program Assistant (DIS, 2014) Master of Architecture (Taliesin, the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, 2013), Bachelor of Science (Interior Design, Sustainable Design Concentration). With DIS since 2014.

Readings:

Readings will be available on Canvas and should be read before lectures. Readings may be adjusted or supplemental readings may be given during the course if further clarification or understanding of concepts is needed.

Required Reading/Viewing:

  •  Aravena, Alejandro “My Architecture philosophy? Bring community into the process”. TedGlobal 2014. October 2014. December 09, 2016.  [TED Talk]
  • Asquith, Lindsay, and Marcel Vellinga. Vernacular Architecture in the 21st Century: Theory, Education and Practice. New York: Routledge, 2006. Print.
  • Before the Flood. Dir. Fisher Stevens. Perf. Leonardo DiCaprio. National Geographic’s, 2016. Film. Web. [YouTube]
  • Brown, Lester R., and Lester R. Brown. Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization. New York: W.W. Norton, 2009. Print. Chapter 6: Designing Cities for People
  • “Buildings—Exploring the Sustainable Buildings of Tomorrow.” Copenhagen: Sustainia Co Monday Morning, 2015. Issuu. Why Buildings Matters, Benefits of Sustainable Buildings, Planning Tools.
  • “Carolyn Steel on How food shapes our society.” www.ted.com. Web.July 2009.  [TED Talk]
  • Gehl, Jan. Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space. NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1987.
  • “Guidance on Life-Cycle Thinking and Its Role in Environmental Decision Making.” (2014): 1-18. Building Green. Sustainable Materials Management Coalition. Web.
  • Frisk, Jeanette, and Rasmus Frisk. Designing Cities with Young People. Kbh. Arki_Lab, 2016. Print.
  • Herbener, Jens André talk on Nature is Sacred [YouTube]
  • Heschong, Lisa. Thermal Delight in Architecture. MIT Press, 1979. p.18-31
  • Hawken, Paul, Amory Lovings and Hunter Lovins. Natural Capitalism: Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1992. Intro, Chapter 1
  • Lechner, N. Heating, Cooling, Lighting. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2001.
  • Lynch, Kevin. The Image of the City. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT, 1960. Print. p. 1-14, and Editors Introduction
  • Material world: Kasper Guldager at TEDxCopenhagen 2012. [YouTube]
  • McCarter;Robert, and Juhanni Pallasmaa. Understanding Architecture. New York City. Phaidon, 2012. Print
  • McDonough, William, and Michael Braungart. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. New York: North Point, 2002. Print.
  • McLennan, Jason F. The Philosophy of Sustainable Design: The Future of Architecture. Kansas City, MO: Ecotone, 2004. Print. Chapter 14 - The Sustainable Design Process: Holistic Thinking
  • SLA. "Climate Adaption and Urban Nature." (2016): n. pag. Issuu.com. SLA Architects. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.
  • Story of Stuff Project “Story of Stuff (2007, OFFICIAL Version)” Online video clip. YouTube. April 22, 2009. December 09, 2016. [YouTube]
  • Wilson, Alex. "Getting to Know a Place: Site Evaluation as a Starting Point for Green Design." Environmental Building News 7.3 (1998): n. page. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

Suggested Reading:

  • Building Green: http://www2.buildinggreen.com/campus. You must be on a DIS computer to access the database of articles.

Field Studies: 

The field studies are a primary experiential learning component of the course. These activities should be viewed as an integrated component of the lecture course. The visits will illustrate and expand directly upon the content of the lectures and readings. Copenhagen and its examples of sustainable design will provide the basis for in-class field studies.

Evaluation:

You will be evaluated on your ability to think critically, analyze, discuss, and conclude. You will be challenged to demonstrate your comprehension of the course material and ability to provide clear and concrete analysis using your own voice. Working in teams and communicating ideas through presentations has a strong focus in this class. All projects are created according to this approach.

Grading:

Assignment

Percent

Engagement in lectures, discussions, in-class design activities, and field studies, including thoroughness of homework assignments and attention to readings

15%

Project 1: Life Cycle Assessment (group poster presentation 8-10 minutes)

15%

Project 2: Design Charrette ( a week long challenge, culminated in a 10 minute presentation)

20%

Project 3: Building Case Study (individual paper, 1500 - 2000 words including images and diagrams)

30%

Project 4: The Public Square Film (individual study, culminated in a 3-4 video clip)

20%

Academic Regulations

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:

 

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due