WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN?
Environmental /Ecological Design deals with development of structures and communities that are ecologically sustainable, environmentally safe and aesthetically in harmony with the surrounding site, region and climate. The core concepts are closely related to sustainable development, which is defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations, including everything from the planning, designing and building stages to the interior and exterior of completed structures.
The demand for graduates of Environmental Architecture and Design is growing as the pressure for development increases and environmental problems become more significant. Environmental Architects and Design professionals make careers through projects such as the design and creation of new towns, the reuse of existing buildings, interior design, environmental graphics, architectural design, and theme park design.
WHAT ARE THE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS?
Environmental / Ecological Design students develop skills to address the problems of development in the natural environment, including concepts and methods of civil engineering, architecture, environmental sciences, economics, and policy analysis. Natural, legal, economic, and cultural factors are also considered, as students learn to apply the strategies of conservation, regeneration, and stewardship to produce sustainable buildings, landscapes, communities, cities and technologies. Specific courses we've seen include:
- Energy in Buildings
- Renewable Building Technology
- Sustainable Development
- Energy Management
- Transport and Air Quality
- Resource and Waste Management
- Computer Modelling
- Construction Management and the Environment
- Urban Design
- Environmental Modeling
- Materials and Color
- Materials and Construction
- Environmental Visual Communication
- Healthful Interior Environments
CAREERS AND SALARY OUTLOOK
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports several categories which encompasses graduates from Environmental Architecture and Design Programs, including architects, landscape architects, designers, interior designers and regional and urban planners.
BLS reports that
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Career Guidance
in Ecological Design
 Dr. John Todd, named "Hero of the Planet" by Time Magazine in 1999 and one of the top 35 inventors of the 20th Century, discusses his acclaimed innovations in Ecological Design and the growth of education in the field. >>>
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the median annual earnings for landscape architects in 2002 were about $47,400, with the middle 50 percent earning between about $36,140 and $62,470. Check out full report from BLS on careers in Landscape Architecture here.
Median annual earnings for interior designers in architectural, engineering and related specialties were about $41,680 in 2002. Graphic designers in specialized design services earned an average of $38,710. Commercial and industrial designers averaged $52,260 in 2002. Check out full report from BLS on careers in Design here.
Median annual earnings of urban and regional planners were about $49,880 in 2002, with the middle 50 percent earning between about $39,210 and $62,710 a year. In local government (the sector that employs the largest number of planners), median annual earnings for urban and regional planners in 2002 were slightly lower, at about $48,950. Check out full report from BLS on careers in Urban and Regional Planners here.
RELATED AREAS OF STUDY
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Great Resources
on Environmental / Ecological Design
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One resource to check out is E-Construct, a directory of architecture-related websites.
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