Sustainable Environmental Design Education (SEDE); A Curriculum Model for Architects and Landscape Architects

In 2000, the Governor of the State of California issued an executive order (D-16-00) that seeks to reduce costs and improve environmental performance of state buildings in all phases of construction, operations and maintenance. The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) has provided leadership in implementing this order through initiatives such as the Sustainable Building Task Force. In the realm of post-secondary education, CIWMB also sponsored the Sustainable Environmental Design Education (SEDE) program in collaboration with Cal Poly-SLO. The project will be used to survey and assess existing sustainable environmental design programs, generate a framework for sustainable design education of current and future building and landscape professionals, and assist the Board with dissemination of the resulting sustainable design curriculum. This project seeks to fundamentally change the existing paradigm for environmental design education that has limited the imagination and understanding of designers for the natural processes underlying environmental design. The benefits of this project will ultimately contribute to designers, owners, and operators who achieve higher efficiencies and reduced waste in energy, materials, and water cycles in their buildings and landscapes.