University of Colorado Design Build

The Department of Environmental Design at the University of Colorado Boulder's College of Communication, Media, Design and Information offers an integrative and interdisciplinary approach to design education. The program focuses on how students can improve the design of buildings and create environments, shaping the way people live, work, and play. Integrating environmental preservation with built environment planning and design, students address global environmental concerns by developing creative solutions to social, environmental, and aesthetic challenges. The curriculum emphasizes collaborative work, critical thinking, and technical skills, preparing graduates for diverse careers in design-related fields and further graduate study. Students gain hands-on experience through design projects, technology, and research methods, fostering a deep understanding of environmental issues and sustainability, while also exploring broad topics of sites, program, materiality, structural systems, modern technologies, human interconnectedness, and social interaction. The program aims to equip students to be responsible citizens and stewards of aesthetic, ethical, social, economic, and environmental concerns, confronting significant environmental challenges through complex problem-solving, analytical thinking, and leadership.