2000-2010 / ecological literacy and design. senior course. department of design & environmental analysis. cornell university. ithaca.

dea 4220 is a lecture/seminar course for students who are concerned about the role they play as design professionals in affecting the biophysical world. the course's primary objective is to develop a new worldview founded on a broader sensitivity for things living. the course's secondary objectives are to develop a deeper knowledge of environmental issues, construct conceptual frameworks for analysis of these issues and to demonstrate how ecological knowledge can be applied to the design of the built environment.

the course combines a series of lecture topics with a variety of learning experiences to develop a new ecological awareness as it pertains to design. sustained active participation is required with students engaged in readings, writings, hikes, site visits, guest lectures, and class discussions. course projects include weekly reading assessments, an eco-sensitivity project, and a real-world team project featured below. all of these team projects except the first one, have involved research for the Subic's "led" green building certification process. dea422 was the first university course in the country to do this. it is also the first course to contribute to a project that has actually been led certified.