Beginning in the 2021-2022 Academic Year, the Department of Architecture will offer both the 3-semester MSD-EBD program and a 2-semester MEBD program. To learn more, contact Professor Bill Braham, program director.
MEBD – 2 semesters
The Master of Environmental Building Design (MEBD) is a professionally oriented, two-semester, post-professional degree designed for architects seeking new skills and competitive advantage in the growing field of sustainable design.
With the renewed urgency of environmental issues—from global climate change to "net-zero" design—architects are faced with demands for new kinds of services that require a new kind of professional. LEED accreditation is a start, helping designers utilize existing technologies, but a wider range of skills is required to achieve real innovation and to meet the needs of clients in this rapidly changing field. New building design, renovation of existing buildings, and environmental analysis at many scales are critical aspects of comprehensive environmental design. The program culminates in a Bioclimatic Design Studio that explore the limits of architectural design for climate and its integration with innovative mechanical systems.
Please visit the program website for more information.
MSD-EBD – 3 semesters
The Master of Science in Design with a concentration in Environmental Building Design (MSD-EBD) is an advanced, three-semester, research-based degree. It builds on the course work in the MEBD degree, and adds a semester focused on a Research Studio. It is designed for architects seeking to develop new approaches to environmental design. A wider range of skills tested through experiment and validation are required to achieve real innovation in this rapidly changing field. The challenge for architects is to operate between the synthetic activities of design and the analytic procedures of research. The EBD Research studio develops and tests physical prototypes of buildings and components as part of an iterative design process.
Please visit the program website for more information.
Research
The Department of Architecture has assembled a remarkable team of experts to teach in the program. The MSD-EBD operates in close coordination with the Center for Environmental Building & Design and the Thermal Architecture Lab, drawing on the expertise of faculty engaged in research, providing case studies and research projects for students in the EBD programs.
Curriculum
The MEBD has four required courses, one design studio and a selection of four designated electives. MSD-EBD curriculum has five required courses, two design studios, a selection of four designated electives, and two open electives. The structure of the two curricula are outlined in the chart below.
The sequence of required courses develops from broad principles and simulation skills in the first semester to integration of those skills in a Performance Workshop and Bioclimatic Design Studio in the second semester, and for the MSD-EBD culminates in an EBD Research Studio in the third semester. Designated electives support the required sequence with more detailed explorations of environmental technologies and they include courses in Daylighting, Embodied Carbon, Matter and Energy, Climate Policy, The Future of Water, Articulate Building Envelopes, and Sustainable Cities, many of which are offered in other departments and schools. Open electives allow students to explore courses outside of the program that extend or complement their studies.
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MEBD Curriculum |
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Requirements |
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Semester 1, Fall |
CU |
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7510 (751) |
Ecology, Technology, and Design |
1.0 |
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7520 (752) |
EBD Research Seminar |
1.0 |
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7530 (753) |
Building Performance Simulation |
1.0 |
|
xxx |
Designated Elective I |
1.0 |
|
xxx |
Designated Elective II |
1.0 |
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5.0 |
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Semester 2, Spring |
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7080 (708) |
Bioclimatic Design Studio |
2.0 |
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7540 (754) |
Performance Design Workshop |
1.0 |
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7180 (718) |
History & Theory of Architecture & Climate (Optional/Recommended) |
1.0 |
|
xxx |
Designated Elective III |
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| xxx | Designated Elective IV | 1.0 |
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5.0 |
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Required & Elective Courses |
15.0 |
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MSD-EBD Curriculum |
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Requirements |
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|
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Semester 1, Fall |
CU |
|
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7510 (751) |
Ecology, Technology, and Design |
1.0 |
|
7520 (752) |
EBD Research Seminar |
1.0 |
|
7530 (753) |
Building Performance Simulation |
1.0 |
|
xxx |
Designated Elective I |
1.0 |
|
xxx |
Designated Elective II |
1.0 |
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5.0 |
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Semester 2, Spring |
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7080 (708) |
Bioclimatic Design Studio |
2.0 |
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7540 (754) |
Performance Design Workshop |
1.0 |
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7180 (718) |
History & Theory of Architecture & Climate |
1.0 |
|
xxx |
Designated Elective III |
1.0 |
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5.0 |
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Summer |
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6740 (674) |
CPT Intership (Optional) |
0.2 |
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0.2 |
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Semester 3, Fall |
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7090 (709) |
EBD Research Studio |
2.0 |
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xxx |
Elective IV |
1.0 |
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xxx |
Elective V |
1.0 |
|
xxx |
Elective VI |
1.0 |
|
5.0 |
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Required & Elective Courses |
15.0 |
Director