About Environmental Design

We live in a world created by design. Our everyday environment includes complex systems of cultural relevance and visual stimulation, shaped through the use of tools, technology and materials. The various disciplines engaged in environmental design combine the built, natural, and human environments through both physical and social intervention. Design pushes us to find creative solutions to the most fundamental questions. How can we, as designers, transform the existing built environment to reduce dependency on the automobile? How can we apply solar technology in everyday life to minimize our carbon footprint? How can we renovate historic buildings to ensure a sense of community in our contemporary world and how can we apply innovative green technology towards a more sustainable future?

Solving such complex problems requires an interdisciplinary approach.

The Faculty of Environmental Design (EVDS) was founded on an overarching commitment to the integration of design, ecology and culture in the making and managing of meaningful and functional human and bio-social environments. EVDS was established in 1971, and as a non-departmental faculty, originally housed programs in Architecture, Environmental Science and Urbanism. The intention of such a faculty was to meet increasing demands on the professions, and on the natural and built environments, through an interdisciplinary approach to education, training and research. Over the past four decades, the faculty has evolved in response to various cultural, economic and environmental changes, and program offerings have attempted to address the related challenges.

Environmental Design remains a non-departmentalized, graduate level faculty. We currently offer innovative Master's degrees in Architecture, Environmental Design (Thesis) and Environmental Design (Planning), as well as a PhD. The interdisciplinary nature of EVDS is dependent upon admitting students from a wide range of backgrounds. As well, it is influenced by our faculty, and their diverse interests and their academic and professional backgrounds.