The Oxford geographer, Halford J. Mackinder once said, “All knowledge is one; its division into subjects is a concession to human weakness.” That comes close to describing the philosophical drive for the Program in Environmental Design (ENVD).

The environmental challenges facing our society loom large and demand creative solutions. The program’s expertise in addressing solutions within the context of built and natural environments provides students with unique advantages. Influenced by the advice of the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius on the education of the architect, students engage with a broad range of subjects in the humanities, sciences and social sciences, in order to understand the gravity of the challenges society faces and the contribution designers can make to addressing such challenges. ENVD fosters an innovative interdisciplinary education to prepare students for practice and advanced study in the design-based fields of architecture, landscape architecture and planning, as well as apply design thinking to a variety of other possible careers.

The knowledge to address sustainable solutions for the built and natural environment requires holistic design thinking. Welcome to the next generation of Environmental Design at CU Boulder.