SUSTAINABLE DESIGN THEORY + PRACTICE | FALL 2022
Homepage, Class + Module Schedule
University of Minnesota Masters of Science in Sustainability | Arch 8561
Instructor: Doug Pierce / douglas.pierce@perkinswill.com
The purpose of the Class + Workshop Series is to substantively increase participant knowledge about sustainable, resilient, regenerative, inclusive, healthy design methods and actions that can be applied by all designers, problem solvers and solutionists. The combined use of these elements is called Living Design. It’s greater purpose is to transform our collective design outcomes to be radically more supportive of life than those being rendered by conventional design wisdom – now, in the future and across the whole of life.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Wednesday, Sept. 7: Welcome to UMN Arch 8561 – Sustainable Design Theory + Practice!
RESOURCE DASHBOARD
[table “” not found /]WORKSHOP SERIES OUTLINE
Class + Module Schedule
THE NEW STORY OF LIFE + DESIGN | LIVING DESIGN
Transformative Design for the Anthropocene
Narrative, Mental Models and Wholistic Thinking: The Essence of Sustainability
Class Thesis, Introduction + Setup
Module 1 | Sept 8 | I Introduction | Theory and Dialogue
Introduction to Class and the Future
During the Week Before Class: Sign-up for the Class Online Website at C3LivingDesign.org
Practice Method(s): The Living Design Elements, and the Living Design Perspectives
In-Class: Self-Introduction, Website Login and Overview, Syllabus and Project Review / Software Tests – Theory Presentation by Instructor: Living Design
Living Design Elements: Approach + Narrative
Module 2 | Sept 15 | R Reflection | Theory and Dialogue
Living Design for the Anthropocene – A New Story of Life, Beauty and Mind
Living Design Elements: Narrative + Approach
Individual Reflections Due: 12:00 Noon Day of Class
During the Week Before Class: Watch and read the Module videos, PDFs and Graphics. Digest, analyze, and synthesis your take-aways. Complete a written Reflection.
Practice Method(s): Mental Models, The Systems Paradigm, Deep Generalists: Interdisciplinary / Transdisciplinary vs. Multidisciplinary.
In-Class: Class theory dialogue and instructor presentation: The 4 Futures of Humanity and Life on Planet Earth
Living Design Element: Perspectives + Prototypes
Module 3 | Sept 22 | R Reflection | Theory and Dialogue
The Five Living Perspectives: Resilience, Regeneration, Inclusion, Wellbeing, Poietics (Greek)
Living Design Elements: Perspectives + Patterns
Individual Reflections Due: 12:00 Noon Day of Class
During the Week Before Class: Watch and read the Module videos, PDFs and Graphics. Digest, analyze, and synthesis your take-aways. Complete a written Reflection.
Practice Method(s): Perspectives, Prototypes, Rapid Prototyping, Patterning & Ideation, Top 5 Professional Skills for Living Designers
In-Class: Organize Cohorts, Class theory dialogue and instructor presentation: Living Design – The pattern of Life. Walk-through of the Module 4 Exercise.
Deep Design for the Anthropocene
Interdisciplinary Skill: An Essence of Sustainable Design Practice
Living Design Elements: Indicators
Module 4 | Sept 29 | REP Reflection + Exercise + Presentation | Practice Workshop: Site Discovery + Project Program / DNA
Carrying Capacity + Interdisciplinary Systems Thinking 1 | Sub-Systems Rough Casting | Context, Narrative + Space
Living Design Elements: Indicators
Individual Reflections + Project Exercise Due: 12:00 Noon Day of Class
During the Week Before Class: Individually watch and read the Module videos, PDFs and Graphics. Digest, analyze, and synthesis your take-aways. Complete a written Reflection. Each team is to collaboratively complete your preliminary Site Discovery for review and discussion during Class. Be prepared to share your during class if requested.
Practice Method(s): Applied Systems Thinking: Designers, Reductivism + Systems, The Power of Patterns, The Power of Checklists
In-Class: Site Analysis Presentations / Exploration and Development of Project Program, Drivers + Actionlist
Living Systems Theory and Reductive Thinking
Module 5 | Oct 6 | E Exercise | Practice Workshop: Geometry Studies
Carrying Capacity + Interdisciplinary Systems Thinking 2 | Sub-Systems Rough Casting | Geometry, Color + Texture
Project Exercise Due: 12:00 Noon Day of Class
During the Week Before Class: Individually watch and read the Module videos, PDFs and Graphics. Digest, analyze, and synthesis your take-aways. Complete a written Reflection. The Team is to collaboratively complete at least (1) Geometry Study per Team Member. Be prepared to share yours during class if requested. Conduct a Pattern and Prototype search.
Practice Method(s): Carrying Capacity, Deep Generalist, Hack-it / Rapid Prototyping (Reflection is OPTIONAL due to change in site and exercise requirements during Class 4), 5-D Flex Boundary
In-Class: Class theory dialogue and instructor presentation: TED Talk on Deep Generalists / TED Rapid Prototyping / DNA / Program Workshop / Walk-through of the Module 6-9 Exercises
Resources
Module 6 | Oct 13 | R Reflection | Theory and Practice Workshop
Carrying Capacity + Interdisciplinary Systems Thinking 3 | Sub-Systems Rough Casting: Stormwater + Land, Water and Energy
Individual Reflections Due: 12:00 Noon Day of Class
During the Week Before Class: Individually watch and read the Module videos, PDFs and Graphics. Digest, analyze, and synthesis your take-aways. Play with the calculators and review the project metrics. Complete a FULL written Reflection.
Practice Method(s): Rough-casting: Rapid Prototyping, Relative Accuracy, Proof of Concept
In-Class: Workshop – Stormwater / Land Systems: Instructor Systems Based Case Study (Sri Lanka / Bell Museum). Social Equity, Health, Water and Energy (Sri Lanka). The Bell Museum – Stormwater, Water and Habitat followed by in-class Calculations Workshop (Stormwater and Food)
Resource Calculations
Module 7 | Oct 20 | E Exercise | Practice Workshop
Carrying Capacity + Interdisciplinary Systems Thinking 4 | Sub-Systems Rough Casting: Water
Individual Exercise Due: 12:00 Noon Day of Class
During the Week Before Class: Run the calculations.
Practice Method(s): Baseline and Reduction, Resource Budgets, List Your Assumptions, Net Zero / Net Positive Water
In-Class: Workshop: Water and Irrigation Systems: Instructor Case Study – The Great River Energy / Bell Museum Part 2 followed followed by in-class Calculations Workshop.
Resource Calculations
Module 8 | Oct 27 | E Exercise | Practice Workshop
Carrying Capacity + Interdisciplinary Systems Thinking 5 | Sub-Systems Rough Casting: Energy
Individual Exercise Due: 12:00 Noon Day of Class
During the Week Before Class: Run the calculations.
Practice Method(s): Net Zero / Net Positive Energy + Carbon
In-Class: Workshop: Energy Systems. Instructor Case Study – Great River Energy followed by in-class Calculations Workshop
Resource Calculations
Module 9 | Nov 3 | R Reflection | Theory and Practice Workshop
Carrying Capacity + Interdisciplinary Systems Thinking 6 | Whole-Systems Rough Casting: Socio-Spatial Economics, Stormwater + Land, Water and Energy
Individual Reflections + Individual Exercise: 12:00 Noon Day of Class
During the Week Before Class: Run the calculations for your specific resources area.
Practice Method(s): Emergence + Feedback, Integrative Thinking, The System Parti: Create Simplicity on the Other Side Complexity, Systems Boundary
In-Class: Workshop: Instructor Case Studies – Student Case Studies. Instructor Case Studies: Rondo and Great River Energy followed followed by in-class workshop: Story, Program, Stormwater, Water, Energy
Project Balance + Synthesis
Dynamic Balancing and Holistic Concepting: An Essence of Sustainable Design Practice
Resource Balancing
Module 10 | Nov 10 | RE Reflection + Exercise | Practice: Class Project Time
Initial Project Holistic Systems Synthesis | Phase I
Project Exercise: 12:00 Noon Day of Class
During the Week Before Class: Develop DRAFT rough scenarios for all systems together on the site. Each student is to explore Whole Project Scenarios [all systems considered collectively including the building and site planning].
Reference Practice Method(s): Scale Jumping
In Class: Workshop with instructor reviews and assistance.
Team Project Time – Initial Design Scenario Development + Guidance
Module 11 | Nov 17 | E Exercise | Practice: Class Project Time
Project Holistic Systems Synthesis | Phase II w/ Interdisciplinary Proof of Concept
Project Exercise Due: 12:00 Noon Day of Class
During the Week Before Class: Refine your Whole Project Scenario w/ balancing calculations [all systems considered collectively including the building and site planning]
Reference Practice Method(s): See-saw between Systems and Reductive Thinking to create Emergence
In-Class: Workshop with instructor reviews and assistance.
Project Concept Review
Module 12 | Nov 24 | E Exercise | Practice Out-of-class
Individual System Diagrams and project Ideation supporting your Whole Project Scenario
Project Exercise Due on Google Drive: By 6:00 PM Wednesday, Nov 24 (can be submitted earlier).
The Week Before Class: Project Ideation supporting your Whole Project Scenario (Upload only, No In-class review)
In-Class: No Scheduled In-Class Activities | Thanksgiving Holiday
Project Balance + Synthesis
Living Project Design Holistic Conceptualization (Final)
Team Project Time
Module 13 | Dec 1 | E Exercise | Practice Workshop
Project Synthesis. Significant Advancement of Holistic Design Conceptualization for Instructor Review.
Project Exercise Due: By 12:00 Midnight Day of Class (Exercises can be submitted as early as 5:30 PM)
During the Week Before Class: Significant Advancement of your Whole Project Scenario for in-class Instructor Review
Reference Practice Method(s): All
In-Class: Work Time and Cohort based / Team by Team Collaborative reviews with the Instructor
Team Project Time
Module 14 | Dec 8 | E Exercise | Practice Workshop
Advance Project Synthesis. 95% complete Holistic Design Conceptualization for Instructor Review.
A Project Exercise Due: 12:00 Noon Day of Class
During the Week Before Class: Noticeably advance your Whole Project Scenario for in-class Instructor review
Reference Practice Method(s): All
In-Class: Work Time and Cohort Based / Team by Team Collaborative reviews with the Instructor
Study Time
Module 15 | Dec 15 | No Class
No Exercises or Reflections Due
The Week Before Class: No Exercises or Written Reflections
In-Class: No Scheduled In-Class Activities / No Class | University Study Day
Project Final Review
Final Project Concept Review
Module 16 | Dec 22 | EP Exercise + Presentation | Theory + Practice
Project Final 100% Complete Wholistic Design Presentation – Project Adviser[s] and Instructor Review | All Class.
Project Exercise Due: By 8:00 AM Day of Class
Final Presentation Wednesday 10:30 to 12:30 | (Proposed Time 10:00 – 1:00)
Out-of-Class: Finalize Whole Project Scenarios for Project Advisor[s] and Instructor Review + Critique
In-Class: Student by Project Reviews