Teaching the relation of environmental sensitivity and conceptual design

This paper gives an overview of the structure, methods and outcomes of the redeveloped course Technical Systems Integration within the accredited professional architecture program at The Pennsylvania State University. The guiding principle of the course is to link the technical, aesthetic and social approaches of environmentally responsible design in order to achieve an architecture in which the environmentally sensible elements become meaningful parts of an architectural whole, rather than additive pieces. The required course is closely linked to the fifth-year design studio, emphasizing that technical systems are not only a matter of comfort, health, or environmental responsibility, but also and mainly a matter of an individual strong design concept and corresponding environmental strategies that support the unique design. The paper discusses different teaching formats for successful knowledge transfer of environmental responsibility. Pros and cons of teaching environmentally sensitive strategies in cooperation with the design studio will be reviewed in comparison to an unrelated course. Two student designs that successfully link environmentally sensitive strategies and the design concept will be presented. The main outcomes are intensive student involvement in issues of environmental sensitivity and the understanding that environmental strategies must evolve out of a strong overall concept.