Ashley French

Sustainable Design

The Practice of Sustainable Design /

How do we actively design to create truly sustainable results? In this course students examine this question and apply leading-edge practice methods for innovative sustainable and regenerative design solutions. Recommended for novice and veteran designers and innovators alike, this course explores the theoretical frameworks, green standards, and practice techniques used by leading sustainable designers, thinkers, and architects. The design methods applied in this studio course fit any discipline at any scale, from the smallest object to the most complex system. Through studio projects and exercises, students learn to integrate the theory of sustainable design frameworks into their practices (i.e., systems thinking, life-cycle analysis, material health, green standards, eco-labels, supply chain topics, etc.).

Project Overview /

An exploration of the environmental impacts of textbooks. First, the case is made for why the issue is important and worth exploring. Design Thinking principles are then applied to determine and design a creative and effective solution to the problem.