Teaching a New Environmental Culture
Abstract
In the year 2009, the Department of Architecture of the University of Nicosia initiated a unique direction for its fourth-year students. Instead of a conventional thesis preparatory year of academic studies followed by the fifth year where the thesis project is to be generated, the faculty created two Units from which the students entering their fourth year would choose from. Each Unit has a distinct area of concentration which is expressed within the framework of its related studio. In addition to the studio studies, each Unit is comprised of two supplementary courses where the students are exposed to theoretical and technical issues associated with Unit. The faculty members undertaking responsibilities within each Unit are strictly selected for their expertise, knowledge and experience in the Unit’s area of study. In cases where no faculty member in the particular area of expertise was available, adjunct faculty was hired in a concerted attempt to maintain the highest standard of education within the Units. Regardless of which Studio Unit the students are registered to, they are expected to follow all supplementary courses offered by both Units. This achieves a much-needed balance and uniformity among fourth-year studies. The Studio Unit is a two-year commitment on behalf of both students and faculty. By their fifth-year, students are expected to have developed, expanded or isolated their fourth-year studio studies which will promote them to a successful thesis. The Studio offered within the Sustainable Architecture Unit is titled “Exploring Dimensions of Slow Life Filtered through Sustainable Design” and it shall be the main focus of this essay. As mentioned above, the Unit is comprised of the studio course and two associated supplementary courses. These courses are History and Theory of Sustainable Architecture and Sustainable Design Practices. The History and Theory course offers a comprehensive understanding of the principles of sustainable architecture within a historical and socio-political context, whereas the Sustainable Design Practices course provides the necessary technical background and mechanics to succeed in creating sustainable architecture. In the Fall semester of 2009, seven students with an interest in sustainable design enrolled in the Sustainable Architecture Unit Studio and three transfer students were placed in the Studio based on their individual academic interests. The Studio and two supplementary courses were taught by a collaborative unit of an architect and a landscape architect, each approaching the issue of sustainability from different perspectives which include bioclimatic architecture and innovative design, ecological systems, sustainable urbanism, and socio-economic issues pertaining to sustainable living.