Environmental Design Electives

Below is a list of pre-approved ENVD-specific electives. Please contact your advisor with any questions or concerns.

General Electives

This course teaches the student fundamental to intermediate skills and design practices around 3d modeling using Rhino 3d software. 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical representation of any three-dimensional surface or object (either inanimate or living) via specialized software that can be used for representation, calculations, fabrication, visualization etc.. Learning strategies around how to see your world in “3d models” and learning when/how/where to use these techniques will make students confident designers and marketable.

This course introduces students to BIM modeling through the Revit platform. Fundamental skills will be taught to help students understand technical and practical aspects of this software to both support academic projects and gain early exposure to expectations in professional practice. This course is not intended to evaluate design skills but advance knowledge of the presented software.

In this course, students weave together digital tools used in the landscape design and city planning profession into a cohesive project. Emphasis is on the exploration of design, 3D modeling, analysis, and how to use and present data. Tools covered include ArcGIS (mapping), Microsoft Excel (data analysis), InDesign (layout), and SketchUp (3D modeling). This self-paced, asynchronous class will be taught through a combination of pre-recorded tutorials and virtual class sessions for collaboration and discussion.

Illustrates color media techniques for the preparation, composition, and presentation of landscape and built environment drawings.

This course teaches the student basic to intermediate concepts, strategies, materialities and lots of other interesting things around the topic of digital design and fabrication. In the last decade or so, DD+F (Digifab) has evolved from a novel, boutique approach towards design to a critical component of design + making especially in Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Product design. Students will use 3d modeling (Rhino) and parametric plugins( i.e. Grasshopper) to investigate new ways of making using 3d printing, CNC machining, laser cutting and other digital fabrication processes. Learning strategies and concepts around DigiFab as well as looking at materiality in digifab and learning when/how/where to use these techniques will make students confident designers and marketable.

Please contact Nate Jones for more information and to register.

The course is an exploration of topics related to graphic design and visual communication as they relate to constructing your own professional identity. Topics will include layout, composition, fonts, color theory, printing, publication and web-based presence. We will work on visual communication strategies to develop graphically compelling and clear portfolios in both web-based and print formats for use in applications for graduate school and professional practice. A comprehensive and ﬂuid approach to the use of the Adobe Creative Suite for all design tasks will be stressed.

Comprehend the fundamentals of graphic design and their application in visual communication.
Be able to speak about visual communication in your own language and evaluate critically the visual design surrounding us.
Construct a comprehensive personal and professional identity through print and digital mediums.
Be able to synthesize the inherent strengths of various different software tools into a ﬂuid digital design process.

This 8-week course focuses on the training and practice of visual sensitivity in the freehand graphic technique including composition, freehand sketch, and color application to improve the skill of design and to achieve the graphic presentation effectively. This course will help students to develop skills and understanding with 1) the pencil sketch, 2) the freehand drawing with pen, 3) pastel, 4) the introduction of Chinese painting, 5) watercolor, and 6) watercolor rendering. The objectives of this course are to improve composition capability and artistic/color appreciation, develop a variety of skills in different mediums, and generate attractive work to support the student portfolio.

Please visit class search for full course description

This course will introduce students to the Adobe Software programs Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign to provide an overview of the computer technology and its role in the production of graphic designs. We will begin by learning file management and page layout and how they relate to visual communication, and some basics of the grid systems and color. Students will then be guided through design exercises to create a variety of projects throughout the semester. This course will offer the basics in graphic design for students who seek to expand their skills in digital communication.

Supported by CU-Boulder IMPART Grant and CU-Denver Faculty Grants to enhance cultural diversity, this 8-week course helps students understand the synthesis design approach. The environmental analyses are from site selection to architectural design, using feng-shui as clues. Feng-shui is a traditional Chinese practice used to harmonize people with their environment. Sharing Xu’s current research, this course emphasizes identifying mountainous landform patterns of areas prone to fire, wind, post-fire debris flows to improve the site selection process. This class will also coach students to evaluate the architectural design of their home for enhancing healthy living, combining feng-shui principles and scientific knowledge. As a design theory and method class, this course includes lectures, field trips, reading material, including Xu’s research journal publications, class discussions, and midterm and final presentations.

Please contact Nate Jones (nathan.p.jones@colorado.edu) for more information and to register.

Approved Electives from other Disciplines

Below is a list of approved outside courses that can be used for an ENVD elective. The below courses are offered by Geography and Architectural Engineering. Please contact your advisor with any questions or concerns.

GEOG

GEOG 3053 | Geographic Information Systems: Mapping

Introduction to the fundamentals of cartography, the science and art of map design. Emphasis on map projections, symbolization and the design of maps with computers. Students produce series of thematic maps with modern computer-assisted techniques. Recommended prerequisite: basic familiarity with computers and an introductory course in statistics (may be taken concurrently).

AREN

Introduces engineering drawing including sections and dimensioning, print readings, computer 3D, and building information modeling (BIM).

This course surveys technical and practical aspects of lighting design applications, including the physics of light, lamp technology, optical design, luminaire typologies, photometric analysis, calculations, and health effects of light.

This course will introduce students to lighting control systems. A lighting control system is an intelligent network-based lighting control solution that incorporates communication between various system inputs and outputs related to lighting control with the use of one or more central computing devices. Lighting control systems are widely used on both indoor and outdoor lighting of commercial, industrial, and residential spaces. Lighting control systems serve to provide the right amount of light where and when it is needed. Lighting control systems are employed to maximize the energy savings from the lighting system, satisfy building codes, or comply with green building and energy conservation programs. Lighting control systems are often referred to under the term Smart Lighting.

Enables students to develop sufficient working facility with the core principles and practices of architectural daylighting to allow for meaningful integration into future design work. Students work in active project-based environments to explore both quantitative and qualitative aspects of primary daylighting issues and precepts.

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Environmental Design Electives

General Electives

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