The courses below can fulfill the "ENVD Elective" requirements on your curriculum guides, which can be downloaded for your convenience. For more information about the courses listed below, you can visit classes.colorado.edu and search the class you want to learn more about, and find the specific term in which the course is offered.
Below is a list of pre-approved ENVD-specific electives. Please contact your advisor with any questions or concerns.
ENVD Electives
- ENVD 3002 | Intro BIM (Revit)
- ENVD 3052 | Digital Tools for LAND/PLAN
- ENVD 3152 | Geographic Info Systems
- ENVD 3212 | Color Theory
- ENVD 3252 | Intro 3-D Modeling (Rhino)
- ENVD 3939 | Exploratory Internship
- ENVD 4052 | Graphic Communication for Design Professionals (Portfolio)
- ENVD 4112 | ARCH Graphics
- ENVD 4152 | Digital Design and Fabrication
- ENVD 4311 | Housing Policies and Practices
- ENVD 4939 | Professional Design Internship
- ENVD 4972 | Honors Research Methods and Research Prep
This introductory 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. Emphasis throughout the course will be placed on the most successful ways to utilize this powerful program whether in early design stages or later stage production. 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.
Focuses on construction and use of computer-based information systems to represent and manipulate geographic data. Emphasizes the recording, mapping, and transforming of data for analysis and use by planners.
Illustrates color media techniques for the preparation, composition, and presentation of landscape and built environment drawings.
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.
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.
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.
A seminar providing students with a descriptive knowledge and analytical understanding of the use and development of residential settings in different political economies, globally divided into advanced capitalist nations, collectivist economies, and the third world.
Please contact Nate Jones (nathan.p.jones@colorado.edu) for more information and to register.
Please contact Nate Jones (nathan.p.jones@colorado.edu) for more information and to register.
ENVD Rotating Electives
- ENVD 4361 | Special Topics: Social Factors in Design (Community Engagement)
- ENVD 4361 | Special Topics: Social Factors in Design (Fidgets and Stims)
- ENVD 4363 | Special Topics: Physical Factors in Environmental Design (Spatializing Urban Conflict)
- ENVD 4364 | Special Topics: History and Historiography of Environmental Design (Restoring the Dushanbe Teahouse)
- ENVD 4365 | Special Topics: Technology and Practice (TRANSIT:SCALE:EQUITY:BUILD)
- ENVD 4365 | Special Topics: Technology and Practice (Intro Adobe Creative Cloud)
- ENVD 4764 | Special Topics: Theory and Criticism in Environmental Design
Addresses variable topics in the relationship of human experience and behavior to the built environment, e.g., social research methods in environmental design.
Fall 2024 (16 week) TTH 9:30am-10:45am
Community Engagement: Designers need to apply collaborative approaches that distribute responsibility broadly, innovate from the bottom-up, and engage diverse individual and organizations. This class is devoted to learning how to design and implement vibrant opportunities for public participation, drawing on a wide range of theories and practices. We will develop some of the essential skills associated with engaging diverse communities to address critical social and environmental challenges that are both complex and uncertain.
First year students are given priority enrollment. After freshman registration, available seats will open to all ENVD students.
Addresses variable topics in the relationship of human experience and behavior to the built environment, e.g., social research methods in environmental design.
Fall 2024 (8 week Session 2) TTH 2:00pm-4:45pm
Fidgets and Stims: This course will introduce key concepts on neurodiversity as it relates to the design of products and the built environment. "Neurodiversity" encompasses the broad spectrum of normal human variations in cognition, emotion, and sensory processing. Students will create fidget designs aimed at enhancing emotional wellbeing by encouraging soothing, self-stimulatory behaviors, known as "stims." They will then design and evaluate new fidget prototypes created using digital fabrication methods such as 3D printing and CNC milling.
Includes such topics as appropriate technology, public policy and natural hazards, organization of the designing and building process, and physical elements of urban development.
Fall 2024 (16 week) TTH 12:30pm-1:45pm
SPATIALIZING URBAN CONFLICT:
Using Environmental Design Tools to Visualize Social Issues in Urban Space
This class delves into utilizing environmental design tools to reveal urban conflict. In today's highly urbanized world, cities serve as the battlegrounds for conflicts stemming from economic, religious, gender, and ethnic differences. As tensions escalate into violence, urban spaces transform into battlefields. Amidst its conflicts, city development becomes both a tool for violence and reconciliation. This course addresses urban development challenges worldwide, focusing on areas at war, religious or ethnic strife, and criminal violence.
Enrollment is open to all majors. Non-Environmental Design students will need to submit an Intent to Enroll Form: https://forms.gle/kzETNF94ikV1xZmR6
Provides an advanced seminar on history and historiography of environmental design, e.g., American dwellings.
Summer 2024 (May 20 – July 26) Monday & Wednesday from 2:30pm – 4:25pm
Restoring Dushanbe Teahouse: “Restoring the Dushanbe Teahouse” is a multidisciplinary seminar that encompasses instruction and training to equip students (from all majors) with a mix of knowledge and skills including (a) cultural heritage and historic preservation; (b) theory and criticism of placemaking; (c) restoration of registered landmarks. The course is delivered as a seminar and hands-on restoration workshops. The seminar portion includes lectures, readings, discussion, academic style writing, and reflections on theory critiques. The hands-on workshops are professional training in restoration of the Central Asian landmark (Dushanbe Teahouse) offered by a renowned Tajik artist and EVND visiting scholar.
Provides an advanced seminar on new technologies and issues of professional practice in the environmental design professions.
Summer 2024 (Term A: June 3-July 5) M-F 9:00am-12:00pm
TRANSIT:SCALE:EQUITY:BUILD: ENVD 3100 has been investigating how to move through the built environment equitably. The research has included the manipulation of current infrastructures, creating of multiple public spaces, and designing a human powered vehicle.
Students participating in the summer session will continue the vehicle design through a 1:1 design build process. The experience will present opportunities to learn fabrication techniques and apply them to multiple prototypes, culminating in one final design.
Provides an advanced seminar on new technologies and issues of professional practice in the environmental design professions.
Fall 2024 (16 week) TTH 11:00am-12:15pm
Intro Adobe Creative Cloud: This course is intended for students who are not currently in Environmental Design. Non-Environmental Design majors will need to submit an Intent to Enroll Form: https://forms.gle/kzETNF94ikV1xZmR6. 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. Students who enroll in this course will need to have a personal laptop that they can bring to class. An Adobe Creative Cloud software subscription is required for the course and is available at a discount through OIT. Students are expected to be ready to use their computers and software on day one.
Provides an advanced seminar on theory and criticism in environmental design, e.g., architecture now and introduction to design theory and criticism.