ARCH 4897: Design for Health: Advancing Built Environment Performance through Equitable, Resilient, Safe and Sustainable Developments

3 Credit Hours

This course aims to explore the fundamentals of design for well-being through a holistic and transdisciplinary approach. It will emphasize the critical role of integrated design in creating healthy, high-performing, equitable, and resilient environments. Throughout the semester, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of performance-based systems for assessing, certifying, and monitoring built environment features that impact human health and safety, such as the WELL Building Standard®. The course will also foster collaborative research skills and learning networks, engaging with community and industry partners, governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as both for-profit and non-profit agencies.

Course Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

Understanding of the holistic impact of sustainable design on health and safety across various environmental settings and scales – including the role of certifications in promoting well-being.
Ability to conduct interdisciplinary research to leverage healthy, and safe environments within diverse ecological, economic, cultural, and social contexts.
Ability to analyze design strategies and synthesize the intergradation of a variety of factors in a real-world context for advancing/challenging community well-being, equity, and safety.