Program Goals

The Concurrent Program in Building and Site Design seeks to combine knowledge of ecological and social factors with the design of buildings and sites. As the professions of architecture and landscape architecture have matured over the past century, teaching and practice of the disciplines have become increasingly specialized. Architectural education and practice have focused on the design of individual buildings, with little emphasis on site design and environmental issues. Landscape architecture, on the other hand, typically has not been concerned with understanding and creating architectural form, but focuses on the design of outdoor spaces at a variety of scales from small gardens or parks to large natural landscapes in cities and regions.

Today professionals are needed who combine an understanding of individual building design with larger scale site design and the cultural and natural factors that shape environments at all scales. Neither program alone can provide the range of skills and understanding that the College of Environmental Design considers essential in improving the quality of the built environment.

Common Framework and Philosophy

The Program in Building and Site Design emphasizes design that is socially aware and ecologically informed. It provides a broader, more comprehensive approach to the design and planning of environments than either the M.L.A. or M.Arch. program could achieve individually and combines coursework common to both fields:

• History and theory
• Basic characteristics of land, water, and climate
• Social and cultural factors in design
• Design studios that combine architectural design with site design
   

Common Core and Area of Specialization

A common core of courses is comprised of basic design education in history and theory, natural factors in the design process, energy and environmental management, and research methods. The common core provides students with skills and perspectives to deal with architectural and landscape design in a more holistic, ecologically informed way.

In addition to the common core, students must select courses in each of five areas: Natural Factors, Social Factors, History and Theory, Methods, and Applications Studios. Each student is also required to develop an area of specialization within the field that applies the unique resources of the college and University to architectural, landscape, urban, and community design problems.

The concurrent program curriculum provides students with an efficient, structured approach to achieving competence in both fields. The concurrent program requires 72 units of coursework for students who have satisfied all prerequisites; a minimum of 24 units in each department.

Final Graduation Requirement

Students in the concurrent degree program must complete a thesis as their final graduation requirement. The thesis should integrate the two areas that make up the concurrent degree program. It should demonstrate a grasp of theory, methods, and literature relevant to the topic. The thesis committee shall consist of three members including one from each of the two departments (Architecture and Landscape Architecture & Environmental P1anning) and a third member from the Berkeley Academic Senate who is outside the student's area of specialization.