The Certificate program in Regenerative Ecological Design (RE-Design) is a rich, stimulating, cross-disciplinary 16-week experience created to give you the deepest understanding of sustainability, ecological design, and regenerative design currently available. It is an in-depth total immersion program that provides unique ways of gaining insights into the many facets of designing with nature. Participants learn how holistic systems thinking and regenerative ecological design can transform our understanding of the world and ways this knowledge can positively transform our environment and our global community.
The RE-Design Program provides a foundational survey of the design field and the field of sustainability, and directly engages students in hands-on design projects with real world clients. It is an outstanding way to supplement and enhance your current education or profession, or help you develop a new direction. The certificate can be applied as course credit to an existing degree program and many professionals have found great success by adding the new skills and perspective to their existing knowledge base. A number of our alumni have used design portfolios developed during the certificate program both to begin new careers or for applications to bachelors and masters programs in architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture, interior design, and product design, among others. Additionally, many of our alumni have used the knowledge they gained in our program to begin their own businesses.
The skills developed during our certificate program have allowed our alumni to pursue a variety of career directions. This is a sampling of the work that our alumni are doing:
- Stewardship Director, The Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust
- Energy Project Manager, City of Huntington Beach
- Sustainability Coordinator, Environmental Outreach and Stewardship Alliance
- Project Manager, Fore Solutions: Consultants for High Performance Green Buildings
- Project Manager, Action Sports Environmental Coalition
- Environmental Specialist, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, Architects
- Business Sustainability and Energy Expert, Vanden Brink Consulting
Breakdown of Certificate Program Contact Hours
Faculty contact hours 129 hours
These presentations and interactive discussions form the foundational knowledge base of the certificate program. Subjects range from skills development such as sketching and drawing to conceptual ideas including regenerative design and systems thinking.
Visiting lecturers 21 hours
These leaders in the field of ecological design bring cutting edge concepts and the latest thinking in a variety of regenerative disciplines. They spend time with students both in a lecture and social setting.
Field trips 81 hours
Visits to relevant sites throughout the Southwest give experiential meaning to the concepts discussed in studio and presented in lectures.
Studio work 180 hours
Students work to develop projects and create designs for real world client projects undertaken during the semester. Ecosa staff answer questions and offer guidance during studio periods.
Presentations & Discussion
Throughout the semester a variety of presentations and discussions are used to develop technical and oral presentation skills. These presentations are in three areas:
Research Presentations 15 hours
Students are required to complete two research presentations relevant to their client-based design projects, one on construction systems and one on design history.
Client Presentations 18 hours
Students must make presentations of their design work to clients, including an interim presentation and a complete final presentation.
Reading discussion 18 hours
Students are required to participate in weekly readings and related discussions, which include cutting edge debate about design and sustainability.
Total contact hours 462 hours
