Year of Sustainable Design

This exciting program offering from the Ecosa Institute begins with the semester long Total Immersion in Sustainable Design certificate program and continues with a second semester of apprenticeship, allowing participants to develop a personal approach toward a deeper understanding of their own direction and potential career path under the direction of a mentor. Following the total immersion semester, the Ecosa Plus semester is a more self-directed semester, with concentration on both practical design and craft work as well as research and design philosophy. For example, a participant who has developed an interest in urban planning will work with faculty and/or mentor(s) to determine a semester course of study and potential demonstration project(s). This will create a direction that will result in innovative ideas, and solutions to environmental challenges in the 21st century.

The format of the second semester is similar to the current offering in as much as it is intended as a semester long experience. The difference will be that it is a more self-directed process with a concentration on both practical and theoretical work. The curriculum will include, but not be limited to, systems thinking, advanced design concepts, philosophies of design movements, exploration of an evolving ecological culture and aesthetic, exploration in craft, and exploration and research in chosen field(s) of interest.

Under the guidance of staff and selected mentors, participants will be required to develop projects during the semester that will expand their understanding of context and complexity relevant to their specific area of study. Those interested in Landscape Architecture may study botany of a specific region and how that botany can be incorporated into a permaculture design that will transform the landscapes of a commercial development. Design considerations might include the social function of a commercial landscape, food production as a radical statement, cyclical relationships between building and landscape, ecology of human landscape, and ecological regeneration.

One goal of the semester is not to limit the idea of ecological design to one discipline, but to focus on a discipline and explore how to integrate it with other design disciplines and fields of knowledge. A selection of architecture as a focus for study may require exploration in sociology, economics, ecology, agriculture and permaculture, urban context, future growth trends, and planning and building codes. In addition, to ensure that Ecosa Plus projects meet the highest standards of ecological design studies, projects will need to address the biological functions that can be supported by the project, the restorative work that the project would accomplish, and the regenerative qualities of the design.

The Ecosa Plus curriculum will be altered and uniquely developed to address each participants interests. We have created a sample curriculum to give an example of the framework for the program.

download sample curriculum

Admissions Requirements

Participation in the Total Immersion Program in Sustainable Design is a pre-requisite to the Ecosa Plus Program. Admission to the Ecosa Plus program is rolling and based on a brief interview. For more information or to schedule an interview email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 928.541.1002.

Certificate of Regenerative Ecological Design Apprenticeship

Participants who successfully complete the year long program will receive a Certificate of Regenerative Ecological Design Apprenticeship, which encompasses the skills and wisdom gained from both the total immersion semester and the apprenticeship program.