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"I see our work as an effort to make
architecture relevant to the central challenge of our time: designing
for change in ways
that are compatible with maintaining the living systems that support
all life on earth. Our work marries nature and technology. Design
is the link between nature and culture."
—Sim Van der Ryn
Ecological design is the application of ecological principles
to the design of sustainable technologies, buildings and communities.
Working with nature instead of against, ecological design promotes
dramatic increases in the efficiency of energy and water use, reduces
wastes, maximizes recycling and reuse, and emphasizes the use of
renewable energy sources.
Ecological design is the foundation of Berea College’s transformation
to a sustainable campus- an educational facility that can meet
it current needs without decreasing the ability of the world’s
social, economic, and ecological systems to the needs of future
generations
As part of the sustainability initiative in Berea College’s
strategic plan Being and Becoming: Berea College in the 21st Century,
the College is applying ecological design to:
Renovation of buildings to increase energy and water-use efficiency,
while improving:
Comfort and functionality
Construction of student residences
and teaching facilities
Campus operations including heating and
lighting systems, recycling, purchasing, grounds maintenance,
and sustainable management of
the College farms and forest
Experiential education as students,
staff, and faculty work together to design, construct, and live
in a sustainable campus
Ecological design encourages the participation
of all members of the community in the design process. The resulting
building
and
landscapes are beautiful and desirable places to live and work.
Nature is sustained even as the needs of people are met.
Experiential
education- learning by doing- is the heart of Berea’s approach
to teaching ecological design and sustainable living.
· Students participate directly in all aspects of ecological
design at Berea- planning, construction, and operations- and in
so doing gain invaluable experience that complements their more
traditional classroom training.
· As natural processes are more visible through ecological
design, people living or working on campus will receive daily lessons
in sustainable living.
· The Sustainability and Environmental Studies (SENS) Program
offers courses and internships in ecological design. Students working
for the SENS program organize workshops and demonstrations on ecological
design and sustainable living for the campus and surrounding communities.
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