Master of Science in Human Environment Relations - Sustainable Design Studies

The M.S. in Human Environment Relations rests on the following basic premises: Development of the knowledge base guiding the planning, design, and management of physical settings requires systematic, empirical research. Individual and organizational behaviors are affected by the form of the environment. The users of environments are diverse and have different needs. Individual characteristics such as gender, stage in life cycle, family structure, role or task affect our environmental needs. In addition, organizational characteristics such as organizational culture, goals, and structure help to shape building form and use. The planning, design, and management of good environments require consideration of all users, from owners, managers and administrators, to clerks, tenants, patients, and students. Understanding organizational and human needs is no less critical than understanding financial, technological and aesthetic factors influencing the planning, design, and management of our physical surroundings. The processes through which environments are planned, designed, and managed are as important as the physical designs themselves.

Sustainable Design Studies examines the development of a new worldview founded on a skeptical, critical approach to reasoning, a deep sensitivity for things living, and a broad understanding of the historical and cultural contexts of the human/nature relationship.