Strategies for Sustainable Design

Strategies for Sustainable Design

Sustainable design is the practice of creating and maintaining systems that are ecologically sound, resource efficient, and cost-effective. It is an important part of creating a better and more sustainable future. The goal of sustainable design is to reduce our environmental footprint while still providing the benefits of modern life. The first step to sustainable design is to understand the environmental, economic, and social impacts of our actions. This means assessing the resources needed to produce a product or service and considering the full life cycle of the product, from production to disposal. This assessment should include the impacts of energy use, water use, waste streams, and other environmental considerations. The next step is to reduce the environmental impact of the product or service. This can be done through energy efficiency, resource conservation, and use of renewable energy. Strategies for energy efficiency include using natural lighting, building materials with high insulation values, and using energy efficient appliances. Resource conservation can be achieved through the use of recycled materials, reusing materials, and designing durable and long-lasting products. Renewable energy sources can be used to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels. Once the environmental impact of the product or service has been reduced, the next step is to look at the economic costs. This means considering the cost of production, the cost of materials, and the cost of maintenance. The goal is to create products that are cost-effective and use renewable, energy-efficient resources. Finally, the social impacts of the product or service should be considered. This includes the impact on local communities, the health and safety of people, and the impact on the environment. Sustainable design should strive to create products and services that meet the needs of people and communities, while also considering the environment. Sustainable design is a complex process and requires a thoughtful approach. By understanding the environmental, economic, and social impacts of our actions, we can create products and services that are resource efficient, cost-effective, and beneficial to both people and the environment.

The course discusses sustainability principles and concepts from across various domains. Elaborates on sustainability definitions, aspects, dynamic nature of it, and its application in everyday life. Further, it discusses global efforts from UNFCCC, IPCC, and other agencies for developing context-based solutions and climate change mitigation efforts. Involves field visits, real-life case examples, and assignments. Includes study on building technologies to improve efficiency and response to surroundings.

Focuses on basic scientific principles underlying the environmental performance of the built environment and designing for efficacy on EIA/LCA. It elaborates about NBC of India, CNBC, and SA Methods also such as GRIHA, LeNS tools, etc. Overall, it touches on UN SDG and systemic analysis for an easy understanding of assessment for students. The course provides a state of the art study material using the latest research papers, journals, books, and reports, etc.

Strategies for Sustainable Design course layout