School of Sustainability

Master in Sustainable Design

The Master Program is organized into two main parts intertwined with each other.

The first part, running online from October through the end of January, offers “Foundation Courses” and is designed to provide the students with the knowledge and skills required to address the challenges of the future with an open-minded, holistic, research-driven, human-centered approach targeting sustainable environments. The courses train the students to become specialized professionals in the field of Sustainability. The Second Part, running from February through September, is dedicated to Project Tracks, and it's divided into two phases: in presence from February until the end of May the course offers classes, workshops & site visits, and direct collaborations with SOS partners; in the presence or online, from May until September, the students are supervised by their Track Leaders in order to complete their Dissertation.

During this part of the “journey” students have the possibility to make a much deeper exploration of a key area of research ranging from the design of the next generation of architectural and urban environments to urban regeneration, to the provision of measures and tools for granting to the most fragile and exposed communities safe and healthy living conditions.

Part 1 - Duration 4 Months

Online: Four Foundation Courses, preparatory for all projects.

Environmental Design
Duration: 8 weeks, 2 units/week

According to the 2019 report of the Global Alliance for Building and Construction (UN Environment Program), building construction and operations accounted for the largest share of both global final energy use (36%) and energy-related CO2 emissions (39%) in 2018. Any agenda that aims at reducing significantly CO2 emissions should put innovation in this sector at the core of its efforts. While policies and technology can provide new frameworks for the development of performance-based architectural constructs, architects and engineers are called upon the unprecedented challenge of a cultural shift. Most contemporary architectural achievements are expressions of a design culture that considers power generated from fossil fuels as a cheap, unlimited source of energy, while all indicate that this is no longer a viable option.

Recovering a deep understanding of climate that used to be shared knowledge for builders and designers before the industrial revolution and reintroducing solutions that were perfected along the centuries to mitigate its impact on the built environment while taking advantage of its features is no longer a matter of choice. To cope with this challenge, architectural and engineering firms will have to integrate into their team experts trained in environmental design and Carbon neutral planning and designing for climate change, an area of expertise that sits at the forefront of both architecture and engineering.

The module goal is to provide an understanding of the principles, strategies, and analytic techniques of environmental design as well as computational modeling and the simulation of environmental processes in and around buildings. A key objective is to embed evidence-based environmental design thinking within the design process.

Students have the opportunity to apply this approach to the critical evaluation of case study projects and of their own proposals. The learning process is based on environmental performance targets. A series of thematic workshops and seminars are organized to address specific objectives, including the selection of material and components according to environmental criteria, the exploitation of renewable energy sources, and techniques for water and waste management.

The Structure

• Intro to SED Theory and Tools
• Climate, Context
• Solar Control
• Ventilation, Air Movement
• Thermal Studies
• Daylight
• Urban Comfort
• Simulations

Foundations of Sustainability
Duration: 4 weeks, 2 units/week

The great dilemma that both developed and developing countries face in reorienting their patterns of growth towards a more harmonious interaction between human beings and nature is accentuated by the uneven stages of their current developments. If all individuals and communities across the globe would consume natural resources at the pace of developed countries this would lead to a faster annihilation of the ecosystems while adding on the already unsustainable demands on the biosphere. Although development is a legitimate ambition of less developed countries, this should be pursued within a new green framework where growth doesn’t happen at the disadvantage of the environment. This shift requires interventions that are both political, financial, and cultural.

The UN resolution in September 2015 adopting a plan of action for people, planet, and prosperity in a new global development framework anchored in 17 Sustainable Development Goals, builds on the principle of “leaving no one behind” and emphasizes a holistic approach to achieving sustainable development for all. To tackle this unprecedented challenge Institutional bodies at different scales and the industry at large will need new professional figures trained to identify the most suitable solutions for transitioning them to sustainability and circular economy.

The module introduces students to the culture of sustainability through dialogue with different personalities who share a vision of the future. It analyzes key issues and challenges that lie ahead, providing the knowledge and tools necessary to design a decent and fair future for all. It fosters the development of creativity engaged in the search for appropriate solutions in harmony with the environment and the cultural context. It includes keywords for building a ‘common vocabulary’ of the key themes of sustainability, the environmental challenges we face in the coming decades as well as the emerging needs of people.

The module engages students in developing the ‘meaning’ of keywords through the acquisition of new knowledge. They will be involved in processing data collected to identify main themes and challenges. The module is based on a multidisciplinary introduction to the principal lines of research and professional activities in the field of sustainability. Classes are taught by established professionals, innovators, and researchers, who will engage in discussion with students. Topics include climate, de-carbonization, emerging technologies, social innovation, the relationship between economy and ecology, growth forecasts, and opportunities for society and the region where they operate like professionals.

The Structure

• Introduction to Sustainability
• Sustainable Development Agenda
• Carbon reductions strategies
• Accounting and Assessment
• Life Cycle Assessment
• Carbon Offsetting
• Reporting
• Social Sustainability

Design for Circular Economy
Duration: 8 weeks, 2 units/week

Design is faced with unprecedented challenges. The implications of our design decisions involve a much broader scale than that of products, and what we design addresses today a vast array of topics ranging from companies’ strategies to business models. Clients asking for design services are now interconnected with a global network of users and partners spanning the globe. Products and services provision benefits from the availability of an unprecedented amount of data and by new tools such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things that expand the boundaries of what creativity can let us imagine and achieve.

In parallel with disruptive new technological opportunities, we observe that 99% of materials that are sourced, processed, manufactured, and transported are wasted within six months after purchase (Leonard, 2011). Such a wasteful pattern of growth can no longer be sustained by the planet for it is largely contributing to CO2 emissions and to the annihilation of natural resources. The solution that we look forward to lies in achieving a circular economy and changing the buying habits of consumers and – more importantly – organizations according to a new, regenerative mindset.

The module introduces students to Circular Economy in the design professions in the broadest sense. Design for Circular Economy covers three main topic areas to provide approaches, processes, strategies, and structures for the delivery of sustainable projects.

• Transforming the Cultural Waste which content focuses on the role played by a circular economy in creating opportunities to generate value at all stages of any process at any scale.
• New Approaches to Products and Materials which focuses on the emergence of use-inspired research leading to strategies for keeping products and materials in use.
• Integrated Delivery for Regenerative Projects focuses on the particular methods of high-performance teams to deliver nature-inspired regenerative projects at a range of scales.

Design for Circular Economy is designed to prepare students for establishing, developing, and delivering integrated strategies and circular processes. Specifically, it is devoted to articulating a detailed case study through project research.

The Structure

• Understanding Circular Flows
• Shifting from Products to Services
• Design for Disassembly
• Circular Opportunities
• Circular Buy-In
• Branding the Idea
• Business Canvas
• Prototyping

Green Building Management
Duration: 4 weeks, 2 units/week

Municipalities, city planners, architects, engineers, and contractors have to tackle the emerging challenges related to the increase in population and the growth of cities. The creation of resilient, ecological, and regenerative solutions for urban environments requires investments in knowledge, education, and interdisciplinary collaboration across the building sector. In order to mitigate the consequences of climate change and to reduce CO2 emissions in the construction sector, there is a rising need for professional figures able to address energy efficiency, climate-neutral design approaches, and circular economy. The lead will be taken by those professionals who are trained to manage net-zero energy housing, adaptive building systems, and positive energy districts in the framework of a new regenerative approach, therefore contributing to the transition to the post-carbon era. A key role in that transition will be played by Green Buildings Managers.

Existing buildings and infrastructures are great assets of the urban built environment, and their regeneration is pivotal for the achievement of Sustainable Development. Urban mining, recycling, and re-use of construction materials will become the most suitable solution for the building industry in the framework of smart resource management. These changes will require not only a new mindset but also advanced practices for re-defining the value chain of buildings in the forecast of a significant reduction of carbon footprint.

The module goal is to provide an understanding of the principles, strategies, and tools for the enforcement of green and sustainable buildings, from design stages to construction and operations. It introduces a wide range of topics including principles and historical development of passive house design their international development. It covers green building certifications such as BREEAM, LEED, WELL and Passivhaus, and provides an understanding of the role played by BIM in creating design constructs that can be carried on in collaboration with other professionals. It addresses innovation in the building industry, the transition to digital, and introduces the impact of advanced mobility strategies for the creation of more efficient urban districts.

The Structure

• Introduction to Green Buildings
• Introduction to Energy
• Sustainable Buildings
• Green Building certifications
• Building Information Modelling
• Sustainable Materials and Processes
• Design for Disassembly
• Water and Waste Management

Digital and Parametric Design
Duration: 1 week, 4 units/week

A SOS certified course for those who want to acquire the necessary practical skills to becoming acknowledgeable in the use of 3d modeling and parametric design software.

The Structure

• Intro to Rhino
• Intro to Grasshopper

Healthy Materials and Sustainable Products
Duration: 4 weeks, 2 units/week

Finding healthier materials to specify and safe manufacturing processes for your projects isn’t easy. It can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Although much research is carried on and knowledge on materials is broad, sometimes it’s not easy to start for lack of easy access to information, or for it’s too technical. SOS has created the module in Healthier Materials and Sustainable Products to equip you with the right tools to make informed decisions and supply the necessary background information on basic manufacturing materials, their chemical makeups, and their relationship to human health.

The module aims at providing designers with material health information, addressed in an educational structure that will enforce their capacity to question their current practices and to link them to human health as a priority of their decisions. It is composed of four units which lead to an SOS certificate in ​Healthier Materials and Sustainable Products.​ The first and second units provide an introduction to key topics in the field of materials and health for those with general or more specialized interests.

The third and fourth units are geared towards professionals in the manufacturing processes, and those concerned with making a positive impact in product specification, manufacturing, and operation. The goal of the Module is to empower practitioners to make change with the knowledge that healthier products lead to healthier lives.

The Structure

• Introduction to Healthy Materials
• Chemistry of Products and Materials
• Design and Specifications
• Healthier projects

Part 2 - Duration 8 Months

First phase, in presence: Project Tracks, full-time project (4 Months)

The second phase, in presence/online: Project Tracks, final dissertation with project supervision (4 Months)

Architecture as a Social Business: regenerating the urban environment by creating job opportunities

4+4 months, full time in teams

• Mission
  The objective is to develop concrete projects aimed at the transformation of urban spaces, the retrofit of existing buildings, and the recovery of unused.
• Theme
  To date, 3.5 billion people, approximately half of the global population, live in cities: this urban population concentrated on the 2% of the Earth’s surface, releases into the atmosphere 70% of global CO2 emissions causing an enormous impact on the environment. According to demographic projections by the United Nations, by 2030 the world population will increase by 1.5 billion, or about 100 million more people per year. This implies tremendous expansion, mainly in urban centers. Based on these data, cities are facing a period of great social, economic, and environmental transformation, which is the subject of the course. The economic and production crisis, environmental challenges, new migration, and social integration, recuperating abandoned buildings to combat further land consumption, all require a new approach, to be contemplated and shared among the citizens rather than imposed from above.
• Approach
  Designers, administrators, and local entrepreneurs are invited to engage with the huge stock of existing buildings in the city, to improve quality of life, and to respond to the call for citizens to transform their cities. Regenerating neighborhoods and public spaces, rethinking planning processes according to the environmental agenda, activating processes of urban social and environmental regeneration, redesigning the building envelope to increase comfort and reduce energy expenditure, as well as reopening urban relationships lost with the historic city are some of the potentialities that a sustainable approach to design can offer us.

Post Carbon Architecture: designing the next generation of buildings

4+4 months, full time in teams

• Mission
  The objective is to design buildings with low technology (in terms of the physical plant) and to work with the form and the materials as new agents of performance.
• Theme
  The real estate and the construction sectors are responsible for 50% of global CO2 emissions. Growth forecasts indicate that over the next 20 years, built areas will increase by 50%, which will have a significant impact on the resolution of the environmental crisis. Despite the great attention paid by international politicians (The Conference of Parties, Europe Roadmap 2050, Architecture 2030) towards the de-carbonization of our society, to date building professionals and the construction industry lack the knowledge and skills needed to develop buildings with zero impact.
• Approach
  A holistic approach to design allows for environmental strategies specifically suited to the local context and avoids seemingly appropriate choices, made at the design stage, which may have negative impacts in later stages (construction, use, reuse, recycling, disposal). Choices of materials and construction techniques become crucial to reducing the environmental impact of the building during its entire lifespan.
  One of the challenges today is to redefine the relationship between architecture and engineering as not only technological but genetic. Building owners, designers, and builders are called upon to radically change their design approach, identifying the evolution of traditional building techniques and searching for emerging technologies for unique opportunities to restore a deep connection with the climate, the culture, and the natural landscape of the site of each intervention.

The Right to (Quality) Shelter: sustaining human development and building resilience

4+4 months, full time in teams

• Mission
  The objective is to prepare designers who are able to analyze the site of intervention, identify the territory’s potentials and thus determine the strategies that will increase the resilience of local communities, helping to reduce their vulnerability to future environmental, economic, and social change.
• Theme
  Now is an important time for the international community, with the expiration of the Millennium Development Goals, which have allowed us to significantly improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable segments of the population on the planet according to principles of, dignity, equality, and fairness. Despite great efforts to reduce extreme poverty and promote education and health, some of the main objectives were not achieved, such as the conservation of natural resources, the control of CO2 emissions, and access to essential services.
  At present, about one-third of the urban population lives in slums without basic services (water, sanitation, and energy), 750 million people lack access to safe drinking water and the number of new refugees has tripled in the last three years. With growth forecasts for the world population estimated at 3 billion more people by 2050, it is clear that in the absence of concrete actions, these statistics will only worsen in the coming decades, underscoring the urgent need to rethink development strategies.
• Approach
  To restore dignity to the people and at the same time provide sustainable economic and social development and to ensure adequate emergency resilience, it is necessary to adopt long-term development programs that leverage the knowledge and resources in the region.
  Optimization of energy and natural resources present on-site, reuse of materials, and design according to climatic requirements are transformed into the need to improve living conditions and access to resources in any location but especially developing countries.

Design of Products and System for the Circular Economy

4+4 months, full time in teams

• Mission
  The objective is to train designers capable of delivering sustainable solutions with the broadest positive impact on the environment, the society, and the economy, in a variety of fields and at different scales, and to allow companies and professionals to work together to the definition of a new set of goals that facilitate the transition of design to a new ethical dimension where the challenges related to the effects of a growing world population on the ecosphere, are tackled in a systemic way. To achieve these ambitious goals, the promotion and development of innovative materials, processes, and products that can foster a Circular Economy will be pivotal.
• Theme
  The demands for “Rebuilding the Universe” according to a human-centered, nature-based design approach are so compelling, shared politically, and urged socially by so many as to call for the development of a new design methodology fed by a multi-disciplinary set of skills forged at the crossover of education, research, and professional practice. The participants in this project track will be partnered by researchers, innovators, professionals, and industry leaders in a collaborative commitment to revolution the creative process by linking it on the new founding values of Design for Disassembly, Cradle to Cradle, Materials passport, and by making the 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda relevant at every stage of our design practices.
• Approach
  A research-driven approach to design for inclusiveness, societal awareness, value creation, community empowerment, carried on through a real project for a real client, with the support of tutorials, workshops, and lectures in collaboration with Mario Cucinella Design and that will provide the participants with a common language and operational tools.
  The founding values of Sustainable Design, theory and practice of the common good(s), shared services and products, smart materials, and systems will be paramount of a context-driven process aiming at identifying innovative manufacturing and organization processes for the development of the design and its financing strategies.