Course Description It is not possible to completely
understand the reciprocal character of the human/nature relationship
without looking closely at the very long history of that relationship.
Furthermore, evolutionary trends need to be evaluated from an ecological
perspective. The seeds of hominid ecology that were sown millions
of years ago bear fruit even today in human populations. This course
identifies those seeds and follows their development through the
course of hominid evolution. We will ask hard questions about the
past and seek answers that have meaning for today's world. How did
physical adaptations to natural conditions over the last few million
years affect our ability to adapt to the present day environments?
How did adaptive behaviors and values forged in the face of inhospitable
environments hundreds of thousands of years ago help create the
predicaments in which we find ourselves today? Does the past limit
our future? The mechanisms of biological and cultural evolution
will guide our investigations of these and other critical questions.
This course is designed for students who already understand the
basic concepts in ecology and evolutionary theory.
People all over the world
build homes and work places that nurture their social values. This
course begins by looking at the ways in which other cultures have
created vernacular architecture to support their cultural systems,
thereby avoiding social conflict within their families, and between
their families and the rest of society. Then, the course directs
the focus to American society and its values. How can we use design
to put our values into practice? Students learn how to articulate
values and practical needs so that designers can create the material
support for those needs, be it a building, a package, or a machine.
The students will do a group project to determine the social values
and practical needs of a hypothetical community and create design
parameters that foster those values and needs. The result of this
project will be a design for living or working spaces for the community.
The group project helps the students experience the complex interaction
of the social and the built environment. This is an introductory
course appropriate for anyone interested in investigating ecological
design.
