Background: Biophilia is becoming an important theme in contemporary design practice. Research in this area has demonstrated measurable improvements in human health and wellbeing when built environments are able to connect people to nature. However, there is much debate about how design students can best learn to fluidly implement biophilic…

Development of Russian society puts forward new requirements for the quality of training in higher educational institutions. It is necessary for a short period of training in the higher educational institution not only to transfer to student's important professional knowledge and skills, but also to form the ability and willingness to use them…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the integration of Okala curriculum into Interior Design coursework. Okala, as a teaching package, is utilized extensively in industrial design education. However, this study examines the expansion and insertion of Okala modules in an existing interior design curriculum. The Okala modules included…

An education based in human ecology can greatly benefit interior designers as they work to understand and improve the human condition. Design programs housed in colleges focusing on human ecology can improve the interior design profession by taking advantage of their home base and emphasizing the human ecological framework in the design curricula.…

Major findings are summarized of an investigation of energy design teaching in schools of architecture, which led to recommendations described in this article addressed to theoretical and inspirational models of design teaching, rather than to technical courses. Available from: ACSA, 1735 New York Ave., Washington, D.C. 20006. (Author/LBH)

The approach described is used at the University of Michigan at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in architecture to implement teaching materials regarding designing for the elderly. It uses lecture series, experiential field exercises, direct input to designer studios, and elective courses on the elderly. (LBH)