Designing a more hopeful future
Photo by Addi Rexroat
Design has always been about solving problems, but in the Department of Environmental Design, it’s also about finding hope along the way.
That is why the department, part of the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information at CU Boulder, is hosting a year-long lecture series, with guest speakers from around the country sharing their insights on designing for a complex world.
What: The ENVD Lecture Series on Designing for a Complex World
When: Various days and times through Wednesday, Nov. 19.
Who:Various speakers from industry and academia, who will bring real-world perspectives to complex problems and challenge students to be optimistic in the face of crises.
The remaining lineup is as follows:
- Cyrus Peñarroyo, associate professor of architecture at the Թ of Michigan, 12:20 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 22, ENVD 134.
- Mike Moore, founding partner of Tres Birds, 5 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12, ENVD 134.
- Alejandro Vázquez, director at Field Operations, 12:20 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 19, ENVD 134.
Though the lecture series has been held before, this year’s theme of designing optimism issues a specific challenge to the presenters and students who attend.
“Design is inherently an optimistic act,” said Jeremy Ehly, an associate teaching professor and chair of the visiting lecture committee. “Optimism is imagining a future that’s better, and in order to be a designer you have to believe in that possibility.”
The lectures go beyond traditional design, covering topics such as photography, environmental advocacy and sustainability, showcasing how creativity can create change for all spaces and living beings. The series formally kicked off Oct. 13 with a lecture from Joyce Hwang, a professor of architecture at the Թ at Buffalo, who shared insights from her work on how to integrate multispecies habitat design into the built environment.
Hwang encouraged designers to frame their work beyond just human considerations—from integrating ecosystem services thinking into design thinking, to incorporating empathy and inclusion in a more expanded and biodiverse sense.
Environmental design often handles complex and sometimes discouraging issues like the housing crisis, habitat degradation and ecological collapse. Still, Ehly hopes this series will inspire students to see hope beyond these challenges.
“When confronted with these problems, it creates a sense of futility,” Ehly said. “I hope students attending are influenced by these people who are making a positive change—and can see themselves doing it someday.”
Students won’t only have the opportunity to hear from these industry experts, they will also be able to connect with speakers on a deeper level. It’s a key focus of the environmental design department, which challenges students to do hands-on work that is reviewed by industry professionals to provide invaluable feedback.
“What gets me excited is just the ability for our students to be so intensely exposed to these critical voices, and have a way to critically engage with them in our studios, in our curriculum and in real life,” Ehly said.