UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design
Encyclopedia
The College of Environmental Design, also known as the (Berkeley CED) or simply (CED) is one of 14 schools and colleges at the University of California, Berkeley
. The school is located in Wurster Hall on the southeast corner of the main UC Berkeley campus. It is composed of three departments:
The CED is consistently ranked as one of the most prestigious design schools in the U.S. and the world. The Graduate Program in Architecture is currently ranked No. 9 in the country by DesignIntelligence. The Urban Planning program is currently ranked No. 2 by Planetizen
, after MIT. The school is repeatedly cited for their advancements and research in the field of Sustainable Design
.
in 1894 followed by the School of Landscape Architecture which began instruction in 1913 and City Planning in 1948. In order to encourage an atmosphere of interdisciplinary study, the three schools were brought under one roof and the College of Environmental Design was founded in 1959 by, William Wurster
, T.J Kent, Catherine Bauer, and Vernon DeMars
. Originally, the school was located in North Gate Hall. Wurster Hall, the building which currently houses the college was built in 1964 and was designed by Joseph Esherick
, Vernon DeMars, and Donald Olsen, members of the CED faculty.
One of the CED's early innovations during the 1960s was the development of the "four-plus-two" ("4+2") course of study for architecture students, meaning a four-year non-professional Bachelor of Arts in Architecture degree followed by a two-year professional Master of Architecture (M.Arch) degree. The 4+2 program was meant to address the shortfalls of the traditional 5-year professional Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) program, which many architecture educators felt was too rushed and neglected the undergraduate's intellectual development in favor of a strong emphasis on practical design knowledge. The 4+2 program allowed one to receive a broader education including exposure to the liberal arts as an undergraduate and thus a deeper and more thorough education in architectural design as a graduate student.
In 2009-2010, the College of Environmental Design marked its 50th anniversary with a year-long series of events that paid tribute to CED’s history and legacy, and engaged the college community in a lively discussion about its future.
Undergraduate
Graduate and Postgraduate
Undergraduate
Graduate and postgraduate
Environmental Design Library
One of the premier architecture, landscape architecture, and city and regional planning libraries in North America, the Environmental Design Library is a subject specialty library of the UC Berkeley Library system. The Library's collection includes more than 204,000 volumes and subscriptions to more than 800 serials from all over the world.
Environmental Design Archives
William W. Wurster founded the Environmental Design Achieves in 1953, with the personal papers and project records of Bernard Maybeck comprising the inaugural donation. Holding nearly 100 collections, the Archives has become Northern California’s premiere collection of historic architecture and landscape records.
CED e-News is the College of Environmental Design's email newsletter published semi-weekly from September through May.
Places is the main journal in the U.S. principally focused on Urban Design. The journal was published by the Center for Environmental Design Research (CEDR). Founded in 1983 by members of the faculty at Berkeley and MIT, the journal stopped issuing printed copies and became 'online only' in Spring, 2009. The magazine is currently published by the University of Arizona
School of Architecture and Berkeley remains a partner school.
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. The school is located in Wurster Hall on the southeast corner of the main UC Berkeley campus. It is composed of three departments:
- ArchitectureArchitectureArchitecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
- CityUrban planningUrban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
and Regional PlanningRegional planningRegional planning deals with the efficient placement of land use activities, infrastructure, and settlement growth across a larger area of land than an individual city or town. The related field of urban planning deals with the specific issues of city planning... - Landscape ArchitectureLandscape architectureLandscape architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions...
and Environmental PlanningEnvironmental planningEnvironmental Planning is the process of facilitating decision making to carry out development with due consideration given to the natural environmental, social, political, economic and governance factors and provides a holistic frame work to achieve sustainable outcomes.-Elements of environmental...
The CED is consistently ranked as one of the most prestigious design schools in the U.S. and the world. The Graduate Program in Architecture is currently ranked No. 9 in the country by DesignIntelligence. The Urban Planning program is currently ranked No. 2 by Planetizen
Planetizen
Planetizen is a planning-related news website owned by Urban Insight of Los Angeles, California. It features user-submitted and editor-evaluated news and weekly user-contributed op-eds about urban planning and several related fields...
, after MIT. The school is repeatedly cited for their advancements and research in the field of Sustainable Design
Sustainable design
Sustainable design is the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment, and services to comply with the principles of economic, social, and ecological sustainability.-Intentions:The intention of sustainable design is to "eliminate negative environmental...
.
History
The School of Architecture at Berkeley was developed by John Galen HowardJohn Galen Howard
John Galen Howard was an American architect.He is best known for his work as the supervising architect of the Master Plan for the University of California, Berkeley campus, and for founding the University of California's architecture program...
in 1894 followed by the School of Landscape Architecture which began instruction in 1913 and City Planning in 1948. In order to encourage an atmosphere of interdisciplinary study, the three schools were brought under one roof and the College of Environmental Design was founded in 1959 by, William Wurster
William Wurster
William Wilson Wurster was an American architect and architectural teacher at the University of California, Berkeley and at MIT, best known for his residential designs in California. - Biography :...
, T.J Kent, Catherine Bauer, and Vernon DeMars
Vernon DeMars
Vernon DeMars was an American architect and professor at the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design.As one of the principal members of Telesis, he helped develop what Lewis Mumford called the Second Bay Area Regional Style. He, along with William Wurster, designed Wurster Hall, Sproul Plaza...
. Originally, the school was located in North Gate Hall. Wurster Hall, the building which currently houses the college was built in 1964 and was designed by Joseph Esherick
Joseph Esherick
Joseph Esherick was an American architect.Esherick was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1937, Esherick set up practice in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1953 and taught at University of California, Berkeley for many years...
, Vernon DeMars, and Donald Olsen, members of the CED faculty.
One of the CED's early innovations during the 1960s was the development of the "four-plus-two" ("4+2") course of study for architecture students, meaning a four-year non-professional Bachelor of Arts in Architecture degree followed by a two-year professional Master of Architecture (M.Arch) degree. The 4+2 program was meant to address the shortfalls of the traditional 5-year professional Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) program, which many architecture educators felt was too rushed and neglected the undergraduate's intellectual development in favor of a strong emphasis on practical design knowledge. The 4+2 program allowed one to receive a broader education including exposure to the liberal arts as an undergraduate and thus a deeper and more thorough education in architectural design as a graduate student.
In 2009-2010, the College of Environmental Design marked its 50th anniversary with a year-long series of events that paid tribute to CED’s history and legacy, and engaged the college community in a lively discussion about its future.
Graduates
- Hans HolleinHans HolleinHans Hollein, is an Austrian architect and designer.Hollein achieved a diploma at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 1956, then attended the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1959 and the University of California, Berkeley in 1960...
, Pritzker PrizePritzker PrizeThe Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually by the Hyatt Foundation to honour "a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built...
Laureate - Kofi BonnerKofi BonnerKofi S Bonner M. Arch, MCP, University of California, Berkeley) is an Ghana-born American architect and planner who is known for the heading the redevelopment of the city of Emeryville, California. Mr Bonner was also Director of Economic Development and Interim City Manager for the City of...
- Arthur Brown, Jr., architect of the San Francisco City HallSan Francisco City HallSan Francisco City Hall, re-opened in 1915, in its open space area in the city's Civic Center, is a Beaux-Arts monument to the City Beautiful movement that epitomized the high-minded American Renaissance of the 1880s to 1917. The structure's dome is the fifth largest in the world...
- Yung Ho ChangYung Ho ChangYung Ho Chang is a Chinese-American architect and the Head Professor of MIT Architecture.He studied in Nanjing Institute of Technology before went to US. Then he received his M.Arch. from the University of California, Berkeley and taught in the US for 15 years before returning to Beijing to...
, head of the Department of Architecture at MIT - Edward CullinanEdward CullinanEdward Cullinan, CBE, is a British architect.Cullinan was educated at Cambridge University, the Architectural Association, and the University of California, Berkeley before working for Denys Lasdun where he designed the student residences for the University of East Anglia.Cullinan's practice,...
, 2008 recipient of the RIBA Royal Gold MedalRoyal Gold MedalThe Royal Gold Medal for architecture is awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects on behalf of the British monarch, in recognition of an individual's or group's substantial contribution to international architecture.... - Irving MorrowIrving MorrowIrving F. Morrow was an American architect best known for designing the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California.-Education and practice:...
, designer of the Golden Gate BridgeGolden Gate BridgeThe Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to... - Norman JaffeNorman JaffeNorman Jaffe was an American architect, most noted for his contemporary residential architecture, and his "strikingly sculptural beach houses" on Eastern Long Island, in southeastern New York...
- Wes JonesWes JonesWesley "Wes" Jones is an American architect, educator and author. Founding partner of Holt Hinshaw Pfau Jones, in 1987 and then Jones, Partners: Architecture in 1993, Jones is a leading architectural voice of his generation, advocating for a continuing appreciation of the physical side of...
- Ray KappeRay KappeRay Kappe is an award winning architect and educator in Southern California. In 1972, he resigned his position as Founding Chair of the Department of Architecture at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and along with a group of faculty and students, started what eventually came to be...
, founder of the Southern California Institute of Architecture - G. Albert LansburghG. Albert LansburghGustave Albert Lansburgh was an American architect, largely known for his work on luxury cinemas and theatres. He was the principal architect of theaters on the West Coast from 1900 - 1930.-Life and career:...
- Lars Lerup, dean of the Rice School of ArchitectureRice UniversityWilliam Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
- Julia MorganJulia MorganJulia Morgan was an American architect. The architect of over 700 buildings in California, she is best known for her work on Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California...
, architect of the Hearst CastleHearst CastleHearst Castle is a National Historic Landmark mansion located on the Central Coast of California, United States. It was designed by architect Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947 for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who died in 1951. In 1957, the Hearst Corporation donated the property to...
and first woman graduate of the Ecole des Beaux-ArtsÉcole des Beaux-ArtsÉcole des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,... - Robert MuraseRobert MuraseRobert Murase was a world renowned landscape architect. His work throughout the Pacific Northwest demonstrates the skill and passion he had for landscape design. He was known as one of the best landscape designers locally and internationally.-History:Murase was born in San Francisco as a third...
, noted landscape architect - Eric Owen MossEric Owen MossEric Owen Moss practices architecture with his eponymously named LA-based 25-person firm founded in 1973.Throughout his career Moss has worked to revitalize a once defunct industrial tract in Culver City, California....
, director of the Southern California Institute of Architecture - Vladimir OssipoffVladimir OssipoffVladimir ‘Val’ Ossipoff was an American architect best known for his works in Hawaii.Vladimir Ossipoff was born November 25, 1907 in Vladivostok, Russia, but grew up in Tokyo, Japan, where his father was a military attaché of the Russian embassy, and emigrated to the United States in 1923...
- Frederic SchwartzFrederic SchwartzFrederic Schwartz is an American architect, author, and city planner whose work includes "Empty Sky," the New Jersey 9-11 Memorial, scheduled to be dedicated in Liberty State Park on September 11, 2011, the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks.A recipient of the prestigious Rome Prize in...
- Marilyn Jordan Taylor, chairman of Skidmore, Owings and MerrillSkidmore, Owings and MerrillSkidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP is an American architectural and engineering firm that was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John O. Merrill. They opened their first branch in New York City, New York in 1937. SOM is one of the largest...
and dean of PennDesignUniversity of Pennsylvania School of DesignThe University of Pennsylvania School of Design is the design school of the University of Pennsylvania. It is currently ranked 3rd in urban planning by The Best Colleges, 10th in urban planning by Planetizen, and 8th in architecture by DesignIntelligence... - Peter WalkerPeter Walker (architect)Peter Walker is a landscape architect in the United States.-Biography and Influences:Peter Walker grew up in California and attended the University of California, Berkeley. Walker initially started out in Journalism but quickly changed his field...
- Harvey Wiley CorbettHarvey Wiley CorbettHarvey Wiley Corbett was an American architect primarily known for skyscraper and office building designs in New York and London, and his advocacy of tall buildings and modernism in architecture.-Early life and career:...
- Gwendolyn WrightGwendolyn WrightGwendolyn Wright is an award-winning architectural historian, author, and co-host of the PBS television series "History Detectives". She is a professor of architecture at Columbia University, also holding appointments in both its departments of history and art history. Besides "History...
- Michael WooMichael WooMichael K. Woo, also known as Mike Woo, is an educator who was a member of the Los Angeles City Council from 1985 to 1993. He is now dean of the College of Environmental Design at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.-Family:...
, dean of the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental DesignCal Poly Pomona College of Environmental DesignThe California State Polytechnic University, Pomona College Environmental Design also known as the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design is one of Cal Poly Pomona's seven colleges. The college houses over 1,600 students; making it one of largest environmental design programs in the...
, and current Los Angeles planning commissioner.
Current faculty
- Nezar AlSayyadNezar AlSayyadNezar AlSayyad is Professor of Architecture, Planning, Urban Design and Urban History at the College of Environmental Design, University of California, Berkeley...
- Manuel CastellsManuel CastellsManuel Castells is a sociologist especially associated with information society and communication research....
- Harrison FrakerHarrison FrakerHarrison Fraker, FAIA is a professor of Architecture and Urban Design, and the former Dean of the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design....
- Ananya RoyAnanya RoyAnanya Roy is a professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley, where she teaches in the fields of urban studies and international development...
- Jennifer WolchJennifer WolchJennifer Wolch is a professor of Urban Planning, Geography and dean of the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design.Before accepting the dean position, Wolch was the Founder and Director of the Center for Sustainable Cities at the University of Southern California...
Former faculty
- Christopher AlexanderChristopher AlexanderChristopher Wolfgang Alexander is a registered architect noted for his theories about design, and for more than 200 building projects in California, Japan, Mexico and around the world...
, Professor Emeritus and developer of the Pattern LanguagePattern languageA pattern language, a term coined by architect Christopher Alexander, is a structured method of describing good design practices within a field of expertise. Advocates of this design approach claim that ordinary people of ordinary intelligence can use it to successfully solve very large, complex... - Donald AppleyardDonald AppleyardDonald Appleyard was an urban designer and theorist, teaching at the University of California, Berkeley.Born in England, Appleyard studied first architecture, and later urban planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After graduation he taught at MIT for six years,and later at Berkley...
- Catherine Bauer
- Denise Scott BrownDenise Scott BrownDenise Scott Brown, is an architect, planner, writer, educator, and principal of the firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates in Philadelphia...
, partner in Venturi, Scott Brown and AssociatesRobert VenturiRobert Charles Venturi, Jr. is an American architect, founding principal of the firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, and one of the major figures in the architecture of the twentieth century... - Neil DenariNeil DenariNeil Denari is an American architect, professor, and author. Based since 1988 in Los Angeles, Denari emerged in New York during the 1980s with a series of theoretical projects and texts based on the collapse of the machine aesthetic of Modernism. His office, Neil M...
- Charles Eames
- Joseph EsherickJoseph EsherickJoseph Esherick was an American architect.Esherick was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1937, Esherick set up practice in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1953 and taught at University of California, Berkeley for many years...
, 1989 recipient of the AIA Gold MedalAIA Gold MedalThe AIA Gold Medal is awarded by the American Institute of Architects conferred "by the national AIA Board of Directors in recognition of a significant body of work of lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture."... - Sir Peter HallPeter Hall (urbanist)Sir Peter Geoffrey Hall, FBA is an English town planner, urbanist and geographer. He is the Bartlett Professor of Planning and Regeneration at The Bartlett, University College London and President of both the Town and Country Planning Association and the Regional Studies Association.He is...
- John Galen HowardJohn Galen HowardJohn Galen Howard was an American architect.He is best known for his work as the supervising architect of the Master Plan for the University of California, Berkeley campus, and for founding the University of California's architecture program...
, founder of the Department of Architecture - Allan JacobsAllan JacobsAllan B. Jacobs is an urban designer, renowned for his publications and research on urban design. His well-known paper "Towards an Urban Design Manifesto", written with Donald Appleyard, describes how cities should be laid out....
- Spiro KostofSpiro KostofDr. Spiro Konstantine Kostof was a leading architectural historian and inspirational teacher at the University of California, Berkeley. His books continue to be widely read and some are routinely used in collegiate courses on architectural history.A Bulgarian born in Turkey, Kostof was educated...
- Aaron MarcusAaron MarcusAaron Marcus is an American user-interface and information-visualization designer, as well as a computer graphics artist.- Biography :...
, graphic designer - Richard L. MeierRichard L. MeierRichard Louis Meier, is an US regional planner, systems theorist, scientist, urban scholar, and futurist, who was Professor in the College of Environmental Design at University of California at Berkeley. He was an early thinker on sustainability in planning, and recognized as a leading figure in...
, sustainable planning expert - Bernard MaybeckBernard MaybeckBernard Ralph Maybeck was a architect in the Arts and Crafts Movement of the early 20th century. He was a professor at University of California, Berkeley...
- Erich MendelsohnErich MendelsohnErich Mendelsohn was a Jewish German architect, known for his expressionist architecture in the 1920s, as well as for developing a dynamic functionalism in his projects for department stores and cinemas.-Early life:...
- Roger MontgomeryRoger MontgomeryRoger Montgomery was a city planner, urban designer, architect, and educator.-Biography:He was born in New York City to parents Graham Livingston Montgomery and Anne Cook and lived in Greenwich Village until 1930, when he moved to Port Washington, Long Island. Roger's father died suddenly from a...
- Charles MooreCharles Willard MooreCharles Willard Moore was an American architect, educator, writer, Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and winner of the AIA Gold Medal in 1991.-Life and career:...
, 1992 recipient of the AIA Gold MedalAIA Gold MedalThe AIA Gold Medal is awarded by the American Institute of Architects conferred "by the national AIA Board of Directors in recognition of a significant body of work of lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture."... - Sim Van der RynSim Van der RynSim Van der Ryn is acknowledged as a leader in "sustainable architecture." He is also a researcher and educator. Van der Ryn's driving professional interest has been applying principles of physical and social ecology to architecture and environmental design....
Academics
CED awards the following degrees:Undergraduate
- A.B. Architecture
- A.B. Landscape Architecture
- A.B. Urban Studies
Graduate and Postgraduate
- M.Arch. - Master of Architecture
- M.S. - Master of Science in Architecture
- M.L.A. - Master of Landscape Architecture
- M.C.P. - Master of City Planning
- M.U.D. - Master of Urban Design
- M.A. Design - Master of Arts in Design
- Ph.D. in Architecture
- Ph.D. in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning
- Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning;
Admissions
Admission to the College of Environmental Design is highly competitive. Following are the admissions statistics for Fall 2006, According to CED's 2007 Annual Report:Undergraduate
- A.B. Arch: 340 students accepted out of 1,375 applicants, or 24.7%
- A.B. Landscape Architecture: 15 students accepted out of 103 applicants, or 14.5%
- A.B. Urban Studies: 18 students accepted out of 95 applicants, or 18.9%
Graduate and postgraduate
- M.Arch.: 42 students accepted out of 1332 applicants, or 6.6%
- M.S. in Architecture: 8 students accepted out of 42 applicants, or 19.0%
- M.L.A.: 42 students accepted out of 149 applicants, or 28.2%
- M.C.P.: 45 students accepted out of 257 applicants, or 17.5%
- Ph.D. in Architecture: 8 students accepted out of 55 applicants, or 14.5%
- Ph.D. in Landscape Architecture: 1 student accepted out of 12 applicants, or 8.3%
- Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning: 5 students accepted out of 62 applicants, or 8.1%
Facilities and services
Wurster Hall provides a rich environment for its community, including the Environmental Design Library, Environmental Design Archives, Research Facilities, a Teaching Garden, Computer Labs, Simulation and Prototyping Labs, a Fabrication Shop, Photography Lab, Galleries, and a full service Cafe.Environmental Design Library
One of the premier architecture, landscape architecture, and city and regional planning libraries in North America, the Environmental Design Library is a subject specialty library of the UC Berkeley Library system. The Library's collection includes more than 204,000 volumes and subscriptions to more than 800 serials from all over the world.
Environmental Design Archives
William W. Wurster founded the Environmental Design Achieves in 1953, with the personal papers and project records of Bernard Maybeck comprising the inaugural donation. Holding nearly 100 collections, the Archives has become Northern California’s premiere collection of historic architecture and landscape records.
External relations
Frameworks magazine is published yearly by the College of Environmental Design. Each issue centers around an environmental-design related theme and features article written by CED faculty. The color magazine also includes updates from alumni and other college news. It is mailed to over 20,000 CED alumni, donors, Bay Area design and planning firms, and all accredited design and planning schools nationwide. Portions of each issue are posted online.CED e-News is the College of Environmental Design's email newsletter published semi-weekly from September through May.
Places is the main journal in the U.S. principally focused on Urban Design. The journal was published by the Center for Environmental Design Research (CEDR). Founded in 1983 by members of the faculty at Berkeley and MIT, the journal stopped issuing printed copies and became 'online only' in Spring, 2009. The magazine is currently published by the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
School of Architecture and Berkeley remains a partner school.