Past Courses

Architecture

 

Law and Public Administration
GCPE • PLAN 668
Bob Alpern

PL 668 focuses on what law and planning are -- in theory, practice and actual impact. Special attention is given to the distribution of burdens and benefits among classes, racial groups and geographic areas and between the individual and society; to meetings and decisions and the rules that govern them; and to use and misuse of planning tools at the municipal level... • Download syllabus

Elements of Landscape Architecture
Architecture • ARCH 444
Signe Nielsen

This course offers the following: · Overview of different composite landscapes both historic and contemporary, formal and informal, public and private. · In-depth analysis of plant characteristics, environmental issues, functional intent, seasonal variations and spatial formation. This portion of the course is augumented by a field trip to Brooklyn Botanical Garden, reading and graphic assignments... • Download syllabus

LEED Certification
GCPE/EMS • EMS 621a
Lauren Gropper

LEED Certification - The US Green Building Council developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system in response to market demand for a common definition and standard of measurement for green building... • Download syllabus

High Performance/Green Buildings
GCPE/EMS • EMS 621b
Carlton Brown

Taught by a practicing high performance/green architect/developer, this course will provide students with the philosophy/theory, history, and best practices underpinning innovations in high performance/green building. Focusing on new construction, the course will offer an in depth look at the process by which several of the architect/developer’s buildings were conceived, designed and implemented with a particular focus on the potential for affordable high performance/green development. • Download syllabus

Toxics and Hazards
GCPE • EMS-621G
Damon Chaky

This course will focus on toxic and hazardous substances in the environment, with particular emphasis on trace metals and organic compounds associated with construction materials and the urban industrial environment. We will examine issues such as urban air quality and indoor air pollution, the persistence of toxic chemicals in the environment, and the regulation and cleanup of toxic substances... • Download syllabus

History & Theory of Historic Preservation
Historic Preservation • PR 510
Eric Allison

The re-use of historic buildings is a neglected aspect of sustainability, conserving the energy used to create them and not using energy to demolish them and build anew. An additional point is that retrofitted older buildings often, due to heavier construction such as masonry walls, use of materials such as wood windows, etc., can be more easily made energy efficient than many newer buildings. Adaptive re-use or simple re-use gets left out of most sustainability discussions and, while included in LEED, is only a couple of points. • Download syllabus

Green Adaptive Re-use & Rehabilitation
GCPE/EMS • EMS 621c
Chris Benedict

Taught by a practicing high performance/green architect/developer, this course will provide students with the philosophy/theory, history, and best practices underpinning innovations in high performance/green building and rehabilitation. Focusing on adaptive Re-use and rehabilitation, the course will offer an in depth look at the process by which several of the architect/developer’s projects were conceived, designed and implemented. • Download syllabus

Life Cycle Analysis
GCPE/EMS • EMS 612a
Mathy Stanislaus

Life Cycle Assessment is a systematic set of procedures for compiling and examining the inputs and outputs of materials and energy and the associated environmental impacts directly attributable to the functioning of a product or service system throughout its life cycle... • Download syllabus

Ecological Footprint Assessment/Sustainability Indicators
GCPE/EMS • EMS 612b
Ariella Rosenberg

An ecological footprint is the identification and an analysis of an organization's, a government’s or an individual’s inputs and outputs, and the resulting impacts to the environment. This course will introduce the principles underlying “ecological footprint” analysis and will offer students hands on experience with the various methodologies and applications of this environmental assessment tool... • Download syllabus

Environmental Impact Analysis and Assessment
GCPE/EMS • EMS 611
Robert R. Kulikowski, Ph.D. and Katie Kendall, Esq.

Environmental impact assessment is an important component of the development and planning process. In this context, the course examines the critical components of the environmental, ecological, geological, economic, social, and health-related areas that must be considered as part of the environmental review process... • Download syllabus

Solid Waste Management--Systems and Alternatives
GCPE/EMS • EMS 621d
Resa Dimino

This mini-course will present relevant concepts, literature, and practices, both historical and current, relating to solid waste management at the local, regional, national and global levels. Particular emphasis is placed on new innovations in solid waste management including recycling, reuse and reduction... • Download syllabus

Water Quality Management--Systems and Alternatives
GCPE/EMS • EMS 621e
Paul Mankiewicz

This mini-course will present relevant concepts, literature, and practices, both historical and current, relating to Water Quality management. Particular emphasis is placed on the science of water and on new innovations in water quality management systems and approaches including watershed planning and natural waste water systems... • Download syllabus

Energy Management--Systems and Alternatives
GCPE/EMS • EMS 621f
Steve Hammer

This course examines the unique nature of energy use and planning in urban areas. As the home to significant – and ever growing – rates of energy consumption, urban areas are logical candidates for energy planning efforts... • Download syllabus

Environmental Economics
GCPE/EMS • EMS 624
Gelvin Stevenson

This course examines the relationship between the environment and socioeconomic systems. An economic framework is used to identify the causes of environmental problems and their potential solutions. The course is interdisciplinary, incorporating material from the natural sciences, philosophy and other social sciences, in examining the issue of sustainable development.... • Download syllabus

Watershed Planning
GCPE/EMS • EMS 641
Ira Stern

Everyone lives in a watershed and depends on distinct ecological land features for drinking water resources - ground or surface source alike. Watersheds are essentially drainage areas and occur throughout the world’s landscape in urban, suburban, rural and wilderness areas... • Download syllabus

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
GCPE • PLAN 544
Steven Romalewski

This course provides an introduction to geographic information systems (GIS) for urban planners– teaching you the basic skills, techniques, and interpretive capabilities to make effective maps, analyze data within an urban planning context, and understand the pros and cons of different GIS techniques, databases, and software applications. • Download syllabus

Planning for the Sustainable Campus
GCPE/EMS • PLAN 632
Eva Hanhardt

The course explores opportunities for sustainable campus planning and management. Students will study Green Campus Initiatives in the U.S. and identify opportunities at Pratt Institute’s campus in coordination with Pratt staff and faculty. The class will evaluate Pratt’s ecological footprint; compare it to the footprint documented in the summers of 2000, 2004 and 2005; and undertake the implementation of specific opportunities for green campus development. • Download syllabus

Environmental Justice
GCPE/EMS •
Samara F. Swanston

Environmental Justice will examine the role of equity in environmental planning, policy-making, decisionmaking respecting the distribution of environmental burdens and benefits. The course has several components. It examines the History of the Environmental Justice Movement, the Principles of Environmental Justice and Green Partnerships, and seminal Environmental Justice studies... • Download syllabus

Environmental Law
GCPE/EMS • EMS 640
Samara F. Swanston

Environmental Law is a general introduction to the field of environmental law. It focuses on issues of Environmental Justice and major environmental statutes, including the State Environmental Quality Review Act, known as ("SEQRA"), the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”), the National Historic Preservation Act, (“NHPA”) the State Historic Preservation Act, (“SHPA”) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act ("CERCLA") and recent Brownfields Laws that planners will likely encounter in their professional work... • Download syllabus

Environmental History and Ethics
GCPE/EMS • EMS 613
Dr. Robert L. Chapman

With modern technologies significantly enlarging our spheres of action and responsibility, we must ask: What is the history of environmental concern in the United States? To what extend are social/institutional value assumptions responsible for our present environmental condition?... • Download syllabus

Sustainable Development Seminar
GCPE/EMS • EMS 620
Ron Shiffman

The purpose of the Seminar is to expose Pratt Graduate Students and other interested parties to the issues of sustainable development and the interdependence and interrelationship of sustainable development to global, national, regional and local programs, policies and practices...• Download syllabus

Urban Design Studio I
Urban Design • UD 601
Meta Brunzema

This course focuses on the methods and techniques for analysis fo urban areas. The assignments involve site visits, the development of land use conditions, transportation and image maps and the studies of the constraints and opportunities for change. A format is then established for categorizing the issues affecting life and business in an area and then isolating the problems, developing alternate improvements or solutions and weighing the benefits and costs from varying points-of-view. • Download syllabus

Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization
Historic Preservation • PR 630
Norman Mintz

Downtown revitalization affects every community- from urban neighborhoods to village Main Streets. Inherent in the success of such efforts is the rehabilitation of existing and historic buildings. Efforts to preserve such structures not only enhances the richness of the community, but it can be a way to sustain energy and natural resources... • Download syllabus

Enviromenal Control Systems
Architecture • ARCH 622
Matthew Herman, Bob Kearns, and Jeremy Snyder

This class gives students a broad overview of technologies used to control the environmental conditions inside a building. As part of this course, industry standards in energy efficiency and current reseach into human health and environmental health issues are addressed. Students are introduced to the concept that carbon emissions are a real problem that building contribute greatly to... • Download syllabus

Land Use Controls and Development
GCPE • PLAN 548
Jonathan Martin

This course presents the nuts and bolts of land use planning as practiced in the US today and gives you the opportunity to develop/design a land use plan for a small hypothetical city. Through lectures and readings you will be exposed to contemporary land use planning issues (including urbanization and urban growth trends, ethics, quality of life indicators, ecological land use planning, and inner city revitalization). We will also devote attention to case study analysis of several large-scale planned developments in New York City. • Download syllabus

Contemporary Urban Form:Land Use and Growth Management Policy
GCPE • PLAN 574
Jonathan Martin

This course introduces the basics techniques of land use control and regulation as practiced in the United States today. Attention is given to the history, development and incidence of a variety of land use regulations, from the general plan to advanced growth management techniques, but much of our focus will be on what works and what doesn’t (and why)... • Download syllabus

Energy Conscious Architecture
Architecture • ARCH 440P
Brent Porter

The course interweaves critical environmental topics. The discourse begins with flow of energy, energy losses and gains, then the primary gain from the sun, wind effects driven by the sun and temperature differences, ventilation, humidity control and thermal comfort in general. Of major concern is access to sunlight and the lack of shading of neighboring properties... • Download syllabus

Architectural Materials
Architecture • ARCH 110
Michael Trencher/Kathleen Dunne/Jack McNanie/Bill Bedford

This course reviews basic building materials in the context of fundamental building issues. Materials studied include wood, masonry, and concrete. Each major material is examined in the context of its chemical structure, historical evolution, relevance to contemporary practice, and utilization in new and future products... • Download syllabus

Environmental Monitoring
GCPE/EMS • EMS-612

Prepares students to interpret and analyze scientific testing information in the context of regulatory requirement, community sustainability, and environmental justice. The course examines the chemistry of atmospheric, land and water environments, with particular emphasis on pollution encountered in urban and industrial sectors; the effect of air, noise and water pollution, hazardous materials, pesticides, and synthetics on the quality of community life; and the analysis of "brownfields" and contaminated urban sites. • Download syllabus

Building Services
Architecture • ARCH 313

This course examines the service systems employed in contemporary buildings: electricity, communications, alarms, movement, water, waste and other services are covered. In addition there will be an emphasis on LEED, energy efficiency and other sustainability issues. • Download syllabus

Architectural Assembly Systems
Architecture • ARCH 216

This course reviews assemblage of materials in the context of fundamental building issues. Materials studied include steel and concrete systems, and selection criteria for non-structural materials such as glass, plastics, and other building components. This course brings together issues of fire, water, movement, sound and temperature control. The course format consists of weekly lectures followed by discussion seminars. • Download syllabus

Comprehensive Architecture Project- Integrated Building Systems
Architecture • ARCH 663
Team taught - See Course Description

The First Professional Master of Architecture program has created an innovative new teaching program for the Comprehensive Architecture Project (CAP) design studio that emphasizes ecological issues by bringing leading professionals to the school to team-teach directly in the studio... • Download syllabus

Sustainable Planning Studio
GCPE • PLAN 653
Ron Shiffman and Eva Hanhardt

The Sustainable Planning Studio class is the capstone project for students in the Environmental Systems Management Program and is also open to students in the GCPE Planning and Historic Preservation Programs, Architecture, and from other Pratt Departments by permission of the Professors. The goal of the sustainable planning studio is to provide students with a “hands on” opportunity to apply the knowledge they have gained in previous coursework to a real world project... • Download syllabus

Advanced Design
Architecture and Interior Design • ARCH 401
Anthony Caradonna and Francine Monaco

Advanced problems in design dealing with complex architecture, interior and environmental problems are presented in the fall semester. This cross disciplinary initiative is a catalyst for design based interdepartmental, community and industry collaborations. This initiative has gained support through a 2004 interdisciplinary curriculum development grant and looks to expand interdisciplinary sustainable design opportunities for students and faculty.

Materials
Architecture and Interior Design • ARCH 413
Anthony Caradonna

Seminar workshop dealing with materials research, fabrication methods and design applications coordinated with the architecture + interiors interdisciplinary design studio in the fall semester. • Download syllabus

Building Environment
Undergraduate Architecture • ARCH-312-02
TBD

This course focuses on the interior environment of buildings, and how comfort is designed and maintained. Topics include site, solar orientation, heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting and acoustics. Special emphasis will be placed on natural systems, energy efficiency, LEED and other issues of sustainability. • Download syllabus

Environmental Controls
Graduate Architecture • ARCH-662-02
TBD

This course addresses the design of mechanical, electrical, plumbing and other systems for providing services in buildings. Heating, cooling, electrical service, lighting, plumbing, fire protection, vertical transportation, communication and security, acoustics, and energy conservation techniques are covered. From physical law to practical applications, building services for houses, institutional and commercial structures and communities are discussed. • Download syllabus

Infrastructure of Cities
Graduate Urban Design • UD-672

Through lectures and readings, the course identifies and describes the design and planning impact of the city's life support systems. Unit I: water supply, drainage, sewage, waste disposal; Unit II: thermal/electrical energy, telecommunications; Unit III: tunnel and highway networks, public transportation, aviation; Unit IV: environmental and institutional systems of waterfronts and parklands. • Download syllabus

Transportation Systems: Policy & Design
Graduate Urban Design • UD-665

The design of transportation systems is critical in the redevelopment of older cities and the design of new cities as well as for large development sites. This course examines the policy and design issues associated with transportation planning. Topics include transportation/land use relationships; mass transportation concepts and programs; inter-city links; basic traffic engineering concepts; movement of goods; metropolitan location and travel trends; the evolution of transportation concerns and policies. • Download syllabus

Open-Space Design
Graduate Architecture • ARCH-531

The course looks at the context of urban open space as planning fact and architectural expression through the use of comparative examples of Western and non-Western spaces. Typologies of urban landscapes are developed based on their disposition in response to a multiplicity of influences and their perceptual qualities of spatial definition. Key issues include new town planning, zoning and legal constraints, regeneration of downtowns, preservation, and change. Technical aspects of open-space design are covered including site construction methodology, infrastructure systems, site feasibility, and urban ecology. • Download syllabus

Architectonics
Graduate Architecture • ARCH-456

This course addresses biological, chemical and physical sources for architecture. It is a lecture-seminar course in which students evolve equations, model biological origins, and--through a program of directed demonstrations--design organic environments. • Download syllabus

Building Systems
Undergraduate Architecture • ARCH-331

This is an applied science course in which advanced applications of scientific technology in structures, materials and energy are developed. The lecture format is supplemented by exercises and individual research projects pertinent to the technology of design and construction. • Download syllabus

Comprehensive Design
Undergraduate Architecture • ARCH-300

This course synthesizes the students' experiences in all other courses and transforms them into design solutions. The process explores the relationship between humanity and self, society and environment, and the functional, formal and technological dimensions of architecture. • Download syllabus

Social Action
Undergraduate Architecture • ARCH-260

Advocacy architecture and planning within the framework of community action is covered in this course. Students work with community groups in storefront workshops supported by faculty and community resources. • Download syllabus