Sustainable Environmental Design

The programme consists of two consecutive phases. In Phase 1 (Terms 1 and 2), students undertake experimental fieldwork and conduct computational studies within group projects. The ongoing SED research agenda Refurbishing the City provides briefs for case studies of buildings and outdoor spaces around London and other major cities. We examine historical data and projections that demonstrate climatic variability in a range of contexts, and use fieldwork in London to determine how the morphology and materiality of cities can interact with sun, wind and human activity, creating unexpected conditions and microclimates. Students use data collected during this work to calibrate computational models and simulations, and are encouraged to view challenging climatic conditions as creative opportunities. These studies provide the starting point for the design research that takes place in Term 2. Students develop their design briefs with input from seminars that highlight progressive environmental design research and practice.

In Phase 2 (Terms 3 and 4), students develop individual MSc and MArch dissertation projects focusing on zero-carbon research that benefits local communities and engages with global issues. MSc projects explore the architectural potential of this research across a range of climatic zones and building types. MArch research culminates in a specific application for a given site and design brief.

Both must follow the SED research methodology by systematically assessing the outcomes of their projects against local and international standards and benchmarks. Since the programme’s first cycle in 2005–6, more than 500 dissertation projects have been completed on sites spanning 60 countries and 150 cities, predominantly within the tropics north and south of the equator. These projects now form part of a growing SED archive that has so far been published in books, journals and conference proceedings. The school-wide Climate Matters activities in Term 1 will provide opportunities to share our climate studies and research with other parts of the AA.

In 2025–26, SED will expand its networks by initiating new collaborations with London-based practices and international institutions. We will continue to engage with other AA programmes, in particular by exploring opportunities at the school’s Hooke Park campus, and will extend our external research networks through alumni. 

Refurbishing the City: Building Studies
Term 1

London is our laboratory for the first project, in which buildings of architectural and environmental interest within the city are examined through case studies. The project is introduced in the first week of the academic year and represents the main piece of work for Term 1. It is a project in which MSc and MArch students work together in mixed groups of three to four students, drawing upon expertise from the SED programme and using methodologies and empirical data from our extensive archive of building case studies. The project combines exploration of theoretical principles, hands-on empirical work and systematic analytical studies to provide insights into how buildings perform climatically. Students consider the environmental conditions each building creates; how these compare with historical and contemporary precedents, standards and benchmarks; and how we might improve energy use, reduce embodied carbon and increase occupants’ comfort.

Refurbishing the City: Design Workshop
Term 2

The knowledge, skills and insights gained from Building Studies in Term 1 provide a starting point from which students formulate their own design research briefs. These briefs offer them the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge they have developed so far within a collaborative design project. The project is introduced in the first week of Term 2 and is the main piece of work for the term.

Dissertation Project
Terms 3–4

The dissertation project is a significant piece of work that reflects the research agenda of the SED programme as well as students’ own personal interests, individual skills and plans for the future. Dissertation research is undertaken individually, and provides the opportunity for in-depth exploration of climatic conditions, urban morphologies, contemporary and vernacular building precedents, and specific issues relating to students’ chosen subject. Fieldwork often forms part of the data collection process, alongside computational studies, generative processes and environmental assessment. Weekly tutorials and regular reviews support the dissertation research.

Adaptive Architecturing
Term 1

To develop local architectural solutions to global environmental issues, it is important to understand how cities and buildings can be adapted to respond to recursive climate cycles and to the circadian rhythms and activities of inhabitants. This course combines these influences in order to introduce a generative framework for adaptive architecture that works in symbiosis with the city. The course introduces students to lessons learned from the vernacular architecture of the past, while also examining scientific research that has informed the development of contemporary environmental design.

Design for Comfort, Health and Wellbeing
Term 1

This course addresses key concepts in building science to provide a foundation of knowledge that is relevant to all the courses in the programme. Concerns such as heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting are examined in terms of inhabitant comfort, health and wellbeing, as well as energy use.

Low Carbon Studio
Terms 1–2

This studio explores design strategies and analytical methods to radically reduce carbon emissions in the built environment. Emphasising whole-life carbon thinking, the course introduces tools for quantifying embodied and operational carbon, and engages with low-carbon materials and construction techniques, and circular design approaches. Particular emphasis is placed on low-carbon design principles, carbon benchmarking and the integration of carbon analysis into architectural workflows. Term 1 introduces key theories in low carbon construction, supported by case studies, while Term 2 focuses on the practical application of whole-life carbon assessment tools. Students will apply these methods to their projects and critical design scenarios, preparing them to respond to the urgent demands of climate mitigation in architecture.

Environmental Design Research Tools
Terms 1–2

This course introduces students to the analogue and digital tools required for environmental design research. These include on-site observations and measurements, analytical operations and data processing, as well as computational modelling and the simulation of environmental processes in and around buildings. The course establishes the analytical engines that drive the SED programme, which are then applied to project work and dissertations. Individual tools address weather data, climate analysis and site microclimate studies; daylight simulation studies; airflow and wind effects in and around buildings; incidence and effects of solar radiation outdoors and indoors; dynamic heat transfer and hourly simulation of energy balances of modelled spaces; occupant thermal and visual comfort studies; renewable energy generation, optimisation and harmonisation; embodied energy in materials; and lifecycle carbon analysis.

Sustainable City
Term 2

This course reviews the parameters that influence the climates of cities and examines how urban morphology creates and maintains distinct microclimates that impact on urban energy use, environmental quality and inhabitant activity. Students will explore the methods and tools that can be used to understand and analyse the core components of the city, such as urban form, mobility, environment and public space. In so doing, the aim is to develop a holistic approach to designing more sustainable, liveable, inclusive and resilient urban systems.

Lessons from Practice
Terms 2–3

We invite practicing architects, engineers and researchers to present projects from a range of international contexts that demonstrate their design philosophy, environmental research and current building practice. Presentations are typically followed by roundtable discussions focused on evolving environmental standards and practices.

Research Seminar
Terms 1–3

The research seminar familiarises students with the methodology that underlies all SED work. Each term will place a different emphasis on research methods relevant to the courses and project briefs at hand. Students learn how to process and interpret data as well as how to articulate their results spatially and temporally, informing their design decisions within real-world scenarios.