The act of building is one of the world’s most powerful drivers of environmental processes, emissions and resource flows –from the extraction and processing of building materials, to the energy consumed over its lifetime and its generation of waste for eventual degradation. This has always been part of a changing, interconnected and larger ecological system. The seminar examines how the design of buildings in the 21st century are linked to ecological health, indoor environmental health and carbon life cycles. Across all three areas, students will examine key ecological theory and principles, bioclimatic design across various climate contexts and thermal comfort standards; followed by an introduction to fundamental scientific principles governing the design and control of thermal, luminous, and acoustic environments of buildings. Material properties are explored in detail, and students are exposed to the various technologies for producing and controlling light, heat and moisture. The overarching premise of the course is that the understanding and application of the physical principles by the architect must respond to and address the larger issues surrounding energy and the environment at multiple scales and in domains beyond a single building. The course is presented in a hybrid lecture and interactive lab format. Labs and the final design competition project will be carried out as group work. Labs in the first part of the semester will focus on the study and analysis of case study buildings in both real-world environments and digital energy simulation programs; while the remainder of the semester will broaden the application of environmental design principles in a group competition. The Environmental Design Competition is designed for students to both communicate their understanding of dynamic environmental conditions and develop multiscalar design strategies in response to an ever expanding array of energy and environmental performance standards and broader design goals.